Employee referrals are often some of the best candidates you will get for open positions. But it may seem like your employee referral program isn’t working well. When you have a new opening, you don’t get a lot of employee referrals. In fact, it may seem like no employees are referring their contacts for roles in your company at all, and job boards certainly aren’t working either.
What’s going on? Well, there are a few things that might be happening. To help you figure it out, we’ll look at how to encourage your employees to give referrals.
The first mistake recruiters often make is that they assume key employees know when there are openings or when new openings might become available. The reality? Your best employees are focused on getting their work done, and unless the opening is in their department or will directly impact them, they may not even know what jobs in your organization are available.
And they can’t share what they don’t know about. So when you are hiring for a new position or to replace someone in an existing one, let your employees know as soon as it is practical. Most employees want to work with people they are compatible with and who align with both their values and those of your company.
And they know what those values are. Your employees can vet candidates for you before they even apply for open positions. This means not only do they need to know the openings, but they need to know the answer to questions they will be asked about pay and job duties.
The more your employees know, the better recruiting tools they will be for you.
This one is a big deal, but one that is often overlooked. Your employees are more likely to participate in professional organizations if you pay any dues they might incur, and you allow them to take time off for meetings if needed. The benefit for your company?
A built-in network of potential talent. If your best and brightest employees are showcased in professional associations or are heavily involved there, they will have contact with other professionals you may want to recruit for open roles. As a hiring manager, you may not fit in those groups, but your employees do.
Utilize your employees’ existing contacts and networks but give them the tools to expand those networks in ways you can both benefit from.
Another mistake, and an area that is often overlookedm is that the employee referral process is challenging, and some companies even close the program to whole groups of employees. That’s a huge error, as those employees may have some of the best contacts.
And if it is hard to follow the process for both the candidate and the employee, neither will think highly of your company. Be sure if a candidate is referred, they are at least contacted and at best offered an interview. Even if they are not an ideal fit for the job opening you currently have, they may fit elsewhere down the road.
This also makes your employee look better and makes them more likely to refer someone in the future. If the candidate referred falls through the cracks, is never interviewed or even contacted, it makes the process seem flawed. Keep communication open, and make sure that the process for making a referral is easy.
Many companies only pay referral bonuses once an employee passes their probationary period. What does this say to your employee? “We trust your judgment in referring this person. But not that much. So we’ll wait and see if they work out.”
This sends a message to both the employee and the candidate/new hire. And it’s not a message that speaks well of your company culture. Show confidence in your employee and your new hire by rewarding any promised incentives right away.
Finally, to encourage your employees to give referrals, give them the types of rewards and bonuses they want. From cash incentives to gift cards, from gym memberships to a fancy dinner on the company, there are all kinds of options that can work well. It really depends on your company culture and your employees.
Take a survey. Ask your key employees. Take information from what has worked in the past and apply them to future recruiting efforts.
If you find that your employee referral program still isn’t working, revisit the tips above. Be sure employees know about your job openings and share them with their network. Give them the tools they need to connect with talent you may be interested in. Make your program transparent and easy to participate in.
And give any incentives upon hire, not later on. If you are giving your employees what they want, they will pass that along to candidates they may know, and you’ll find you’ve got a much better pool of recruits to choose from.