Why India’s Gen Z risks missing the networking advantage

Indian job applicants with an inside connection are nearly 8.5 times more likely to be hired than those without one. Yet 83% of Gen Z professionals in the country hesitate to network with people who could help their careers, according to new LinkedIn research.

The contrast points to a divide between recognizing the value of professional relationships and knowing how to build them. While 79% of Indian Gen Z professionals consider such relationships important, 52% do not know how to begin and 53% struggle to turn contacts into meaningful connections.

Confidence is one barrier. The survey found that 44% fear being judged, 39% worry about bothering people and 37% are concerned about sounding inauthentic.

A lack of guidance may be another. Nearly three in five respondents said nobody had clearly shown them how to develop professional relationships, leaving many uncertain about whom to approach, when to make contact or what to say.

That hesitation matters in a labor market where personal connections remain closely associated with opportunity. Nearly 30% of Indian Gen Z respondents said they had found their next role through an online professional community.

LinkedIn’s hiring analysis found that applicants in India who already had a first-degree connection at the company were nearly 8.5 times more likely to be hired.

The finding shows an association rather than proving that the connection caused the hiring decision. LinkedIn counted an application as having an inside connection whenever one of the applicant’s existing contacts worked at the company. This does not mean that the contact provided a referral or intervened in the recruitment process.

Young professionals may also underestimate how receptive experienced workers are. LinkedIn found that 92% of millennials and 95% of Gen X professionals in India would help someone beginning a career, even if they did not know the person.

“As jobs evolve and career paths become less linear, the ability to build meaningful relationships is becoming just as important as building skills,” said Nirajita Banerjee, a career expert and senior managing editor for LinkedIn News India.

Networking does not necessarily require cold messages or formal introductions, Banerjee said. Commenting on a post, asking a relevant question or reconnecting with an existing contact can provide a less intimidating starting point.

LinkedIn’s global data show that members are almost three times more likely to receive a connection request and nearly five times more likely to receive a message after interacting with a post from someone in their network.

The findings also carry a message for employers. If professional networks influence access to opportunities, leaving relationship-building to individual confidence can disadvantage younger workers who lack established contacts.

Structured mentoring, introductions across teams and regular access to senior colleagues can make networking part of the workplace rather than an unwritten requirement. Managers can also state more clearly when they are available to offer advice.

The research was conducted by Censuswide between 20 July and 11 August. It covered 18,050 full-time and part-time professionals aged 18 to 80 across 12 markets, including India. Each market had at least 150 respondents aged 18 to 29.

The separate hiring analysis drew on a random sample of five million LinkedIn members and covered applications submitted between July 2019 and December 2025.