WOMEN’S networks mean all things to all people. Beyond the basics, women and networking, they can take any shape or form — even within one organisation.

Take PwCwomen — an umbrella network for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) female networking activities — which includes satellite and special-interest networks and has 900 members, some of whom have a Y chromosome. The group organises an array of events, from informal drinks evenings to coaching events with other organisations. Tina Hallett, who chairs PwCwomen, says that she got involved in networking because: “I’d got to a reasonably senior level and I wanted to help other people to maximise their potential.”

You don’t have to be senior to run a network, though. Vicky Wood and Sally Hopkins, had the idea for the City Girls Network before they even set foot in the corporate world. Wood says: “We thought we might come to London and know only accountants. We wondered how we’d get to know other women. But we couldn’t find anything for people with no experience. So we thought we’d start our own.”

Wood and Hopkins began with 12 friends and rapidly grew to 150 when their former employer Deloitte stepped in and helped them. The network now has 250 female members from a broad spectrum of organisations.

Lisa Bondesio, head of diversity for Deloitte in the UK says: “We were keen to support the girls because we operate quite an entrepreneurial culture and are very keen to ensure that people with good ideas are recognised.” Plus there is a clear business case; networking develops employees’ relationship-building skills and brings new people and therefore potential business in contact with the firm, she says.

Graham Roberts, a director at Atkins, understands the business case for female networking only too well. Roberts set up Horizon — a forum for professional women — at the company’s Bristol office a year ago. “Fifty women came to the first meeting and I was quite nervous. It was a bit of an experiment.” But it paid off — a similar network is to be launched from the firm’s Derby office.

For Roberts it is about getting a female perspective on business and helping to encourage more women to work for the company. “It is easy to unconsciously make decisions through a male frame,” he says. One vital piece of work for the forum is an involvement with schools to encourage women into engineering.

Using networks to attract female talent is an approach also being used by ABN AMRO.

The bank’s women’s network invited 35 female undergraduates to spend a day at the bank. Fiona Clutterbuck, co-chair of the womens’ network, says: “We want to encourage women to consider banking, and show that you don’t have to be male to succeed.

“Women tend to think of networking as socialising and give it a low priority,” she adds.

But given the chance, the women are right there. Clutterbuck and colleagues organised four breakfast meetings recently, each for up to 20 women, and places sold out within 20 minutes. But by far their most popular event has been speed networking, which was attended by more than 100 women and men. “It was a great success. It is amazing how many people you get to meet from different parts of the organisation.”

JP Morgan has also found that speed networking is popular. During its women’s week in June, a series of events, including a speed networking session which was attended by 300 women and a few men.

Victoria Mikulecz, a managing director at the bank, says: “We hadn’t anticipated that many people would come; it was fantastic and lots of women have asked if we can do it again. It was such a brilliant opportunity to meet other women from different parts of the bank.”

Speed is clearly a must for women on the fast track.

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