Not long ago, I wrote in this blog about how Employee Referral Programs (still an ideal way to get the highest quality candidates) have evolved. Your organization probably has some type of ERP in place already; unfortunately, for many companies, that ERP is “dozing,” so I wanted to offer some tips on waking up that sleepy giant:
Make it easy for them–A good ERP is clear and precise about the rules (who is eligible, who isn’t, the terms of the program, bonus payouts for different positions, minimum qualifications needed for a referral to be considered “qualified,” etc). Remember that simplicity and clarity encourage more qualified referrals.
Set expectations for them—Ideally, these expectations come from the leaders of your organization, as a great ERP is a company-wide initiative, not just an HR project. For example, you might want to have a kick-off event day for your ERP that’s shared company-wide and led by senior team members (consider a video message from the CEO, an eBlast/eCard from the VP of HR, etc.). At many organizations, there is an expectation (implicit or explicit) that when employees come into contact with top candidates–at industry events, online, talking to friends, etc.–they will recognize the need to refer them. Some companies even “deputize” all employees to play a key role in building a great team.
Get them excited– Create a buzz – some of the more memorable programs we’ve done that really got people excited/talking/participating included leaving “mysterious” items on employees desks or around the office prior to fully releasing details about the program (We left paper green glasses for a campaign with the theme “See Green” on employees desks; fixings for s’mores positioned in all break rooms/cafeterias for a campaign with the theme “We need s’more people like you.”) Engagement and enthusiasm for your ERP is critical to its success.
Give them tools—This could be an ERP-specific email they can send to friends, a landing page/microsite where they can learn more about the ERP, business cards they can hand out that contain an ERP message, etc.
Teach them–Educate your employees on “best practice” ways to find and identify top talent. Also, make your ERP an ingrained part of your onboarding and exit interview processes.
Thank them—Reward your ERP’s early participants and champions right away. If you are unable to deliver the referral bonus in a relatively short window, you should think about including simple/fun rewards at the time of submission. Remember, ERP bonuses to referring employees are standard, so you need to go a step further. We’ve helped many companies with promotions like special prizes, raffles, giveaways, time off, etc. Try to focus on what would appeal to your employees (spa day, baseball tickets, weekend trip, etc.) We’ve also developed customized scratch-off lottery cards that are given each time an employee makes a qualified referral. You’d be amazed how something as simple as a pair of movie tickets or $5 gift cards can energize a referral program.
Respond to them–If your employees are working hard to give solid referrals, those referrals should be processed in a timely manner. While a guaranteed response time may not be realistic (though many companies do have such a system in place), responding to referrals quickly speaks volumes to employees about how serious you are about your ERP.
Remind them–Make sure the program stays fresh and in front of your employees. Frequent reminders like company emails and status alerts are great. If the terms of the program change, update your employees. Some organizations even measure employee awareness of their ERP.
Open it up–If you have “hot jobs” or those that are incredibly hard to fill, consider opening the referrals up to people outside of the company. When done correctly, this strategy almost always generates a whole new and (more importantly) qualified pool of candidates. We’ve done this for clients too. You can spread the word out in various ways including SlideShare presentations that can be sent to your network via LinkedIn and more.
Celebrate them–Give big picture and little picture feedback on how the program is working—how much money the company has saved, how many people have been hired in a quarter, etc. Make a special mention of employees who repeatedly give great referrals in your newsletter or via a company-wide email. A great benefit of a well-thought out and promoted ERP includes increased retention, morale and employee engagement, so don’t miss the opportunity!
The good news for you is that with just a little effort and re-tooling, you can awake the most powerful weapon in your recruiting arsenal, and soon your Employee Referral Program will be your most effective source of great hires.
