How to Network While Working From Home

Summary

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WSJ Your Money Briefing

Episode: How to Network While Working From Home

Date: November 2, 2020
Host: J.R. Whalen
Guests:

• Ray Smith, WSJ Lifestyle Reporter
• Dan Wang, Assistant Professor of Management, Columbia Business School

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Your Money Briefing" explores the evolving landscape of professional networking during the COVID-19 pandemic. With in-person gatherings on hold, the podcast investigates how to effectively grow and maintain professional connections in an all-virtual environment. Host J.R. Whalen is joined by lifestyle reporter Ray Smith and Columbia Business School professor Dan Wang to share strategies, challenges, and etiquette for online networking.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Shift to Virtual Networking

[00:56]

• The pandemic abruptly moved most networking online, ending traditional face-to-face interactions at conferences, bars, and workplaces.
• Ray Smith: "When you're out of the loop... isolated, working from home... and the economy is really uncertain, it's really important to stay connected because, you know, literally none of us knows what might happen to our industries or our jobs." (00:56)

Increased Importance of Networking

[01:57, 02:27]

• Networking is vital for ongoing career development, especially in uncertain times when job security is at a low.
• Proactively maintaining visibility and relationships makes transitions easier if circumstances change.

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Fundamentals and Advantages of Online Networking

[03:13 – 04:16]

• Dan Wang: "Moving online... creates a space for people to be, I think, at once more strategic about whom they actually talk to... It's given folks more options as well." (03:22)
• Virtual networking platforms provide tools for more targeted, niche connections than before.
• The substance of communication remains unchanged, but the challenge shifts to deciding how and with whom to spend networking hours.

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Preparation is Key

[04:18 – 05:01]

• Dan Wang: "Even in non-Covid times… preparation is the single most important thing that you can do..." (04:18)
• Learn about participants before meetings to ask targeted questions and maximize the value of the interaction.

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Reaching Out to “Dormant Ties”

[05:07 – 06:53]

• Reviving old connections can feel awkward, but recipients often feel flattered rather than bothered.
• Dan Wang: "We tend to feel flattered when we hear from folks that we haven't heard from in a long time... it's something I often encourage people to do." (05:48)
• Awakening dormant ties is especially valuable in times with fewer social opportunities.

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Generational Gaps and Building New Norms

[06:53 – 08:59]

• Everyone, regardless of age or experience, is adjusting to new online networking norms.
• Dan Wang: "My main piece of advice is to be courageous here. There are no real norms that have been clearly established now..." (07:18)
• Regardless of setting, substantive conversation remains critical—come prepared and have a clear purpose.

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Respecting Time and Setting Expectations

[08:59 – 11:08]

• WFH blurs work-life boundaries; patience and mindfulness are crucial when reaching out.
• Ray Smith: "Be specific in how much time you'd like to request and keep it under 30 minutes... Be clear on what you want to speak about. Just be mindful of people's time is the general point." (09:53–10:44)
• Use scheduling tools to simplify planning and acknowledge everyone’s increased home demands.

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Presentation and “E-Charisma”

[11:08 – 12:17]

• First impressions still matter in virtual settings—present yourself professionally, even if only from the waist up.
• Ray Smith: "Your presentation really still does matter. ...it's still important to look professional. ...there are things called, you know, echarisma." (11:16)
• Let your personality come through on camera to compensate for the lack of in-person energy.

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Choosing the Right Mode: Phone vs. Video

[12:17 – 13:52]

• Always ask contacts if they prefer a phone call or video meeting.
• A video call may require more preparation; a phone call allows multitasking.
• Ray Smith: "If it's going to be a phone call, I know I can keep on my sweatpants... But if ... a video call, that just alters her whole day." (12:37)
• Consider the other person’s comfort, schedule, and preference.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ray Smith:
  "It’s really important to stay connected because, you know, literally none of us knows what might happen to our industries or our jobs." (00:56)

• Dan Wang:
  "Preparation is the single most important thing that you can do in order to get the most value out of forming new connections and sustaining old connections as well." (04:18)

• Dan Wang:
  "We tend to feel flattered when we hear from folks that we haven't heard from in a long time..." (05:48)

• Ray Smith:
  "Be clear on what you want to speak about. Just be mindful of people’s time is the general point." (10:44)

• Ray Smith:
  "Your presentation really still does matter... try to look as professional as possible and as yourself as possible." (11:16)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:56: The importance of networking in uncertain times
• 02:09: The culture shock and shift to primary online networking
• 03:22: Online networking—strategy, options, and changes
• 04:18: The primacy of preparation for virtual meetings
• 05:07: How to reconnect with dormant ties
• 07:18: Bridging generational/normative gaps in online networking
• 09:53: Mindfulness when scheduling and respecting time
• 11:16: The role of appearance and personality online
• 12:37: Deciding between phone and video calls

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Takeaways for Listeners

• Be strategic: research contacts and come prepared.
• Don’t hesitate to revive old connections—most people appreciate it.
• Respect everyone’s time and domestic pressures when networking remotely.
• Presentation and authenticity still count, even virtually.
• Clarify communication preferences—phone or video—to ensure comfort and preparedness.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking actionable advice on building and maintaining professional networks while working from home.

Transcript

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[J.R. Whalen]

Here's your money briefing from Monday, November 2nd. I'm J.R. whalen for the Wall Street Journal. Networking can be key to finding a new job or building a list of professional contacts. But social distancing in the time of COVID 19 means those valuable face to face meetings, perhaps at a bar or a conference hall or even a golf course, have all been moved online.

[Ray Smith]

And what happened in this case is when you're out of the loop and you're sort of separated from everyone, you're isolated, working from home and we're in an environment where the economy is really uncertain, it's really important to stay connected because, you know, literally none of us knows what might happen to our industries or our jobs.

[J.R. Whalen]

So can you network just as effectively from home? We'll check in with our lifestyle reporter Ray Smith for some answers. Plus, we hear from a Columbia University business school professor with some tips for getting your virtual message across. That's after the break. For millions of Americans looking for their next job or just trying to beef up their Rolodex, networking is vital. But the pandemic has changed the rules of networking. It's gone from almost exclusively face to face to sitting in front of our computer screens. So how can you succeed in the world of online networking? Our reporter Ray Smith has been looking into it and he joins us now to discuss. Ray, thanks for being here.

[Ray Smith]

Thank you for having me.

[J.R. Whalen]

So, you know, networking has its own built in challenges. There's a bit of a schmooze factor involved and you kind of have to have the gift of gab. But now it's all online. You talk about culture shock.

[Ray Smith]

Pre pandemic, people were already virtually networking. But the difference now post Covid is that it's become the primary way to network. Before, it was just supplemental or secondary to in person networking.

[J.R. Whalen]

Now how has networking taken on more importance since the start of the pandemic?

[Ray Smith]

It's a useful tool to develop one's career in terms of one career track. And what happened in this case is when you're out of the loop and you're sort of separated from everyone. You're isolated, working from home. And we're in an environment where the economy is really uncertain. It's really important to stay connected because, you know, literally none of us knows what might happen to our industries or our jobs. And rather than waiting until something actually happens, it's just good to network and keep on people's radars during this really economically uncertain environment.

[J.R. Whalen]

For some tips on being a good networker in the age of social distancing, we're joined by Dan Wang. He's assistant professor of management at Columbia University Business School. Dan, thank you for being with us.

[Dan Wang]

Thanks, J.R. it's a pleasure to be here.

[J.R. Whalen]

So, Dan, first of all, how have the fundamentals of networking changed in the transition from face to face to online?

[Dan Wang]

One thing that I think moving online does is that it creates a space for people to be, I think, at once more strategic about whom they actually talk to. And the other thing that it's done is that it's given folks more options as well. And so even though there's a proliferation of different types of platforms that engage people in networking in new ways, such as through mentorship type relationships or by expanding one's network, one thing that I think these platforms have done is they've allowed people to find their niches more efficiently as well. And so although the face to face communication aspect is certainly something that we all have gotten used to, the substance of that communication hasn't really changed. I think what people have now is more choice, but with that comes with another set of dilemmas, which is, well, how do you want to spend your time when it comes to networking?

[J.R. Whalen]

What kind of preparation should go into virtual networking?

[Dan Wang]

I think preparation is vital. In fact, when I teach students, executives as well as others who come to Columbia Business School for programs about networking, I emphasize that even in the non Covid times when it comes to networking, preparation is the single most important thing that you can do in order to get the most value out of forming new connections and sustaining old connections as well. And so any opportunity that you have to learn about the participants at a networking event, I suggest that you take it in part because you'll ask more targeted questions. You'll also be familiar with the setting, and furthermore, you'll be able to reach the kind of information that you'd like to get more efficiently.

[J.R. Whalen]

Now, how about if somebody wants to reach out to someone they haven't spoken to in a long time, how do they go about doing that?

[Dan Wang]

So that's a really good point. And this is something that I think a lot of us have thought about over the past few months. These kinds of interactions are known as awakening dormant ties. And that term, dormant ties actually comes from a researcher at Rutgers Business School, Daniel Levin. And the idea about dormant ties is that these are folks that you might have met at one point in your professional personal lives, and they might all of a sudden become useful to you now. And so how do you go about awakening those dormant ties? The fear that we tend to have is that we might come off as being transactional, or the email that you send to them, or the text that you send to them, or the LinkedIn message that you send to them might be seen as coming out of the blue. And I completely understand that fear. It might seem like a random message from a person that you haven't talked to for a long time. And so from the recipient's perspect, what incentive do they have to reply? What Levin's research actually shows is that that's not at all how individuals who receive messages from friends from the past or co workers that they haven't interacted with in a long time, that's not how at all how those messages are received. In fact, we tend to feel flattered when we hear from folks that we haven't heard from in a long time. And so when you realize that, then it actually changes your mindset about reaching out to folks. And so it's something that I often encourage people to do as a way of catching up. And especially during these times when we're all kind of craving more social interaction, given the lack of opportunities to do so in person in a meaningful way, this is something that becomes even more significant also.

[J.R. Whalen]

Dan, what's your advice to younger people who are setting out into the job world doing online networking, but they're meeting people with more experience with traditional face to face networking. Is there any sort of a, you know, a generational gap to bridge here? Is there a way to approach a conversation with someone who's done online NETWORKING maybe just 5% of the time, Whereas a younger person, this could be the only networking type that they know.

[Dan Wang]

This is such an interesting question, because I think the way that I see it is that getting used to interacting through video conferencing is something that's novel to everybody. For those who are used to interacting in person, there's an adjustment to be made. But also for folks who are just beginning and embarking upon a new career, perhaps they just got out of school, this is just a totally novel act. Networking in General is different. And so everyone's going to have to learn the right norms for interaction. So my main piece of advice is to be courageous here. There are no real norms that have been clearly established. Now when it comes to networking, there are certainly norms of propriety. Being nice, being polite, saying thanks, introducing yourselves. But really, when it comes to online networking, I think the important part is making sure that the conversation is substantive. And this is no different from what it's like to network offline. I think whether you're at a cocktail hour that's set up by a conference or by your employer, or whether it's through an interaction that's been mediated through an online platform, what's really important is that the two parties who are meeting for the first time have a substantive conversation. And going back to an earlier point, doing your research, preparing for that interaction is vital to that, so that you don't spend half of the time that you're meeting together chit chatting about the weather or the pandemic of all things. So much of what you get from a networking interaction comes from knowing the other party's expertise, knowing what you can help them with, and also finding common bases of connection.

[J.R. Whalen]

That's Dan Wang, assistant professor at Columbia University Business School. So Ray, we've seen research saying that in the work from home world from March to September, people have put in a total of 22 million extra hours on their primary jobs every weekday. So should patience be a virtue when trying to reach someone?

[Ray Smith]

One of the key things that several experts reinforced with me was being mindful because we are all working from home, but that doesn't mean we're just sitting around waiting for calls. A lot of us are, are working obviously, but also juggling home responsibilities. And so it's a really stressful time on a lot of people. And so it's always good when trying to set up times to, or if you want to set up a time with someone you're trying to connect with to really make it as easy as possible for them. And you also, you have to sort of take the lead on everything from obviously the outreach, but also you have to sort of, if you want to schedule something, you do the planning. There are calendar apps that make it easier for someone to just put their time in a slot and schedule something rather than going back and forth with emails. Well, what time are you available? There's also just easier ways to tell people exactly what you want from them. And what I mean by that is be specific in how much time you'd like to request and keep it under 30 minutes so that the person knows this is not going to be an hour fishing expedition. It's going to be sort of a concept call. Be clear on what you want to speak about. Just be mindful of people's time is the general point. And when you do finally connect with them, you know, always just ask how things are going. It's as simple as saying, is now a good time? You know, because you just never know what can come up in the course of a day when working from home. Even if that, you know, you've scheduled a call with somebody and they pick up, you know, I was advised that you should still sort of, you know, just say, is now still a good time? Because again, you just never know when things might pop up at the last minute while working from home, whether it's a childcare emergency or a pet emergency or a leaky faucet. So you just never know. It's just these crazy times that we're in now.

[J.R. Whalen]

Ray, as part of your lifestyle reporting for us, you also write about fashion. And in the virtual world, especially when there could be a new job at stake, neatness counts.

[Ray Smith]

It absolutely does. Your presentation really still does matter. And that's one of the things that also mattered, obviously a lot in in person networking, where appearances and your first impressions really mattered. You know, in the virtual setting, we're doing this from the waist up. It's still important to look professional. You do miss some of those other cues that you get when you're in person with somebody. But the point is to try to look as professional as possible and as yourself as possible. And there are things called, you know, echarisma, for instance. And that's something that is not natural for everybody. But you have to sort of try to bring your personality across as much as you can on a video call as you would as if you were in person. And that's really going to be a challenge. That human dynamic in general is a challenge for online networking. And several experts I talked to though, said that they think the future of networking is going to be some hybrid of online and physical, when it's safe

[J.R. Whalen]

to and should you arrange ahead of time whether the virtual meeting will be on camera or not.

[Ray Smith]

That's an absolutely good question. And several experts I talked to for the story told me that it's just a really good idea to ask whether someone prefers to do a phone call or a video call. The video call option. When you give them that option, they can sort of decide whether, you know, it's something that they want to dress up for or they're going to have to dress up for, or if it's something they'd rather do on phone and not have to dress up for. I talked with one career counselor who mentioned to me that she always asked a question because it's going to determine whether she can go to the gym later or not. And literally she was like, if it's going to be a phone call, I know I can keep on my sweatpants and my sneakers because I'm going to go running right after we get off the phone. But if she had planned to go running and the decision is made to do a video call, that just alters her whole day. So especially now, it's just really important to ask which one someone prefers. And also because we're working from home again, people are juggling things. A phone call allows them to continue talking to you even if they're doing something else. A video call requires them to sort of just they have to sit there. They can't do anything else. They can't multitask, if you will. So that's another reason besides whether or not you have to dress up and show up in a full face of makeup and in a full business wear or business casual wear. That's another reason to whether the person prefers phone or video.

[J.R. Whalen]

All right, that's our lifestyle reporter, Ray Smith. Ray, thanks for being with us.

[Ray Smith]

Thank you.

[J.R. Whalen]

And that's your Money briefing. I'm J.R. whalen for the Wall Street Journal.

[Political Advertiser]

This episode is brought to you by Charles Schwab. Decisions made in Washington can affect your portfolio every day. Washington Wise from Charles Schwab is an original podcast that unpacks the stories making news in Washington. [e-mail] WashingtonWise.