Gen Z Wants To Network, New LinkedIn Data Shows They Just Don’t Know How To Start
The job market right now is a tough one. Companies are hiring more slowly, competition for open roles is overwhelming, and the usual advice about resumes and cover letters only goes so far. But according to new research from LinkedIn, there’s one lever that consistently moves the needle on getting hired, and it’s the one most people dread: networking.
The data shows Gen Z knows this. 72% of Gen Z professionals say relationships matter for their careers, and 92% say their professional community is important in helping them figure out what’s next as AI reshapes the workplace. The problem isn’t believing in it; it’s execution. More than half, 53%, say they aren’t sure how to even get started, and 51% say they struggle to turn a surface-level contact into a real relationship. 64% say no one ever actually taught them how to build professional relationships in the first place, leaving them to figure out who to reach out to, when, and what to say largely on their own.
What’s holding people back looks less like laziness and more like anxiety. A lack of confidence is keeping 72% of Gen Z on the sidelines of their own professional community, while 37% worry about bothering people, another 37% fear being judged, and 34% worry about coming across as inauthentic.
That hesitation may be costing more than comfort. LinkedIn’s Economic Graph data shows candidates with an inside connection at a company are seven times more likely to get hired than those without one, meaning a reluctance to network can translate directly into missed opportunities. And the data suggests the door is more open than it feels: 83% of Millennials and Gen X professionals say they’re likely to help someone who reaches out for advice or support, even if they’ve never met them before.
Small, low-pressure actions appear to matter more than people expect. Nearly a quarter of Gen Z professionals, 24%, say simply commenting, sharing, or joining conversations online has helped open up new opportunities. LinkedIn’s own platform data backs that up: members who engage with their network’s posts are nearly three times as likely to receive connection requests and almost five times as likely to receive a direct message.
The takeaway from LinkedIn Career Expert Catherine Fisher is that networking is a skill that can be built like any other, rooted less in transactional small talk and more in approaching relationships with the same authenticity and intention you’d bring to a friendship. For a generation that grew up online but still feels stuck when it comes to translating those connections into career moves, that reframe may be the shift that actually gets people off the sidelines.
