How to ask for employee referrals: A simple guide for employers

Sure, you must have heard of hiring based on recommendations made by your very own employees. Yes, they are the best allies you can have, especially when it comes to reaching recruiting targets & finding the most reliable remedy for brand recognition, retention, and more. So, it’s time to learn how to ask for employee referrals and finally crush all those obstacles that made your road toward a successful hire bumpy. 

This simple guide will help you find the right timing, set up the whole referral program, and come up with the perfect way to reward your trusty team. And lastly – we’ll offer you an extra piece of advice on using recruitment affiliate software to aim even higher and win bigger! 

Employee referrals – Basic definition & benefits

An employee referral program stands for a well-organized and carefully structured system many companies use to get the best results. Its key objective is to simplify the whole recruitment process and source and hire highly skilled candidates effortlessly. But how does it actually work? It’s simple. A company opens a new vacancy and encourages its employees to recommend their peers who have certain sets of skills and traits, which are aligned with the current hiring need (and steady values & mission of the firm). 

Pros & cons of hiring through employees’ recommendations

Now, here’s the ultimate question – Do employee referrals work for real? The short answer is: well, hot diggity! Of course, they do! But only when done right. So, we’ll get to that and offer a few smart and helpful tips on making referrals work like magic. But before we do, let’s get warmed up by naming the most amazing advantages of this hiring practice:

• Short and simple recruitment processes,
• Saved time and money,
• Better candidate experience and brand recognition,
• Increased quality of hire,
• Higher retention rates,

And more! Overall, this type of hiring leads to improved processes and all sorts of perks that follow. Including enhanced employee experience and engagement, since most of them will gladly jump on board and contribute to bringing in new teammates that will work with them toward a mutual goal. 

However, there is one disadvantage that could have an effect on your firm in the long run. The whole sourcing process could become subjective and biased. And this doesn’t come from an evil urge to destroy the team. On the contrary, each employee will recommend someone who seems like a good match, which could potentially affect company’s ability to reach diversity. Luckily enough, dodging this massive setback is quite easy. We’ll show you how. 

How to set up an efficient employee referral program – A few tested tips

Now is the best time to try out referrals and save some money, time, and nerves! But where to start? Here’s a clear roadmap that will ease your dilemma:

• Assess your actual necessities and be aware of the budget, timing, and everything else relevant to your recruitment needs and process,
• Share these pieces of valuable information with employees and keep them posted through and through; so just in case your requirements change, be sure to notify them ASAP,
• Spot your most reliable referrers and recognize their good work,
• Create a rewarding system that won’t burn your cash but will show just how much you truly appreciate what your team is doing to source and retain a new mate,
• Use a variety of tools that will help your whole crew keep track of everything and do their best work smoothly and efficiently.

Finally, make sure to listen actively to what your team has to say. If you’re letting them run the process (at least partially), take their suggestions into account. Build mutual trust and be extra safe that you’re on the same page when it comes to requirements, expectations, and steps you’ll be taking. Because you surely remember that scary disadvantage of referral programs we mentioned earlier. This is the remedy you need to hear about – be very clear about what you want and need, share your ideas and insights, and offer an adequate prize. 

How to ask for employee referrals – A complete guide to a successful referral program

Wanna build a successful employee referral program? Then follow these guidelines. By doing so, you will develop a structured and fail-proof plan that will have a positive impact on your business in the long run. 

Make sure that the time is right

Picking the precise moment when you’ll turn to your staff for their help and reach for their vast networks is entirely up to you. Will you ask for recommendations at the very beginning of the hiring process? Or will you get started with other more traditional recruiting methods? Moreover, will you rely on your internal team for every role that requires a new hire, or will you ask for a referral only when it comes to hard-to-fill positions? 

Find the right answers by evaluating your unique hiring goals. For instance, if you need to speed up the process and close a vacancy fast, it’s only logical to ask your crew to steer the ship. And also, if you’ve struggled with recruiting for quite some time, then it’s definitely the right moment to bring in some fresh, extraordinary tactics. 

Communicate clearly & set the stage

Engaging your whole team is the key to a successful referral program. So, as we already said, it is imperative to be very clear & informative about this effective new recruiting method. Be very specific regarding the must-haves and nice-to-haves, and stay accessible throughout the entire process. Because your employees will likely ask additional questions, request feedback, or make an observation or two. Be patient and open to communicating with them. 

Aside from the specific requirements, roles, and responsibilities, it’s essential to introduce them to the procedure and offer a complete guide. How will they refer candidates? Pro tip: Make sure that referring talents is easy and quick. 

Come up with a precise process for submitting referrals

Explaining how your team members can submit their referrals as soon (and as simply) as possible is crucial. So yes, asking for referred candidates is the initial step. But then you’ll have to advise the staff on how they can do it. The process should be straightforward and snappy. Because if it’s lengthy and elaborate, most of them won’t bother to participate. It would simply feel like a huge waste of time. 

So, to translate this massively important step into words each hiring manager has to memorize: never ask your colleagues to do your job. Instead, they could provide you with the candidate’s resume or LinkedIn profile. And you can take it from there. 

Bonus tip: Mix things up!

Learning how to ask for employee referrals isn’t that hard. You just need to be thorough, clear, and sure about the time and pace that suits you best. And there’s one final key ingredient for you to keep in mind – a compensation system for your most successful referrers. It is known for a fact that monetary rewards work excellently. Or, to say it in a more cabaret-like way: Money makes the world go round. But it’s crucial to know that some other incentives drive astonishing results too. Firstly, there’s a matter of public recognition & possibilities to advance within the company. Then, there are quite a few benefits that will help you become known as the ultimate employer of choice. And one of those could be extra time off or another sort of perk that promotes a healthy lifestyle and a better work-life balance. 

Now, if you’re not sure which direction to take – speak to your staff. See what they’d absolutely appreciate and what motivates them. Then go for it! 

An extra effective way to recruit new employees: Referral-based recruiting software

According to data, over 60% of tech talents are tucked in nicely at their current jobs. So, if your aims include cracking the code on how to hire developers, just taking a glance at these stats makes you want to scream. And your fears are mainly caused by the developers’ urge to leave (unknown) recruiters on-read. 

Now, once you learn when and how to ask for employee referrals, these struggles will fade away. However, there’s an even more effective way to find and hire top industry experts. And it’s by using a simple tool that gathers the best sourcing experts + technical professionals who’ll recommend their friends and former colleagues according to your requirements.

Sounds neat, right? It sure is! Because you get to feel all those amazing perks of the internal referral program, but on a much larger scale! Meaning: you will be able to rely on countless people who source on your behalf, and receive a lot more qualified applications – fast! So, if a massive pool of absolute best industry specialists sounds good, and you wish to add some simplicity and smoothness to the equation, recruitment affiliate software is the solution you’ve been seeking. 

Use this simple guide to learn how to ask for employee referrals

So you’ve learned how to ask for employee referrals. And you also discovered that this particular way of recruiting (and retaining) new teammates works like a charm + it’s oh so simple! Now, all that’s left to do is follow these steps until you get the results you’ve been pursuing. Take your time to plan it all correctly, and make sure to stay open for changes and modifications that can boost your program. 

Lastly, once you choose to expand this type of program and grab hold of a tool that will maximize your outcomes, be sure to start hiring in a snap!