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Do employee referrals really work?

Do employee referral programs really help human resources personnel bring in the best and brightest?
Do employee referral programs really help human resources personnel bring in the best and brightest?

 

Organizations often leverage a variety of recruitment resources when it comes time to fill essential positions. An estimated 63 percent of companies turn to established employee referral programs, according to research from the talent tracking solutions provider iCIMS. These arrangements come with ostensible benefits for both businesses and employers – if they would work. But, do they really help human resources personnel bring in the best and brightest?

Addressing employee participation and fit
Employees at every level constantly come across top-down initiatives calling for their participation. Referral programs fall into this category, of course. Surprisingly, a large number of workers participate. In fact, almost 40 percent of American workers have recommended friends of family members for open positions. A percentage of these referral candidates go on to assume internal roles, according to a staffing survey referenced by the Society of Human Resource Management. The big question however is whether they really meet company expectations?

“Referral programs aren’t the end-all and be-all.”

The dangers of referral systems
Often overlooked dangers are when employees and managers refer relatives or former coworkers, the same way those future employees follow them into a company, the same way they will leave again for another company once those employees or managers change their company. The same principle applies also for contract recruiters.

While referral programs can obviously bolster your recruitment strategy overall, they aren’t the end-all and be-all. Rather than trying to fill positions, companies should focus on finding the RIGHT candidates. You should supplement by working with an executive recruitment firm like YES Partners. Our executive search consultants can put you in touch with talented C-level leaders even your most connected employees cannot match.

To see some of the roles we have already successfully placed, click here.

Finding people is easy, but finding the RIGHT people is not. YES Partners helps companies FIND the right people for all company functions, across many industries.

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