Don't neglect face-to-face networking: Hays

“The technology boom has opened up many networks online and created real, focused, commercial opportunities,” said Hays regional director of accountancy and finance Susan Drew.

“Businesses are exploiting these new networks, such as web-based crowdsourcing sites that allow new ideas to be shared with user communities, many of them specialists in a given field,” she said.

However, despite these benefits, Ms Drew says it is a “high risk strategy” to neglect person-to-person business connections.

“Some believe a static workforce has been created, one that is losing confidence, dynamism and the tangential benefits of real human contact,” a Hays statement read.

In order to ensure staff are improving both digital and person-to-person communications, employers should provide specific training, Ms Drew advised.

“Staff who are isolated by email can become a threat to an employers’ competitiveness, so offering formal training in networking skills would benefit both companies and the individuals concerned,” she said.

“If you want your business to succeed, sooner or later you’ll need to meet the people you would like to turn into clients or staff.”