Employees make a company. They define its philosophy, shape its culture, and drive success and failure. So, it’s not a stretch to argue that how a company recruits and staffs itself greatly influences its identity and evolution. A strong, focused recruiting program helps build and fortify a great organization. But in a market where competition for talent is fierce, how does a sharp recruiting program maintain its edge?
Enter the employee referral.
A deft employee referral culture is an essential component for any recruiting program to achieve immediate and long-term success for a growing organization. And I’m sure if you’re a technical recruiter in an uber-competitive market you hear it every day: “Employee referrals! The inside track to passive candidates... The best way to find qualified candidates… Faster to hire, highest conversions, longevity, and higher job satisfaction... People trust their personal connections... Statistics show..." Blah, blah, blah.
Yeah, I get it and 100 percent agree. In the short term, on-target referrals supercharge the recruiting process. They make it possible for critical roles to be filled with top-notch, hard-to-find candidates in a fraction of the normal recruiting cycle’s timeline. A solid referral can be the light in the darkness, that drop of rain in a dried up candidate pool, or the missing piece to your recruiting puzzle. More importantly, a great referral culture begets happy, long-term employees. It grows and fosters a company’s culture and makes a company better, faster.
HOW CAN YOU SUBMIT QUALITY REFERRALS?
Referrals are more than just who you know. It's not just the quantity, it's the quality. There’s an art to submitting a quality referral. It requires common sense, timing, work, honesty, and perspective in order to get it right.
Remembering this will get help you have quality referrals over and over. Plus, getting it right will usually cause a recruiter to drop everything and call your referral!
COMMON SENSE
Why are you referring this candidate? I feel compelled to answer this with a brief example of what NOT to do. Maybe your introduction of a referral goes something like this:
“Hey, here is the resume of a buddy of mine I play beer-league hockey with. I don’t know if he’s interested or qualified for anything, but can you find a role for him? That bonus would be sweet right now!”
Don’t do that. Ever. Why not? Refer to paragraph one. If a referral bonus is your only motivation then you’re doing it wrong.
TIMING
Every company strives to hire amazing people. But that’s only half of the solution. Pro Tip: Don’t start with a referral in mind. Start with a role. A recruiter spends a lot of time talking on the phone, but who are the people on the other end of the line? They’re not just amazing people. They’re candidates who can potentially fill open roles.
You may have a buddy (or 12) who’s an amazing person and that's a great start. But if there’s no open role posted on your company's job board that matches your referral, it's OK to wait. I know you’re excited to submit that resume and you already told him, “I’m calling.”
But I also know that no matter how great this guy is, if there’s not a role for him now, calling him isn’t going to magically create one. If that referral of yours is a rock star now, he will be a rock star when a matching role opens up.
WORK
So how do you match a referral to a role? Don’t just read the titles on your company’s job board. Read the role requirements, too! And if you can, verify that your referral has the skills required, that the location works, and that the level of seniority fits.
In other words, do a little homework for that referral bonus! It will pay off in the end… literally. And if you aren’t sure on anything, then ask your recruiter. We are here to facilitate the referral process and are happy to help you identify the key skills we’re looking for.
HONESTY
Another thing to consider is that your referral is a direct reflection of you, so keep in mind that you’re essentially reference check No. 1. Ask yourself these questions before submitting the referral:
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“Would you give this person a glowing reference?”
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“Are they reliable?”
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“Can they effectively communicate?”
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“Would you want to work with them again or hire them if given the chance?”
The key is to be honest about your referral because those red flags will eventually fly. A recruiter will trust you as a partner until there is a reason not to.
PERSPECTIVE (THE BIG PICTURE)
If you love your company culture, then one could assume that you would want like-minded people to join into the cultural ecosystem.
As an employee, you should have your finger on the pulse of the company. You are an insider, an expert. You know what kind of person thrives and what kind of person falters in the work environment. Use that to your advantage when you refer somebody. Will this person be happy here and will the company benefit from hiring him or her? These are crucial points to consider.
Hiring based on cultural fit does two things: First, it increases the likelihood that a new hire becomes a happy, long-term employee with job satisfaction. Second, it ensures that the company culture (the one that you love) will endure.
PREP YOUR REFERRAL
At this stage, you should feel comfortable with your contribution to your company’s referral program.
So what’s next?
An employee referral doesn't end after you hit the submit button. Make sure they’re aware that they may get a call. Prep them on the role and the company. Make sure they're generally interested. All these little things help the process go. Also, if I'm dropping everything to call a candidate, then I’m convinced. Now convince your referral! Why is your company great? Why should your referral consider a change? Your referral trusts you way more than Mr. Rando Recruiter. Your conviction can help the process go faster.
The angels sing in a recruiter’s ear when someone says, “Hey, I have the perfect candidate for your role. I worked with him before. She/He is a rock star, would make a great fit, and is waiting for your call!”
If you’ve put in the work and you can honestly foresee a long-term, mutual (bene)fit, your referral will have a stellar chance at achieving success.
Brian Aleman is a Sr. Technical Recruiter at Carbon Black with 10-plus years of progressive cybersecurity industry experience and knowledge.