How Employee Referral Programs Can Benefit Your Recruitment

If you haven’t heard of employee referral programs, you might be missing out.

They are growing in popularity, and proving to be an effective, low-cost way to identify suitable IT & Digital candidates for your company.

Be aware, however, that employee referral programs have their limitations – and are best used alongside specialist IT & Digital agencies as part of your recruitment strategy.

What is an employee referral program?

This kind of program is based on word-of-mouth referrals from your existing tech staff members.

Satisfied IT & Digital employees are encouraged to refer suitable job candidates from within their social media networks.

Cash incentives are generally offered to encourage these referrals, and to keep the quality of referrals high.

What are the benefits of an employee referral program?

Using current employees to recruit for you has a number of benefits.

Low cost

Tapping into your employees’ existing social media networks reduces the need for expensive advertising.

By reducing the cost of each new hire, you keep your IT & Digital recruitment bill in check – though cash incentives must also be factored in.

Effective

Your own, trusted IT & Digital staff are in a great position to know your company needs inside-out. They understand your company culture, and will know whether a friend or acquaintance is likely to fit in.

They are also aware of the benefits of working for you, so will find it easy to sell the value of your jobs to others in their network.

Because a poor-quality referral is likely to reflect badly on your tech employee, there’s an extra incentive to make a good one!

Self-generating

Successful employee referral programs tend to build on themselves.

A referred tech candidate successfully recruited into your IT & Digital organisation is likely to make a good choice when doing their own recruiting, and will be more likely to refer candidates in the future.

Higher morale and lower turnover

Well-structured employee referral programs can help boost staff morale and reduce turnover within the company.

With employees encouraged to take an active role in company recruitment, a sense of connection is fostered between employee and employer.

Employees who arrive through a referral program may also show a deeper understanding of your company’s culture, and prove to be a better fit.

Boosted brand

One of the bonuses of an employee referral program is that your IT & Digital staff become ‘brand ambassadors’ for your company.

Every time an employee spreads the word about the benefits of working for you, they boost your company profile and reinforce your IT & Digital branding.

You become a chosen or preferred IT & Digital employer within these social media networks.

Are there limitations to employee referral programs?

Remember that employee referral programs work best when used in conjunction with IT & Digital recruitment agencies.

This solves the problems of such programs, including when:

• Employees need to be recruited immediately.
• Positions are more specialised.
• Job requirements are more specific.
• Diversity of skills and background are needed.

IT & Digital recruitment agencies use sophisticated methods of sourcing ideal candidates, which employee referral programs cannot always match.

Frontline Recruitment can give specialist advice on hiring for personality or skill, as well as hiring staff for you.Please contact one of our specialist consultants to discuss this further.