LinkedIn data reveals New Zealand men are savvier online professional networkers than women
Auckland, New Zealand – June 23, 2011 – LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network with more than 100 million members worldwide and more than 350,000 members in
New Zealand, today released data on the differences between men and women when it comes to networking professionally
online. LinkedIn studied the details of professionals across multiple industries and countries and has found that
globally and in New Zealand, men tend to be savvier online networkers than women.
LinkedIn’s data got even more interesting when it was spliced by industry. LinkedIn discovered that what you think would
be a male savvy industry (such as railroad manufacture) is actually a female savvy industry. Interestingly, the opposite
was not true. Men were still savvier in traditionally male-dominated industries such as machinery.
Top New Zealand industries where women are savvier online professional networkers
• Railroad manufacture
• Wireless
• Program Development
• Marketing and advertising
Top New Zealand industries where men are savvier online professional networkers
Machinery
Law enforcement
Human resources
Newspapers
“Networking experiences can actually be quite different for men and women – even at the same event, within the same
organisation, or in the same industry or community”, says Cliff Rosenberg, LinkedIn’s managing director in Australia and New Zealand. “Some professionals may find networking in person to be
tedious or intimidating and any such barriers can be removed in an online environment. LinkedIn provides the best
platform and tools to cultivate their networking skills and build strong professional connections”.
“Instead of thinking about networking as a cringe-worthy activity of handing out business cards and talking about
themselves, professional women can think about networking as a way to build their social capital. It’s not just about
keeping in touch with old colleagues, but building relationships with people who will be useful to us in the future”,
says Kathryn Jackson, Executive Coach and author of ‘Essential Questions to GROW Your Team’.
In addition to reviewing the savviest networkers by industry, LinkedIn also took a look at some of the largest companies
in New Zealand. Here are a few examples of how these companies ranked on LinkedIn's "Battle of the Sexes" online
professional networking savviness scale.
Organisations found to have savvier female online professional networkers
The New Zealand Defence Force
Auckland City Council
Te Wananga o Aotearoa
Organisations found to have savvier male online professional networkers
Ministry of Education of New Zealand
Westpac
The Accident Compensation Corporation
To declare a winner in the battle of the sexes argument, LinkedIn developed an online professional networking
“savviness” ranking that measured two variables: the ratio of connections that men have compared to the ratio of
connections that women have, and the ratio of male to female LinkedIn members.
About LinkedIn
Founded in 2003, LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. With more than
100 million members worldwide, including executives from every Fortune 500 company, LinkedIn is the world’s largest
professional network on the Internet. The company has a diversified business model with revenues coming from member
subscriptions, marketing solutions and hiring solutions. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, LinkedIn also has offices
across North America, as well as throughout Europe and Asia and in India and Australia.
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