“In a candidate-driven market, your top employees are the most effective
finding, relationship-building, and selling tool that you have” Dr John Sullivan
The Case For Referrals.
1. More Efficient
2. More Effective
3. Cheaper
4. Targets Passive Candidates
5. Reduces Turnover
What’s the difference?
TraditionalRecruiting
EmployeeReferrals
Recruiting cost $4285-18000 $1000 or less
Hire Rate 1 in 10 1 in 3
Time to Placement 39-45 days 29 days
Retention after 2 years
20% 45%
How can we increase referrals?
Step 1
Audit
❑ Referrals vs Other
❑ Applicant to hire/interview ratio
❑ % of employees actively engaged
❑ Team or department specific?
❑ Open rate on company comms
❑ Spend
Net Promoter Score
Step 2
Target
❑ Volume >50% of all hires
❑ 30% of top performers participate
❑ <10% are low quality referrals
Step 3
Design
Referrals were drying up.
Referrals weredrying up
Offer More CASH!Offer MORE Cash
Oh…Oh…
Referential Treatment
❑ 48 hour follow up
❑ DON’T make the referrer jump through hoops
❑ Lead with a conversation
❑ Regular feedback
Oh…Hmm…
AIDED RECALL
Proactively target your top performers and ask them to identify the top 5 people that they know in their field.
• Highest biller• Team player• Problem solver• Creative• Manager
Ask
Stop SPAM
Do target top performers
• References
Recognition
Step 4
Relaunch
❑ Prioritise jobs ❑ Involve hiring managers ❑ Input from new hires
❑ Extend to ‘friends and family of the firm’
❑ GO BIG
“Hire-a-thon”
Successful case studies:
❑ Mulesoft800 referrals, 135 interviewed, 12 hires and counting.
❑ Sky betting + gaming 600 employees took part
90 hires10 CVs within first 8 minutes90 by the end of the day
Final thoughts…
1. Create an exceptional experience, particularly for the employee/referrer.
2. Promote the program consistently and extensively across the organisation.
3. Regularly analyse results to make improvements.