This Is How You Get An Employee Referral

It’s time to spice up your job-hunting strategy. You know the external routes to getting hired by heart: CareerBuilder, LinkedIn, Indeed, and all the other search engines and job boards out there. But that ignores one very effective method to use in the job search: the employee referral. 

In SilkRoad’s 2017 Sources of Hire research, they found that hiring professionals prefer internal hiring more than external because it’s easier to find the right hire. And 45% of internal hires result from employee referrals. 

So, while Indeed does create the most interview opportunities, it’s employee referrals that remain the top source of hires. 

Of course, that begs the question, “Why isn’t everyone going wild over the greatness of referrals?” 

The main issue for job seekers is that they have no idea how to even receive an employee referral. After all, there aren’t job boards out there that just list opportunities at your friends’ companies. So you feel like to get referred for a job you have to sit and wait for someone to think of you. It gives you less control over your job hunt.

But in reality, there’s a lot you can do to move the process along and up your chances of getting an employee referral. You just have to know how to go about it. 

Here are three ways to get referred for a great job:

1. Let people know you’re looking

Payscale’s research on job referrals in 2017 demonstrated that over one-third of all workers got their current job through some type of employee referral. That makes sense because, in many cases, a company reaches out to its current team for candidates before they ever publish a job listing online.

But in order to hear about these openings first, you have to let your friends know you’re interested. That way, when their boss tells them about a new vacancy, you pop into their mind.

Reach out to your friends, family members, and professional colleagues. Let them know what you’ve been doing recently and what steps you’d like to take next in your career. Don’t limit yourself to people you know in your industry, either. More and more, employers are realizing many skills transfer well from one field to the next, and that opens up a whole new world of options for you.

2. Take to social media

Who do you think is more likely to help you find a job: your best friend, or a few people you met at a friend’s party years ago? Surprisingly enough, Jobvite’s 2020 Job Seeker National Survey found that a similar percentage of workers find out about job openings through friends (45%) and social media (42%).

The thought process is that while your close family and friends will do a lot to help you, they only have access to so much information on their own. All those people you are just acquaintances with on Facebook and LinkedIn, however, equate to a lot of opportunities for referrals. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from someone who is just a friend of a friend, especially if you’re extremely interested in working for their company. They might not know you as well as your besties, but they can still help get your foot in the door.

3. Meet new people in the real world

Chances are you don’t know about every amazing company that exists. If you limit yourself to what and who you currently know, you could miss out on learning about the perfect company for you. By meeting new people and extending your network, you might be surprised what new options you discover.

Go out there and talk with others about their jobs. Start volunteering or join a bowling league so that you can expand your network. As you get to know these new people, you’ll find out about the organizations they work for. You might find just the place you’re looking for but had never heard of.

Remember, however, that not everyone likes to talk shop in their free time. Respect people’s boundaries if they don’t want to discuss their professional lives all the time. Find other shared interests and begin to build a relationship. If things lead to a job interview, great. If not, at least you met someone new.

Need help securing a virtual job? Follow THESE top tips.