In the busy industry of business, networking is an important part of life, be it personal or professional.
It could be an advantage for businesses that are starting from the bottom to create a remarkable impression on the consumers.
Engaging in networking activities widens the reach of the companies, opening opportunities for growth and development.
Our Networking Statistics highlights the rise in connection between groups of people amid the rise of businesses and the pursuit of career growth.
Key Statistics
- 85% of jobs are filled through networking
- 46% of freelancers find jobs through close connection
- 77% of recruiters use Linkedin to find potential candidates
- Executives will lose 28% of their business if they stop networking
- Hiring process via referrals is much shorter and less expensive than normal hiring processes
- 40% of people prefer online networking over in-person networking
- 79% of professionals agree that networking is valuable for career progression
- Spending time on social media platforms can be productive
Top Career Networking Statistics in 2025
1. 85% of Jobs Are Filled Through Networking
According to HubSpot, 85% of job vacancies are filled through the infinite possibilities in networking.
The study highlights 70% of the jobs that are never published for the public to see are often jobs that are posted within or created specifically for the people that the recruiters met through networking.
Creating a network through these networking statistics could make a person take a leap after getting astray from the job he ought to have from then.
This could stand as a chance or a one-time opportunity that anyone in the network waits to get ahold of.
In fact, according to a recent LinkedIn study, 80% of the professionals consider networking as vital to their success in their chosen career.
(apollotechnical)
2. 77% of The Recruiters Use Linkedin to Find Potential Candidates
LinkedIn plays a vital role in the realm of networking.
Pursuing a certain job, since most of the clients and companies check profiles and backgrounds of the people to filter the people that could possibly be their future employee, is much easier because of networking.
The latest networking statistics show 56% of the entrepreneurs are using LinkedIn for networking while 32% of them use Facebook.
The trust formed between the recruiters and LinkedIn when it comes to hiring candidates and prospects is unwavering.
(LinkedIn)
3. 46% Of Freelancers Find Jobs Through Friends, Family Members and Colleagues
Hearing a word or two from former colleagues and friends creates a possibility for a person to get hired in his or her desired position.
In fact, according to a report by Jobvite, 18% of the workers that applied for their current position got there through their close friends or former colleagues.
This does not suggest reconnecting with colleagues can land a person his desired position in a company, but shows that a person can get a hold on the information about the job offer faster than those who do not have any kind of connection.
(Jobvite)
4. Maintaining Good Relationships with Co-Workers and Higher-Ups Is Something to Be Considered
Burning bridges is never an option in the world of networking.
As people meet and interact with one another, maintaining good relationships with former colleagues can pave a way for a person to get the job that they deserve.
An input from them could create or break the path towards one’s career goal.
Actually, 24% of job seekers found out about the job opportunities through their professional connections while 35% of the people said that they got their current job thanks to their professional connections.
To some people who are just starting their professional career, 84% use LinkedIn platform to improve and widen their professional network.
(novoresume)
5. Trade Shows Are Great to Network Your Business.
An estimated 5% to 20% of customers are found through trade shows, and 48% of professionals say that networking with vendors while 43% say that networking with prospects are the reasons they continue to watch trade shows.
Aside from trade shows, bars and restaurants are also proven to be best places to do networking, and 38% of professionals attest to this.
This shows networking takes place in informal settings where conversations can get casual as both parties negotiate.
(apollotechnical)
6. Executives Will Lose 28% of Their Business if They Stop Networking
An article on networking revealed business executives revealed that if they stop networking their business, they could lose 28% of their business, or a quarter of their overall.
To find suitable people in the job or position they offer in the company, they try to network and build connections that are relevant in the pursuit of success in their business.
(apollotechnical)
7. Hiring Process via Referrals Is Much Shorter and Less Expensive than Normal Hiring Processes
In a recent study on businesses, 67% of employers and recruiters affirmed that the hiring process through referrals is shorter and less expensive than those of the normal hiring processes.
This is the reason why employers and recruiters do networking through the use of referrals.
It also found that even if only 7% of applications are referrals, they already make up 40% of the hires, which is the highest rate of the conversion for applicants that have been hired.
(novoresume)
8. Business Cards Are Still Important
Amidst the emergence of online networking and social media as a whole, business cards are proven to still be relevant in society as 72% of people still get the first impression about the company from a business card.
(novoresume)
9. Networking Presents New Opportunities for Business Owners
Most of the time, networking opens a lot of possibilities in the field of business.
It heightens the connection between the employer, employee and client in a way where the connection is built even before they met.
The opportunities opened for business owners does not only benefit the owner but also the future employee they may have.
(novoresume)
10. Nearly 100% of Professionals Believe that Face-To-Face Meetings Are Crucial to Keeping Long-Term Business Relationships
According to HubSpot, almost all of the professionals believe that in-person meetings are crucial in making long-term business relationships.
This can also pave a way in observing one’s nonverbal behavior and asking questions for further clarifications.
One of the reasons why professionals prefer in-person meetings is the lessening of misunderstandings between the two parties and clears the barrier that may get in the way in the duration of the partnership.
(Hubspot)
11. 70% of Communication Is Nonverbal
Building a connection at the first meeting is crucial.
According to a study, looks and handshakes influence 72% of networkers.
Hence, one must know the do’s and don’ts in an in-person meeting such as proper hand placement, remarkable hand gestures and facial expressions because 77% of professionals say that they prefer in-person networking based on these measures.
Communicating verbally is important but so is nonverbal communication, since every gesture may mean another to the other person involved.
(novoresume)
12. 70% of The Jobs Are Not Even Advertised on Job Websites
Advertisements on job websites may still lack some of the jobs that hire people, hence, there is still a need of personally walking into and passing resumes on to different companies.
Since some of the jobs are not posted on the website, the only you can get a hold of that information is through a person working in the company or walking in to the company to inquire.
(novoresume)
13. 85% of The Vacancies Are Filled via Referrals
Referrals make up almost all of the vacancies because as defined in the first part of the article, networking is an act of interacting with people and building connections.
Referrals may come from the people whom one interacted with such as their previous employer, colleague, a friend or a family member.
(novoresume)
14. 35% of Participants Said a Casual Conversation Through LinkedIn Messaging Led to A New Opportunity
LinkedIn solidified this claim, according to them, and as cited in the first part of the article, 70% of the professionals that are deemed as hired in 2016 came from their company.
There are also millions of users on LinkedIn and 40% of them are active daily.
As of 2022, more than 810 million people are on LinkedIn for various reasons.
In fact, in the form of LinkedIn, networking suggests that 70% of the professionals that are deemed as hired in 2016 came from their company.
Among the 122 million people who scored an interview through LinkedIn, 35.5 million people got the job.
(apollotechnical)
15. 40% of People Prefer Online Networking Over In-Person Networking
While some preferred in-person networking for nonverbal communication, 40% of people preferred online networking.
This happened as social media is creating a buzz on everyone’s phone.
Scrolling through social media and websites saves time and money.
Surely, people prefer where they can save more and still get the same result they could have in any case they opted for the other option.
(novoresume)
16. Spending Time on Social Media Platforms Can Lead to Job Networking
Scrolling through one’s social media platform can open job opportunities since 14% of the workers who found and applied for their current job because of the use of social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook.
(novoresume)
17. 60% of The Planet`s Whole Population Uses Social Media Actively
Social media platforms connect people in more ways than one and networking does too, thus, combining the two makes a great deal in the business industry and career progression.
Since it has become the era where almost everyone uses their smartphones and gadgets in surfing the net, it is the best opportunity to grab for the businesses to advertise and interact to form a network between them.
In fact, 70% of employers use social media platforms to evaluate their potential employees and so as employees to their employers.
(novoresume)
18. Although 79% of Professionals Agree that Networking Is Needed for Career Progression, only 48% Consistently Stay in Touch with Their Network
Nowadays, only 48% stays in touch with their network, making it a little less than the supposed networking statistics.
In 2020, 51% of laid-off professionals were discouraged from continuing networking after the pandemic surged because of embarrassment and shame.
(review 42)
19. The Nature of Networking Has Changed Post-Pandemic
In the post-pandemic era, a mere 42% of professionals have actively engaged their existing connections to explore job opportunities, with only 39% seeking introductions through their network.
Additionally, merely 35% have taken the initiative to introduce themselves to new connections. These networking figures are sourced from LinkedIn.
Networking is a continuous process and staying in touch is one of the key factors in making this possible.
However, instances like this may affect the whole number of networks and its networking circle.
(techjury)
20. 49% of People Said They Cannot Network Because of The Lack of Time
One of the reasons that others may have a hard time staying in touch with their network is time. Time helps in making people accomplish their tasks for the day.
Thus, it is also necessary in networking.
An estimated 41% of networkers want to network more often but do not have the time.
Creating a network may be easier than actually having one but losing time for a lot of things one needs to do to live his or her life.
The latest networking statistics show that in case a business executive stops networking, he will suffer a 28% loss which is already a disturbing number in the business world.
(novoresume)
21. 40% of LinkedIn Users Are Active Every Day
Given that 40% of LinkedIn users are active daily, learning how to use the social media platform properly could make a huge difference in interacting with people and building lifelong connections.
This could open more networks that could generate the job you were waiting to have.
(novoresume)
22. Millennials Have It the Hardest in Maintaining Connections.
Although 93% of millennials own a smartphone and have easy access on social media platforms, 43% of them find it difficult to keep in touch with their connections, more than any other, given that they experienced the transition towards the era of social media getting popular.
However, 55% of the subjects often turn to their network in search of a job opportunity.
(novoresume)
23. Networking Plays an Important Role in Society
Networking played a vital role in society as it entered the era where building a network became innate because of the people’s frequent use of social media.
However, to understand how it takes place, we must know first what it is.
According to Oxford Languages, networking means, “the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.”
Basically, networking is an act of seeking and finding the right people to coordinate and cooperate with.
The activity provides a leeway in either one’s career path or business building.
It could take place either online or in-person.
The networking statistics that follow could give light to the purposes of networking in the career progression, expansion of business and even for just landing a good paying job.
Conclusion
In the generation where burning bridges and cutting connection is the norm, networking still thrives.
Building connections with people and interacting with them may bring a one-time opportunity in your life, since networking is mainly about that.
Networking provides opportunities and paves way to the career path that a lot of people are eyeing.
According to the latest networking statistics, 85% of the job vacancies are filled through the magic of networking.
This is why networking for the purpose of business expansion and professional growth is essential to surviving the cutthroat professional competition globally.
