Building Social Capital as an Employment Strategy

Relationships are crucial for personal and professional success. Strong relationships and social connections provide emotional support and open doors to new opportunities. This can be vital for career advancement and overall well-being.

Social capital refers to the connections among individuals and groups, and the resources that can be accessed through those relationships and social networks (Brooks, 2020).

Research shows that people with disabilities have lower levels of social capital. On average, a person with a disability has 25 social connections, compared to 150 connections for people without a disability. Condeluci, TedX Talks

Understanding how social capital impacts the career development of people with disabilities is crucial to improving quality employment outcomes. Keep reading to learn:

• how VR professionals can build social capital as an employment strategy for people with disabilities
• the three types of social capital
• its impact on starting wages and career development
• its role in personal and professional success

How VR Professionals Can Build Social Capital as an Employment Strategy

VR professionals can help build a job-seeker’s social capital by identifying the person’s existing social capital and transferring their professional social capital on their behalf.

Identify Job-Seekers’ Social Capital

People with disabilities are known to have more limited social capital caused by system inequities and stigma. Asking someone with limited social networks to use them to find a job may be asking them to do something that’s borderline impossible. Still, it’s important to identify and leverage existing support systems and networks.

Ask job-seekers with disabilities:

• What relationships do you have?
• Who do you know?
• What kind of resources could these relationships give you access to?

Collaborate to identify social capital:

• Create a list of the job-seekers’ relationships and connections
• Identify how each connection might be beneficial

Transfer Your Professional Social Capital

Social capital is transferable. (Phillips et al., 2014). Although some VR Professionals may hesitate to draw on their professional connections to support a job-seeker out of fear that it will reflect badly on them if the person doesn’t meet expectations, transferring social capital is vital to undoing systemic inequity. Ask yourself:

• Where do I have strong forms of social capital – ones that could impact employment opportunities and wage options?
• Where are my weak forms of social capital – ones that are a source of new information?
• How can I use both strong and weak forms of social capital on someone else’s behalf?

Three Types of Social Capital

Each of the three types of social capital described below plays a unique role in promoting personal and professional success. Together, they form a strong foundation for people to thrive in their careers (Boat, 2020):

1. Bonding social capital: Bonding social capital refers to close relationships with family members and friends. These connections create a sense of belonging and identity based on emotional support and trust. Bonding social capital is a critical aspect of social capital in general.
2. Bridging social capital: Bridging social capital involves relationships with casual friends and colleagues or associates. These relationships are typically outside one's immediate circle but help jobseekers get ahead in their careers by expanding their networks and increasing access to opportunities.
3. Linking social capital: Linking social capital consists of connections with organizations and institutions such as schools, government agencies, or businesses. These relationships are important because they assist people in accruing support from people in authority who may have the power to influence their career trajectories.

Impact of Social Capital on Career Development and Starting Wages

People with strong social networks are often better positioned to access lucrative employment opportunities and advance in their careers. They also typically have better and higher-paying jobs. According to research:

• 85% of jobs are filled through networking. This statistic highlights the significance of social connections and job searches, demonstrating that networking is a powerful tool for finding and securing employment.
• 70% of jobs are not published publicly. Many job opportunities are shared exclusively through word of mouth or personal connections, indicating the "hidden job market."
• Social capital, along with human capital, is an important factor in starting wage decisions. Scenarios depicting high levels of social capital resulted in an increase in hourly wage of over $1,500/year for a direct relationship and over $800/year for an indirect relationship. (Phillips et al., 2014).

The Role of Social Capital in Personal and Professional Success

Social capital plays a crucial role in professional and personal success, particularly for people with a disability who may face additional challenges to achieving quality, competitive employment. There are five primary benefits of social capital (Brook, 2005):

1. Facilitates access to valuable resources: Strong social capital helps individuals achieve their personal and professional goals by providing access to essential resources such as employment opportunities and skills development.
2. Promotes social cohesion and builds strong relationships: By building strong relationships with others, social capital fosters a sense of community and connectedness, contributing to overall well-being.
3. Provides a sense of belonging and identity: Close relationships like those found in bonding social capital create a sense of belonging and identity, supporting emotional well-being.
4. Increases job recruitment and placement: Social capital is vital in helping people find job opportunities, often through word of mouth, recommendations, or networking connections.
5. Improves job satisfaction: Strong relationships with colleagues and supervisors can increase job satisfaction, as people feel more supported and valued in their work environment.

Clearly, building social capital is a valuable employment strategy that supports people with disabilities to achieve their quality employment and life goals.

Source: Information for this article was taken from Impact of Social Capital 101 – TACQE U.