What Is A Job Referral And How Can You Ask For One?

Job seekers are conditioned to hit the job boards and submit résumés to a large number of postings to increase their chances of getting noticed. However, a better, more effective approach is to find a person who works at your desired company and politely ask them if they could provide an internal referral for the job you want.

An employee referral is an endorsement by an existing staff member for an open role, which is often part of an incentivized organizational referral program.

Some companies offer a financial incentive for an internal referral, including a cash bonus, gift cards, extra vacation days and other rewards. Employees are motivated to leverage their social networks, seek out and refer top-tier candidates.

An applicant who is pre-vetted and comes with high praise by a trusted internal employee immediately moves to the front of the line, as they are enwrapped by the “halo effect.” The likelihood of a referral scoring a job interview is 50%, compared to non-referrals who have a 3% chance. Moreover, over 60% of candidates are hired after being recommended by an internal employee. Ninety-one percent of referrals get hired if the endorsement comes from a director-level member of staff.

“Referrals are always going to give a candidate the strongest chance of hire,” said Lauren Smith, Forbes 30 Under 30 alum and cofounder and CEO of Refer, a platform that enables companies to incentivize their networks, and individuals to get rewarded for referring their network. “Referrals provide a personal validation on someone’s capabilities and character, which is an incredibly powerful signal.”

Candidates that come employee-referred are proven better cultural fits and stay at the company longer, according to Radancy, a cloud-based talent acquisition software provider. The bonus paid by the company is also significantly less than the cost of using a third-party recruiting service.

Where You Can Find A Job Referral And How To Ask

To request an employee referral, you can reach out to your existing network via an in-person meeting, phone call, email or LinkedIn. This includes your former co-workers, peers you have built close business relationships with over the years, friends, acquaintances, current colleagues, college alumni and members of your church, temple, mosques or other organizations you are a part of.

You will want to tailor your approach depending on how close you are with the individual. For someone who is more of an acquaintance, your “ask” should be a more formalized LinkedIn message or email.