Internal Networking Offers Win-Win for Employers and Staff

Patricia Tuso, Director of Human Resources

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Too many colleagues expect opportunities to present themselves.

Ideally, hard work should be noticed, and achievements should be recognized. Promotions should go to those with the greatest talent, based on merit alone.

The reality is that we all need to advocate for our own advancement.

An under-appreciated first step is to build new and deeper relationships within your current organization. In collaboration with a supervisor, I recommend identifying leaders to invite out for coffee (or tea). Don’t be intimidated. The invitation can be a flattering gesture that shows a genuine interest in learning more about roles within the organization.

Everyone’s time is valuable. But most leaders are happy to spend time sharing career advice. After all, they probably took a similar approach when seeking out their current position. Keep the meeting short. Come prepared with specific questions such as:

• What path led to their current role?
• What learning experiences could they share?
• Who else do they suggest you meet with?

Internal networking is essential not only for distinguishing one’s own accomplishments. Done effectively, these meetings can also help to identify new collaborations and to exchange insights between organizational silos.

That’s why at Burns Engineering, we actively encourage interns and junior associates to establish new connections across all departments and at all levels of the organization. By fostering what we term “guided learning,” we see internal networking as an essential tool to help increase employee motivation, engagement and productivity. Across the organization, Burns leaders are always happy to meet with employees to discuss their experiences and to offer career advice.

Think of internal networking as a proactive approach to learning from others. We all could benefit from advice on how to best contribute our talents. Personal career advancement should be a win-win for everyone.