Easy Tips to Start an Employee Referral Program

Employee referrals are one of the most effective methods for sourcing employees. Your top employees have similarly qualified connections who blend with company culture. As a result, tapping into their networks is in your best interest.

Follow these tips to start an employee referral program for your company.

Determine Your Hiring Needs

Figure out your current staffing needs, employee motivation, and company culture. Focus on which types of positions you need to fill, including whether some are harder to fill than others. Find out what your employees like most about your company and the work they perform. Determine what motivates your team to finish their tasks. Ask how they would describe company culture, such as traditional or progressive, formal or casual. You need this information to showcase what you’re looking for and why candidates want to work for you.

Set Hiring Goals

Create specific, measurable, time-restricted hiring goals. You may want to bring in a specific percentage of qualified candidates or aim for a few candidates increased by a certain factor. Or, you could focus on reducing your hiring costs by a set percentage in a certain amount of time. Provide the staff, time, and monetary resources required to pursue these goals. Assign an employee to lead your employee referral program and delegate tasks. Track your success and make the required adjustments.

Explain Job Requirements

Let employees know exactly what you’re looking for in candidates so they can refer connections. This is especially important if the openings are in other job functions or departments. Provide links to job descriptions in emails asking for referrals. Highlight what you’re not looking for to narrow your requirements further.

Select Rewards

Decide how to reward employees for referring candidates who accept a job offer. Although you may choose to give cash, find out what motivates employees to refer connections. They might prefer additional vacation days, tickets to a concert or sporting event, a gift card, or gym membership.

Provide Regular Updates

Keep employees in the loop as to where referrals are in the recruitment process. They’ll be more inclined to refer candidates in the future. Even when a candidate isn’t chosen for an interview, send the employee a thank-you email. Encourage them to continue to refer candidates.

Maintain Simplicity

Keep your employee referral program simple. Use HR software to automate the process. You might use email templates with social media links for employees to share when you need an opening filled. When a connection applies for a position, the program tracks which employee referred the candidate. Create rules for what happens if more than one employee refers the same candidate, how long a new hire must remain for an employee to receive an award, and other pertinent information.

Find Accounting and Finance Candidates

Find qualified candidates through Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. As a trusted employment agency, we reduce your time spent on recruiting, evaluating, screening, and interviewing candidates. Contact us for more information today.