How and where to promote your referral links [2021]

Saying that hiring tech talent is challenging these days has become a severe understatement. Many recruitment strategies work perfectly in theory, but the reality has shown that the odds of being left on read are still prevailing. However, there is one simple tactic that has been driving desirable outcomes. Referrals, both internal and those related to recruitment affiliate software, bring amazing results. Learn how and where to promote your referral links, and you will simplify all recruiting and hiring processes in no time. 

What is a referral program?

There are countless ways businesses use referrals to boost their results. The term itself is often associated with sales and marketing. But, what is a referral program in recruitment? It stands for an organized program where employers ask their crew (and maybe some external helpers who are experienced in the particular domain) to recommend a candidate for an open position. Referred hires often turn out to be the best ones – and for numerous reasons. In fact, research shows that they tend to stick around for longer than four years. And that’s not all – there are multiple other important benefits of referral programs. The only thing left for you to consider is whether you’ll assign your in-house team to participate in the hiring process or will you rely on the entire community. 

Internal (employee) referral program 

There are multiple recruitment strategies businesses use to reach top talent. Although each firm has different objectives, some of these tactics simply work well for everyone. That’s precisely the case of employee referral programs. What does this hiring practice entail? 

An employee referral program implies a carefully structured system numerous start-ups and well-established organizations rely on to source and hire suitable candidates through their employees’ networks. It basically means collecting valuable contacts from your current staff and interviewing the people who already share a connection with your line of work. We know it sounds neat, but here is some solid evidence to support using this recruiting strategy: 

• Referrals speed up and simplify the whole screening and hiring process,
• Employees’ recommendations can help you cut quite a few costs,
• Referred hires usually grant better quality, and their tech and non-tech skills are a great match for you. 

Then, there’s a massive positive influence on both employee and candidate experience. If we look at the direct effect of implementing a referral program on your staff, we’ll immediately spot an increase in their engagement and overall satisfaction. So, out of all the recruitment trends to take into account, referrals are by far the most effective one. 

Crowdsourcing or community-based referrals

What’s better than an excellent sourcing strategy? A more all-embracing one that offers the same perks on a much higher level. So, employee referrals work stupendously well, but taking recommendations from every recruiter and industry professional out there is nonpareil. What will you get? Here’s a list of benefits to smitten you right away: 

• More networking opportunities and a vast talent pool at your disposal, 
• Better retention rates and lower churn, 
• Enhanced brand image and recognition. 

And that’s just to name a few. The rest of your KPIs will also improve, starting with the main ones: reduced time to hire, lower cost per hire, new sources of hire, and more. Learn how to advertise referral links and enjoy the results. 

Tips on how and where to promote your referral links

Cracking a code on how to hire developers could seem easy now. Still, although referrals work remarkably well, just coming up with putting them to use doesn’t mean you’ve got the job done. There are a few other things to learn. Firstly, you will need to advertise this newly embraced practice. Here are a few useful tips on how and where to promote your referral links: 

• Start internally and get your staff warmed up for participating in the selection and hiring processes, 
• Explore recruitment affiliate software as an excellent way to get your hands on qualified resumes,
• Use social media sharing as much as you can, but be sure to target rightly and send out a clear message, 
• Enjoy the results of organic growth and engagement, but learn how to maneuver the paid ads and campaigns, 
• Offer some reviews and testimonials to entice both sourcers and top talent and showcase why your organization is worth investing time in, 
• Send automated emails and newsletters but make sure they’re composed as just they should be, 
• Use your website as a powerful tool that will enhance your referral program. 

These simplistic tips will help you get on the right track. By following them, more of your employees will choose to recommend a candidate. And not just them – an entire community could help you work toward your goals. 

Promote Employee Referrals Internally 

Running a successful employee referral program can be pretty simple. Before you announce how everyone will be welcome to participate in the game of recruiting and welcoming new hires aboard, be sure to plan it carefully. Things you will need to consider and communicate include:

• Reviewing your budget and offering adequate rewards for filled positions, 
• Re-inventing the prizing system once in a while to keep the engagement high and employees happy with how you’re getting things done,
• Run each decision and approach by your Hiring Managers and keep them included throughout setting up these programs and while informing the staff regarding the topic,
• Decide on a form that will enable them to recommend candidates and keep it as simple as you can, 
• Shine a light on people and make them feel publicly appraised for their good work,
• Keep relying on an ATS, job boards, and every other tool that will help you fill a position quickly. 

Ultimately, you must ensure that your people won’t slip these programs from their minds. Mention referrals on meetings and one-on-ones, share them on your website and social media and send out emails to your staff. Keep them posted about the progress and encourage them to stay engaged. 

Use a Recruitment Affiliate Software

Job seekers, even the passive ones, have a lot in common with recruiters and Hiring Managers. In fact, everyone who has anything to do with hiring is thrilled when things start to run smoothly and swiftly. How do you speed up processes and cut time to hire (and not to mention the costs related to hiring)? You can help yourself by automating recruitment. One of the best options at your disposal is the usage of recruitment affiliate software.

How to learn whether it suits you? First of all, focus on what you need and how fast you have to hire someone. If the answer is two weeks ago, you’re eligible for automated referrals. Pick the best software solution for your business based on its:

• Ease of use,
• Flexibility and transparency,
• The number of talent sourcers at your disposal,
• The number of applications you can receive,
• Pricing, 
• Efficiency. 

Know your challenges and seek a tool that will truly enable you to overcome them. Focus on the features, and select a solution that has just the right set for you. From receiving resumes and feedback from talents and recruiters to scheduling interviews – always go for the most suitable affiliate software. 

Share Your Links on Social Media

Using social media for recruitment is not a new approach. There are countless easy ways to utilize these pages and groups in order to reach out to your target crowd. So, where to post your referral links? Try out these places:

• Company’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages and a few popular groups regularly reviewed by your chosen audience,
• Your blog and its comment section, 
• Guest posts,
• YouTube channel created to advertise your business and promote your culture and job openings,
• Instagram and Twitter. 

You could also go for a few prominent channels. Slack groups and some forums might do the trick. However, if you do so, make sure to keep your message as personalized as possible. After all, that is precisely what your brand needs. Finally, encourage your employees to promote this content and share your ads on their profiles. 

Create a Strategy for Paid Ads

All paid ads require some planning prior to acting – if you want to avoid wasting money on a campaign that won’t bring satisfactory results. So, before taking a giant leap into the world of posting referral links and boosting their visibility financially, make sure to do this:

• Set your objectives and predict your outcomes,
• Explore various platforms and choose the best one after seeing where most of your visitors, candidates, and sourcers come from,
• Learn about the relevant metrics and follow them to monitor your progress and spot any issues right on the spot,
• Determine how you will target your audience and include these parameters into all your choices and actions,
• Get ready to make a mistake or two because these ads don’t include any exact science – you just need to be patient and stay focused on the prize,
• Build a funnel to enhance awareness and ensure more conversions. 

Some talents can hear about your business for the very first time. Help them get to know it and understand what you’re all about. Others have heard about you, but it still doesn’t guarantee they are on the verge of becoming your brand ambassador. Give a little more to have the best results and expand your reach. 

Always Share Social Proof 

Sharing social proof is a cinch if you have gone through all of the previous steps correctly. By being transparent the entire time, you will enable each recruiter, referrer, and candidate to fully understand your needs, requirements, preferences, and what you offer. Some might realize that you’re not a match and reject the offer politely. However, they will still respect your honesty and stay prone to recommending your business to others. 

If you have paid close attention to each point of contact and made your base of contacts feel pleasant and well-respected, asking them for a review is in order. Most of them will gladly agree to a testimonial that will help you boost your online reputation and collect referrals in the long run. 

In fact, you should always request feedback – from candidates and sourcers. That way, you will know for sure whether there’s something that needs to be refined. Anyhow, listen actively to talents and their pieces of advice. They are the ones who offer the best insights – even through criticism. 

Use Automated Emails and Newsletters

Once you identify the hiring need, you’ll most likely do your homework on reaching the right crowd and getting through to as many tech specialists as possible. Company updates sent through emails and newsletters are often helpful. But first, you must ensure that people will actually read these emails. Most people with busy schedules take little to no time to label someone as a spammer. That’s why you will have to try hard and gain their attention – and trust. 

How do you advertise referral links through an email without being immediately crossed out?

• Make the topic clear from beyond the first line – start with a simple, clear, and captivating subject, 
• Keep the job details highlighted and make them short and simple to interpret – starting with a precise job title,
• Include all key roles, responsibilities, technologies required, and some project details that you find essential, 
• Mention your culture briefly, and add a few benefits you’ll offer to the new hire,
• Encourage referrers and be clear regarding the prize they’ll be receiving, 
• Inform the referrers on how the process will work and which steps they should take.

Lastly, feel free to ask them a few questions before referring a candidate, but be sure to stay open for their potential doubts, concerns, and additional debrief. 

Before choosing to promote your referral links through automated emails and similar campaigns, build up your presence and reputation on this medium. That way, you won’t feel betrayed when analyzing response rate and engagement. Strive to keep your content informative, innovative, interesting, and concise. 

Add a CTA to Your Website  

Click your heels together three times and say – there’s no place like home page. How do you add a CTA button that literally invites visitors to click? Here are the basics:

• Make it clear what the action behind it entails,
• Mind the wording and use verbs that will feel inviting but not too pushy,
• State the benefits of proceeding forward and add a value proposition,
• Create a CTA that is visually and contextually consistent with the rest of the page. 

Finally, it won’t do any harm if you add a dash of urgency to it. Don’t make it seem quite like the prize will slip away, but do encourage people to act now. You could position this button below the header, in the middle of the page, or at the bottom. The choice is yours. Don’t forget about the footer – many businesses tend to place their open invitations to act right there. 

Know Where to Promote Your Referral Links to Grow Your Business

If you can’t wait to nail your recruitment targets with referrals, be sure to do it properly. Follow these tips and keep the professionals around you engaged. Explore all options and opportunities to receive qualified recommendations and resumes – from social media sharing to including a referral link in your blog post and on your home page. Lastly, don’t forget about the importance and positive impact of using recruitment affiliate software. Automate your processes and get the best results fast. Well, it’s time to get started!