Attract the Best People with Social Capital
Aug 31, 2025
Have you ever had a star employee resign and thought, "But they loved their job"?
You offered competitive pay, great benefits, interesting work, and growth opportunities. Everything was perfect on paper. So why did they leave for a lateral move at another company?
They didn't quit their job. They left their loneliness.
The antidote to that loneliness is what Peter Capelli, Director of Wharton's Center for Human Resources, calls the "silent driver of organizational success" or social capital.
Think about how work actually gets done in most organizations:
- You need help with something, so you ask a colleague you know.
- You require information from another department, so you call someone you met at a company event.
- You're facing a tight deadline, so a teammate stays late to help you finish.
None of these interactions appear in job descriptions or policy manuals, yet they're the foundation of organizational success. Research shows that organizations with strong social capital see 36% higher productivity, 22% higher retention rates, and 15% greater innovation.
Companies with strong social connections also receive 68% more qualified applicants and see 54% higher offer acceptance rates.
Why? Top talent senses the quality of relationships during the interview process. They do more than evaluate the role. They evaluate if they'll have genuine connections.
Leverage in an Equity of Exchange
Peter describes work relationships as operating with an "equity of exchange."
"Office work gets done through an exchange of favors," he says. "I know you already, so I don't mind calling you up and asking you a question. Because I've asked you a question and you answered it, you feel okay calling me up and asking me a question."
Consider how differently the same request is received:
In-person scenario: A colleague stops by your desk and says, "I'm sorry to bother you, but this is really important. Could you help me with this?" You likely say yes, and they remember your help.
Remote scenario: You receive a message from someone you've never met in person asking for help. Peter notes what often happens is, "I will respond as soon as I have finished everything else that I need to do."
The difference is profound and directly impacts your ability to attract top talent.
There is Power in Purposeful Gatherings
In-person time is often limited, so it must be intentional. A healthcare organization created "Connection Days" which were designated days when everyone on a team worked in the office with a specific focus on relationship-building. These days included:
- No back-to-back meetings.
- Dedicated time for collaborative problem-solving.
- Team lunches with structured conversation starters.
- Cross-departmental "speed networking" sessions.
Applications from experienced professionals increased by 43%, with candidates specifically citing the system's approach to connection as a primary reason for their interest.
Build Deliberate Bridges
The most innovative organizations create what Peter calls "deliberate bridges" between team members who don't naturally interact as is the case with Marco Polo teams. (Be sure to watch my LinkedIn Live event on Marco Polo teams here. [insert LI url]
A technology company started "Company Cohorts" where groups of six employees from different departments meet monthly for virtual coffee chats. These structured yet informal pathways paved the way for future collaboration and problem-solving.
"The problem is years go by," Peter notes. "Every year the turnover is 15%, so the probability that we're going to have somebody in our team who knows somebody from that team erodes."
By intentionally rebuilding connections, companies can see a 34% increase in cross-departmental collaboration and a 28% decrease in project completion time.
Attract through Connection
The importance of social capital is evident in the top talent attraction process. During interviews, top candidates ask themselves:
- "Who will I learn from here?"
- "Who will have my back when things get tough?"
- "Will I find mentors and allies?"
- "Do people seem to genuinely enjoy working together?"
Candidates sense it immediately when your current team lacks social capital. Conversations feel stilted. People seem isolated. There's an underlying tension that screams "every person for themselves."
They experience something magical when social capital is strong. A team that supports each other. Persons who celebrate together. An “I’ve got your back” attitude. Who doesn’t want to be a part of that?
Your Social Capital Challenge
Ready to build the social connections that attract top talent to your front door? Try these three door-opening actions this week:
- Audit Your Onboarding Process: How much emphasis does it place on building relationships versus completing paperwork? Add one connection-building element to your process.
- Schedule One Purposeful Gathering: Create an opportunity for team members to connect beyond task completion. It could be as simple as a team lunch with conversation starters.
- Map Your Team's Connections: Identify gaps in your team's relationship network, particularly with other departments. Create one opportunity to bridge those gaps.
The Bottom Line
In our rush to offer competitive salaries and cutting-edge benefits, we've forgotten that humans are fundamentally social beings. We want to do more than work. We want to belong.
The organizations that understand this win the talent war. They create something money can't buy: a place where people genuinely care about each other's success.
Build social capital first. Everything else follows.
What's your question about building social capital to attract and retain top talent? Ask Dr. Joey here.
Taken from Dr. Joey's latest book, Open the Front Door: How to Attract Top Talent Today, that’s available here on Amazon.
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