Building and expanding diverse professional networks is crucial for career opportunities and personal growth. Narrow networks can limit both individuals and organizations, while broader connections foster inclusivity, new perspectives, and bridge-building across communities. This approach is essential for societal and economic progress, particularly in an increasingly polarized world.
It has been close to a decade since I began volunteering for a local organization that matches me with professionals new to Canada with the purpose of supporting them in finding employment within their respective fields. This is intended to yield a net benefit not just to those professionals but to the economic prosperity of our communities, preventing the leakage of talent into survival jobs and reverse migration.
The Importance of Networking
One of the key pieces of advice that new professional immigrants receive is that they need to build and expand professional networks. The experienced and educated professionals I have worked with came from all around the globe. Yet they were almost universally surprised to be coached on building networks. Many believed that they are entering a pure meritocracy, with their experience and education counting the most.
Given that formal and informal professional networks are an important component to business and career opportunities (and not just for newcomers to Canada), it stands to reason that expanding diversity in professional networks can have significant impact on opportunities. I note that this is one piece of the puzzle that I’m writing about today and not the only lever.
The Impact of Diverse Networks on Opportunities
To make this more palpable, without limiting the topic to new immigrants, I will use an example from my personal experience. Years ago, I was invited to an interview for a volunteer board position in a local organization. The lead interviewer indicated that the committee was so impressed by my resume that they decided to interview me, even though they normally did not interview people they did not know. Although the interviewers were accomplished people, this cliquish comment revealed the limitations they had imposed on themselves, their organization, even their own personal growth and experiences. They were oblivious to the implication of this comment.
I personally believe that by paying attention to the diversity of our networks, professionals and leaders can include people not typically at the table and both parties can contribute to and gain from those interactions. Often with little effort on our part we can make a significant difference to other people’s access to opportunity. I personally strive to never decline an introduction, even when there is no hiring at hand. I know that there could always be something I can do or suggest that proves useful to others outside of my circle.
An additional less visible dimension is that the new entrants to our circles can allow us to grow personally and professionally with new perspectives and worldviews as well as build bridges and connections to communities outside of our current reach. This I believe is particularly important in an increasingly polarized world. Broad networks and circles are an antidote to being anchored to narrow personal circles or social media echo chambers.
Expanding Connections for Greater Inclusion
Occasionally, and when stars align, those new connections can bloom into friendships where we can “break bread” with others. The Arabic version of this expression symbolically draws people into a domain of warmth and trust, “there is bread and salt between us”, goes the saying.
Finally, a reflection on something I regret, which is that my current professional and personal networks don’t include more Indigenous people. Many times, when I hear or participate in a land acknowledgement, read about reconciliation or related topics, I ask myself, if I have done enough to reach out. I know there is a lot more to do.
Overall, building wider and more diverse networks is an investment at the personal, organizational, societal and economic levels and I hope I have nudged you as a reader (and myself) to take an additional step in that direction today.
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About the Author
This post is part of our ongoing EDIB Perspectives series offering insights and reflections on equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB) topics from a business perspective, brought to you by leaders and colleagues at Stratford. Through this series, we aim to share experiences, challenges, and successes in fostering an inclusive corporate culture.
With a more personal tone, the goal of these posts is to offer diverse perspectives on how individuals at Stratford authentically live and embody the principles of EDIB in their daily lives and work.