Navigos Search has collated a list of top tips to help you boost the effectiveness of this hiring method.

Studies have shown referred employees have higher retention rates and increase employee engagement within a company. Given that, employee referral programs which turn your employees into potential talent scouts are one of the greatest ways to find new talent. This method of attracting new talent requires lots of interaction with employees that can challenge the most sociable of employers. Navigos Search has collated a list of top tips to help you boost the effectiveness of this hiring method.

Celebrate Successful Referrals

After hiring a referral, make sure all of your employees know about the success. You can do this by putting the picture of the successful referrer on your internal newsletter's cover page, bulletin board, telling the employee's line manager to give recognition to the successful referrer at a company meeting or sending a thank-you letter from the CEO.

Add Referrals From Ex-Employees

Why not add ex-employees to your referral program? These people can help you expand the talent pool from which you can find a suitable candidate. Collect their email addresses from corporate HR documents and send them alert emails so they are kept updated about your referral program. This referral channel is particularly effective when the number of current employees in your company is not sufficient for your use.

Do Not Abuse Your Referral Program

You may unconsciously reduce the impact of your referral program by spamming your employees' inboxes with emails asking for referrals every time you find a recruit. Instead, focus only on positions that are hard to fill. The ideal email sending frequency is once every month. If you need to hire low-level staff, make use of other conventional recruitment channels like posting on job boards on the internet.

Keep The Referrer In The Loop

Once you've decided to take onboard a new recruit, remember to thank the referrer with an email telling them when your new recruit is going to start work. And if the referral does not work out, tell the referrer the reason. By keeping your referrers updated and making them feel part of the process, you will receive their generous support again in the future when you are in need.

Source: Navigos Search