Why Your Networking Messages Are Being Ignored (And How to Fix That)

Remember when networking meant actually building relationships? While the tools for connecting have multiplied, meaningful professional relationships seem harder to build than ever. Your carefully crafted messages sit unanswered. Your connection requests are ignored. And that ideal role at your target company? Still feels frustratingly out of reach.

But the data tells an interesting story. 70% of professionals still land roles through their networks. The disconnect isn’t in the importance of relationships—it’s in how we build them.

The solution isn’t sending more messages or making more connections. It’s understanding how to identify, approach, and build relationships with the people who can actually impact your career. Let’s explore how in my latest article.

Why Companies Still Prefer Referred Candidates

Companies prefer employee referrals because they are the top source for quality hires. A referred candidate reduces the time it takes them to fill the position from 39 days on average to 29. They also stay longer than candidates from other sources (job boards, career sites, and LinkedIn). 

Not only that, they’re deemed a better culture fit, decrease turnover, and have a lower cost per hire –that’s just on the company side. Why should you care about being the referred candidate?

If you have a referral, you are 5X more likely to be hired than candidates without one. One out of eight referred candidates is hired, and if you’re the referred candidate in the interview group, you have a 25% chance of being offered the job. Candidates without a referral have a 1.7% chance of landing the job. You have to work 14 times harder without a referral. 

For those interested in the data, I’ve linked the company side of employee referrals from the Erin Employee Referral Platform above, and the candidate referral data comes from Gerry Crispin here. 

So let’s break this down: if you have a referral, you increase your chances of being hired by 5X, and if you do not have a referral, you’ll have to work 14 times harder to get the job.

So we’ve looked at the company side and why they want – and prefer referred candidates and we’ve looked at the data behind why you should care and want to be the referred candidate. 

What about everyone else? What are they saying about how they’re finding their most recent role? I’m so glad you asked! A recent LinkedIn survey showed that 70% of members found their most recent position through a connection, and an HBR study found that 60% of people landed their current role through a past coworker. 

Companies prefer referred candidates. 

You’re 5X more likely to be hired if you possess the referral.

And, 60-70% of successful job seekers landed their current role from a referral.

You can’t afford to ignore the power of referrals in your job search.

I have something special for you too. Here’s a list of the U.S. companies that recruit the most from employee referrals. This is gold. Check out the list to see if there are any companies where you already have connections with people who know, like, and trust you (we’re going to be diving into that next). 

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Why Your Networking Messages Aren’t Getting Responses (And How to Fix That)

Now that we’ve tackled why it’s so important to get a referral, let’s talk about what’s holding you back from getting one.

A client recently shared with me, “One of the most difficult parts has been trying to connect with people within an organization for potential leads. When I reach out, I often don’t hear back, likely because we’re strangers, and I’m unsure of how to break through that barrier.”

If you’re experiencing a similar situation when you try to reach out, it’s because there are two different types of outreach: warm and cold, and you’re likely doing cold outreach.

Warm outreach is leveraging existing connections. Talking to people who already know, like, and trust you. They’re more likely to respond because they already know you.

On the other hand, cold outreach is when you reach out to strangers online. It’s when you send that hiring manager or recruiter a connection message out of the blue with no prior contact. Cold outreach is not as effective. 

With cold outreach, you’re more likely to be ignored if you don’t make any attempts to warm up the connection/introduction first, and if, when you do reach out, you don’t take the time to mention any common points of connection. 

Relying on cold outreach and not warming up those cold connections are why many outreach attempts fail, why messages go unanswered, and why those connection requests you send on LinkedIn are ignored. 

If you’re in my LinkedIn Unlocked course, I cover warming up connections in the module on engagement and researching those common connection points. 

How to Find (and Connect With) the Right People

Your power circle is where networking starts. I’ve found that most job seekers underestimate their existing network and who their network knows. Your power circle consists of the people who already know, like and trust you. We start here because there’s already a relationship, they WANT to help you, and it’s faster to strengthen existing relationships than it is to start from scratch (cold outreach). 

We will start by reaching out to your power circle, reconnecting with them, and asking them to chat or if it’s OK to send your target company list to see if they know anyone inside your target companies. The purpose of this is to access second or third-degree connections in your target companies. These would be those cold company contacts where most job seekers start vs. starting with their inner circle of connections and working outward. 

When you reach out to someone you already know and they have a contact inside the company they can introduce you to, that introduction is now warm outreach instead of cold, and you’re more likely to get a response. 

Here’s a networking script that you could use when reaching out to a past coworker:

Hi Name,

It’s been a while. Hope you’ve been well. I heard/read/saw that [a personal note showing you remember who they are and what they’re doing recently]. 

You may recall, back in _____ I/we [example of a key achievement that either you or the both of you accomplished to help refresh his/her memory.]

I’m reaching out because I know what a well-respected/connected/informed person you are and thought you might be able to help. After ___ [short mention of your recent experience to reinforce your qualifications], I am now actively networking to discover my next career move.

I’ve decided the next growth role for me is a [level and/or title] at a [organization/industry/size]. 

I wondered who you might know in this space that I should network with and any other insights you’d be willing to share that might help me with my search. If you’re up for it, we could even catch up by phone/Zoom/in-person. If so, what’s your availability this Thursday or Friday? [This call to action promotes a response]

I look forward to hearing from you,

Your name

This networking script can be used for professional connections, alumni, friends, or family members. 

Hi Name, 

I know it’s been quite a while since we last connected – I hope everything’s going great on your end. I recently decided to make a career change from entrepreneurship to the non-profit world and am in the process of exploring options. I hope you might offer me some advice and information.

Attached is a list of organizations where I would like to work. Would you be willing to take a look at the attached list to see if your network overlaps with any of these organizations? If not, is there a nonprofit that isn’t on the list that you might recommend? Any names of individuals you feel I should contact would be extremely helpful, even those who may be able to direct me to others. The more people I can contact regarding this endeavor, the better my chances of discovering a good fit.  

I’m excited about working with a nonprofit program that supports veterans. That said, I am open to discussing positions that would allow me to use my skills and education in the nonprofit field. To provide you with an overview of my background, I have attached my resume as well.

I look forward to any ideas we can come up with together. If you’re up for it, we could catch up by phone or grab a coffee. If so, what’s your availability this Thursday or Friday? Thank you in advance for your help.

Sincerely,

Your Name

What’s next after you’ve received a few names

Make sure you’ve reached out to your entire power circle. If you need help brainstorming who to contact, leave me a comment below, and I’ll send you my Power Circle spreadsheet to help you identify all the coworkers, professional contacts, confidantes, and connectors in your network. 

Once you have the names of people inside your target company, the next step is to request an introduction. Now, you have a warm introduction to a cold connection, and the person is more likely to respond to you because you were introduced by someone they know, like, and trust. I’m covering how to build and strengthen these cold connections (turned warm) and how to get the referral in next week’s newsletter.
Now that you’ve discovered the power of your existing network, join 115,200 job seekers and grab my free, 5-minute weekly newsletter packed with actionable tips to search smarter, not harder.

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