Prioritizing communication and fostering virtual team-building activities support the employee well-being and helps to reaffirm the company’s values and mission in the face of a changing workforce environment.  Flexibility, empathy, and a focus on maintaining a sense of community are key to mitigating the detrimental effects of the pandemic on corporate culture.  Utilizing new methods of virtual face to face engagement like speed networking sessions as a part of a regular leadership cadence are helping Employee Resource Groups to foster a sense of belonging among employees.   

With the sudden shift to remote work for many companies, maintaining a strong sense of corporate culture has become more challenging. Remote work can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection among employees, hindering collaboration and communication.  By implementing speed networking sessions that create 6 to 8 face-to-face interactions in an hour at a very low cost, the company increases the ability for employees to build relationships and foster a sense of belonging within an organization.

For more information on how SpeedNetworking.com is enhancing the ability of corporations to connect, please visit:     

Case Studies

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• Matchmaking: Attendees provide their preferences and goals during registration. Our system leverages a proprietary predictive analytic algorithm that creates a participant’s connections based on shared interests and objectives for connecting.
• Speedy conversations: Participants are paired for brief, focused conversations, typically lasting 5–8 minutes. It’s a fun and efficient way to meet 6 to 8 relevant people in a short time.
• Higher engagement: Participants love the thrill of quick, purposeful interactions that keep them engaged throughout the event.
• Effortless networking: Encourages members to meet more people in less time, expanding their network and opportunities.
• Post-event connections: After the event, participants can continue building relationships with those they connected with by using our post event connection portal.
• Same Platform for both in person and virtual speed networking events: Regardless of the event type, organizers have the capability to ensure participants are matched with new contacts they did not meet in prior events. 
• Experienced Customer Success Manager for each event: An experienced coach helps guide the event organizer every step of the way to help ensure each event’s success and to maximize the efforts of the event organizer. 

A recent survey of association members uncovered a desire for more of these quick hitting networking events to foster meaningful new relationships.    

https://speednetworking.com/big-association-survey-reveals-member-engagement-trends/

Our 12 years of experience has culminated in a total solution of technology and coaching that is unique in this generation of speed networking solutions.  You and your members deserve the best!

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SpeedNetworking.com’s unique ability to match attendees with the right people who can address their main reasons for attending your event has a significant impact in various ways:

1. Enhanced Networking Opportunities: By providing a structured environment for attendees to engage with a select number of participants in a short period of time at live events or virtual events, members are able to make valuable connections with peers, potential collaborators, or mentors within the association.
2. Increased Engagement: By incorporating speed networking sessions into association events, organizers can boost attendee engagement. Participants are actively involved in brief, focused conversations, which can be more stimulating than traditional networking formats.
3. Efficient Time Utilization: Traditional networking events can sometimes result in participants spending too much time with a few individuals. Speed networking ensures that participants maximize their time by engaging with a variety of people who match their reasons for attending, increasing the chances of finding meaningful connections.
4. Breaking Ice: For attendees who may be shy or hesitant to initiate conversations, speed networking provides a structured and low-pressure environment. The timed nature of the interactions helps break the ice and facilitates more natural conversations during the rest of the event.
5. Knowledge Sharing: Participants in speed networking sessions often share brief insights into their expertise or experiences. This can lead to the exchange of valuable knowledge and ideas within the association, contributing to professional development and collaboration.
6. Positive Event Experience: Speed networking can contribute to a positive overall event experience for attendees. It adds an element of excitement and dynamism to the event, making it more memorable and encouraging participants to return for future association gatherings.
7. Facilitation of Partnerships: Speed networking can be particularly beneficial for associations seeking to facilitate partnerships, collaborations, or business opportunities among members. The structured format allows participants to quickly identify potential synergies in both in person and virtual events.
8. In summary, the SpeedNetworking.com solution of technology and expert services is the best way to positively impact association events by creating meaningful relationships in a short period of time that drives increased value for the attendees and the member’s perceived value of their association membership. For more information click Big Association Survey Reveals Member-Engagement Trends.

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Establishing a successful modern workplace requires open communication. Significantly, open communication builds trust, prevents impending conflicts, and resolves issues faster. A great way to add a vehicle for regular open communications is to introduce a corporate networking platform into the workplace that can be used at multiple levels for a variety of employee activities including use by the company ERGs (Employee Resource Groups).

There is more focus on feeling comfortable in the workplace, with things such as standing desks, comfy seating and remote working having been introduced in recent years to keep staff happy and motivated. The modern workplace is all about social collaboration and rising tech trends.

A modern workplace culture should be a goal for every business. It’s a sign of a forward thinking, open minded organization that has engaged employees. This engagement filters through – and has a positive knock-on effect – with customers. Happy staff deliver better results to customers!

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The workplace environment is constantly evolving and changing, and for younger employees like those in Gen X-Y-Z, traditional office politics are not something they care about. Here’s how you can capture their attention instead.

The post What Managers Should Understand About Workplace Expectations in 2023. appeared first on Speed Networking.

The Great Resignation saw millions of employees quit their jobs in droves, with a majority claiming that a lack of workplace advancements and career development pushed them to seek new opportunities.

The post Does The New Generation of Employees Expect Too much from the Common Workplace? appeared first on Speed Networking.

Whether a company is running fully virtual or partially, in-person contact with colleagues and social connection is what helps to drive NewGen employees and a factor that can help influence their job performance at the same time.

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Employee retention is critical to business success. When your top performers leave, their valuable company knowledge is often lost. Your remaining workforce may feel disoriented and unproductive without the previous employee’s expertise. And your talent’s productivity will plummet further when they’re forced to pick up the slack as a position remains unfilled. All this can lead to burnout and future turnover. 

Moreover, it’s costly to replace a departing employee. The cost to replace an individual employee can range anywhere from one half to two times the employee’s annual salary. The recruiting, onboarding, and training costs associated with hiring new talent is outright expensive. 

The cost to replace an individual employee can range from one half to two times the employee’s annual salary.

To make things worse, it can take one to two years for a new employee to reach similar performance to their predecessor. It’s clear that if your employees are constantly turning over, it’s difficult to build an engaging, high-performing workplace.

How to calculate your employee retention rate:

Calculating your employee retention rate can be achieved easily with a simple formula. Just divide the number of retained employees throughout a given time period by the initial amount of employees in that time period, and multiply by 100. 

(Remaining headcount during set period/ Starting headcount during set period) x 100

It’s important that your remaining headcount number doesn’t include new hires. Your retention rate is about the number of tenured employees who stay, not the number of people you’re able to hire. If you include employees who joined your organization during the set period that you’re measuring, you’ll skew your numbers. 

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1. Invite a VIP speaker

At most networking events you’ll get to hear a little from everyone and discover what they do. Transform your networking event into a miniature seminar by adding a short keynote from an industry expert or thought leader.

Think of this as a networking event and webinar hybrid where your guests get the opportunity to network with not only each other, but an industry expert too. It’s an opportunity to take a mini deep dive into a professional’s career journey or the company they run or represent, and it gives attendees a look behind the scenes at their success. Use this keynote to kick off your networking session and give everyone plenty to think about as they get to know others at your live event.

2. Take a mini skills class together

There’s nothing like a shared learning activity to build new connections with the people around you. It gives everyone a shared talking point and is a great way for less confident members of the group to get involved.

At your next networking event, bring in an expert to host a mini skills class for a small group. This could be something creative like a seasonal craft activity, or it could be food-and-drink themed like a mixology or cookie decorating class. You could also keep it work-related and host a lunch and learn based around soft skills like communication, leadership, or sales. Not only does this get people talking, they also get to learn something new in a fun way.

3. Host a virtual happy hour

If making cocktails isn’t your thing but you enjoy a good drink — alcoholic or not — try a virtual happy hour instead. Recreate that face-to-face bar or lounge experience in an online space by getting together for casual conversations and networking over drinks.

Instead of sending drink kits to your guests by mail or asking them to DIY their own, use virtual cards. With a virtual card, guests can use the balance to order drinks from their favorite local bar, restaurant, or coffee shop. It’s a small but fun way to create a hybrid event experience for your guests.

4. Try speed networking with a personal twist

Most people are familiar with the idea of speed networking. You have a few minutes with each guest to introduce yourselves and talk about what you do. Put a fun twist on your speed networking event by making it more about the person and less about their role.

Introduce prompts that encourage people to share their dreams, talk about their personal highlights, and tell others what they get up to on the weekend. Building your professional network isn’t just about connecting with the right name or face. It’s also about finding people you get on with personally — whether they have similar interests or a different outlook on life entirely. This twist on speed networking helps people do that faster. Don’t hesitate to check out www.speednetworking.com

5. Theme your event around a hobby or interest

A lot of virtual networking opportunities are either centered on one industry or open to all but with restrictions on how many people can represent one sector. Take a slightly different approach to networking and theme your event around an interest, hobby, or passion instead.

Invite people to join you for a business-focused networking event where they can learn something new and make connections with like-minded individuals. Gather outdoor sports enthusiasts, avid gamers, foodies, or people who are passionate about mindfulness for a themed meetup. This shared interest means that not only can potential business relationships develop, but personal ones too, which could enhance not just someone’s work life but their social time.

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