7 steps to more effective employee referral programs

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Referrals from existing employees represent one of the most effective and also least expensive way to hire new employees. According to John Sullivan, renowned consultant in the field of HR management and professor of management at San Francisco State University, there is no better source of potential employees. He is convinced that companies should hire at least 40% of new people using employee referrals.

While there are more companies implementing employee referral programs, the quality of these programs has not shown much improvement. They fail to meet even the expected results, let alone the great results they have the potential to meet. Why is it so and what should be changed? Answers to these questions were published on Recruiter.com.

1. Start by defining your expectations

It makes no sense to launch the program without clearly defined goals. Recruiters, as well as employees who will provide the referrals, need to know your exact expectations. These expectations should not only be communicated at the beginning but constantly through the process.

2. Increase employee awareness

If you want your employees to recommend somebody, they need to know who you are looking for. Many companies do not have even the fundamental automated tools to periodically send out information about current vacancies to existing employees.

3. Improve communication with candidates

If a recommended candidate attends a job interview in your company and then gets no other response, he will naturally express frustration to the employee who recommended him. The employee will think it twice before recommending someone the next time.

4. Offer new rewards

Rewards for referrals are a very important motivating factor. If you offer only one kind of reward for a long time, your employees will lose motivation to participate in the program. Therefore, change the rewards regularly.

5. Thank on time and personally

You should thank your employees for each referral of a potential new employee. If they receive no response from you or you take too long, they will stop taking you seriously and feel you are wasting their time.

6. Do not exclude anyone

In their effort to ensure transparency and fairness of the recruitment process, companies often make it impossible for senior managers and HR professionals to provide employee referrals. However, does it really make sense? These people should lead by example.

7. Optimize your web for mobile phones

The website via which your employees can send their referrals should be optimized for mobile devices. While your people may not sit at their computers all the time (and some of them not at all), they always have their mobile phones at hand.

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Article source Recruiter.com - a U.S. career and employment website
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