Generation Z is more likely than any other age group to cite their network as the most important factor in career progression, according to a Sept. 2 LinkedIn News post.
The research was conducted by Censuswide between July 20 and Aug. 11 and included 18,050 professionals aged 18 to 80 who work full or part time across the U.S. and 11 other countries, according to LinkedIn.
However, survey data shows that 53% of Gen Zers do not know where to start. When asked about networking, 34% of Gen Zers said they are concerned about sounding inauthentic. Another 37% cited being judged and 37% said they worry about bothering people.
At the same time, 83% of Millennials and Gen Xers said they are likely to help someone seeking advice or support, even if they have never met them, according to LinkedIn News survey data. It pays off: U.S. job applicants with an inside connection are nearly seven times more likely to get the job.
The findings echo other recent research on what actually moves Gen Z toward leadership. In Deloitte’s 2026 Gen Z and Millennial Survey of more than 14,000 respondents, a clearer path to leadership within their organization ranked among the top three factors — alongside higher pay and flexible work — that would make them more likely to pursue a senior role, cited by 36% of Gen Zers and 35% of Millennials.
Health system human resources leaders are already seeing the connection between relationship-building and retention play out. At Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope, a redesigned leadership development program built around experience-based learning surfaced an unexpected finding: Participants said the relationships and cross-functional connections they built were among the most valuable parts of the program.
“It reinforced that leadership development is as much about building networks, fostering a shared sense of purpose and developing a broader organizational perspective as it is about developing individual skills,” CHRO Joline Treanor told Becker’s in July.
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