Weak ties are really just weak
Weak ties, it seems, do not have as much “strength” as we assume, at least for job hunting.
Let’s back up a bit. “The strength of weak ties”, postulated Granovetter in his seminal 1973 paper, are immense and (until then) widely underestimated. We normally have “strong ties” with people like family and close friends with whom we have close friendships and often lean towards for emotional support. However, people we have such strong ties with are likely to also have strong ties with each other as well – like a family or friend group where everyone knows each other. We would discuss similar topics and get similar information from different members of this group.
When it comes to something like job hunting, then, Granovetter’s research suggests that weak ties matter more, since each weak tie brings us new information and opportunities we wouldn’t hear about from other sources. This is consistent with the “strength of weak ties” and seems to make reasonable sense, but Facebook’s paper (backed up by its immense data on interpersonal interactions) suggests otherwise:
…inconsistent with Granovetter’s strength of weak ties hypothesis, communication with weak ties was not associated with getting a new job…
According to the paper – linked below – it is strong ties, after all, that are more likely to help recently unemployed persons find a new job. The reason seems to be the difference between influence vs information. A weak tie might bring about more information about the existence of certain jobs, but that is hardly a guarantee of actually getting that job. A strong tie, on the other hand, is likely to go above and beyond to help with a job search: they might actually personally recommend someone or use their influence, something weak ties might be hesitant to do.
Thus Granovetter’s postulate must always be taken a grain of salt. Weak ties may have their benefits, but strong ties are more helpful in tangible way.
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