Gen Z professionals in India hesitant about online networking: LinkedIn
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LinkedIn research has found that 83% of Gen Z professionals in India hesitate to interact with their professional networks online.
Fear of judgement, concerns about bothering others, and worries about sounding inauthentic are among key reasons.
The findings were shared by Nirajita Banerjee, Head of Editorial and Creator Management at LinkedIn, in a post examining why professional networking can feel intimidating, particularly early in a career.
Banerjee said she had experienced similar hesitation at the start of her career, recalling that she would spend hours rehearsing conversations before approaching senior professionals or colleagues from other teams. She said she dislikes the term “networking” because it has “terrible PR” and prefers to describe it as “building relationships.”
According to Banerjee, avoiding professional networks can result in missed opportunities for advice, introductions, and career growth. She encouraged young professionals to view networking as genuine relationship-building rather than a transactional activity.
Her suggestions include starting conversations around shared interests, following professionals and companies before connecting with them, and beginning with small interactions such as liking, commenting on, or asking questions about their posts.
She also advised professionals to build relationships before they need them, rather than waiting until they are looking for a job. Banerjee further encouraged young professionals to assume that experienced colleagues may be more willing to offer guidance than they expect.
She urged Gen Z professionals to approach networking with curiosity and generosity, describing it as a way of being part of a professional community rather than simply expanding a contact list.