NETWORK ACTIVATION
Mobilise existing networks
From existing relationships to wider reach and a stronger talent pipeline.
Many organisations know who they want to reach. The more important question is: who already knows these people? Employees know former colleagues and fellow professionals. Students and alumni are connected to educational institutions and professional communities. Employers, education providers, partners and communities each have their own relationships and reach.
For organisations, regions and partnerships, this is where much of the untapped potential lies.
By making these networks visible, building new bridges and engaging people both online and offline, you can also reach those who would not normally be reached through conventional recruitment and communications.
How we activate existing networks
Network activation takes place wherever relationships already exist: both online and offline.
Through conversations, events and communities, as well as LinkedIn, WhatsApp, email and internal channels.
The most effective approach depends on the challenge, the people you want to reach and the relationships that provide access to them.
Making networks and connections visible
We map the people, groups and organisations already connected to the target audience. Who has access to people you cannot yet reach? This reveals where existing relationships lie, who can provide a trusted connection and where new connections can be made.
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Activating people online and offline
We engage the right people at the right time through personal conversations, introductions, events, communities and channels such as LinkedIn, WhatsApp, email and internal communications. Combining online and offline engagement extends your reach beyond the people you can contact directly.
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Connecting people, stories and reasons to engage
We identify who is well placed to inspire others to take action and what kind of prompt will work best. This could be a personal story, a request for help, an introduction, an invitation, a vacancy, an event or a shared labour market challenge. The approach follows the relationship: personal wherever possible and scalable where useful.
Coordinating follow-up and maintaining momentum
We define who leads the engagement, who follows up responses and introductions, and when the network is re-engaged. We track which relationships, stories, channels and engagement activities generate action and use these insights to refine the approach.
What does network activation achieve?
The outcome varies depending on the challenge and the network. Above all, network activation ensures that existing reach is used deliberately rather than left to chance.
More people using their own relationships to extend your reach and attract others.
Greater reach through trusted connections beyond your own communications and recruitment channels.
More personal introductions, referrals, registrations and other forms of engagement through the network.
Clearer insight into which people, relationships and channels prompt action, enabling you to build on what works.
For regions, sectors and partnerships, there is another important benefit: separate networks of employers, educational institutions, professionals, partners and communities can be connected. This creates a collective reach that none of the participating organisations could achieve alone.
For organisations and collaborative networks
The principle remains the same: start with the relationships already in place and expand your reach from there. Which networks you activate, and for what purpose, depends on the challenge.
Within organisations
For leadership teams and professionals in HR, recruitment, employer branding and communications who want to make better use of their employees’, alumni’s, candidates’ and other stakeholders’ existing relationships to extend their reach and attract talent.
This could involve referral recruitment, hard-to-fill vacancies, ambassadorship, attracting career changers or a broader talent attraction challenge.
Within regions, sectors and collaborative networks
For board members, programme managers and project teams seeking to connect and activate the separate networks of employers, educational institutions, professionals, communities and partners around a shared labour market challenge.
This may involve attracting people to a sector or profession, reaching career changers, students or other target audiences, or addressing a regional challenge that requires different stakeholders to combine their reach.
The strength lies not only in each participant’s individual network, but especially in the connections between those networks.
EXPLORE FURTHER
Learn more about our vision, approach and research.
Explore our vision, approach and research into the power of existing relationships and networks.
Which networks could you make better use of?
Call Michael Boud op +316 24 76 87 58 Or submit your question using the form.