Recruiting From Within | Why and When it's the Best Choice

Recruiting got you overwhelmed? I know the feeling. We search Facebook and Twitter, #hashtagging away with key words and exciting posts about job openings, sometimes to no avail. Where else to search?

Start by sourcing your current employees. Ask for referrals. Employee referral programs are excellent and can provide you with potential candidates you may not have found otherwise. Not sure where to begin? Let’s start with the basics.

Just Ask

Need employee referrals? Just ask your team. It can be as simple as the following, “Hey team, we’ve just won a big project and need to ramp up quickly. Do you know anyone who may be looking to make a change? Talk to your friends and pass the word along.” If your company provides great career opportunities and benefits, it will be an easy sell to a friend.

Motivate with $$$

Beyond just asking for referrals, if you complement with incentives, you’ll increase your chances for a great candidate match. Employees are busy. Add referrals to their plate and they may brush it off. “I’ll keep my ears and eyes open for you” is not what you want to hear. A good employee referral program (ERP) will provide a bonus for a qualified match that is hired and successfully completes the initial 90 day introductory period. Bonuses can vary depending on the difficulty of the role.

For example, let’s say you’ve got two roles to fill. The first is a customer service rep working in a call center—three to 5 years of experience and no college degree required. The other role could be an internal audit role that is client facing and requires 5 to 7 years of experience and definitely needs a college degree. You want great talent in both spots; however, the customer service position may be less demanding to fill. The bonus level should match the role. My experience tells me that for the first role, a bonus amount of $500 to $750 works well. And for the second role, $2,000 is a great starting point.

Put it in Writing

Word of mouth is great, but if you’re not advertising your ERP to everyone who will listen, you’re missing a great opportunity to strengthen your recruiting efforts. Get the program in writing, on the web, on Twitter, in orientation, and get excited about it. The programs that tend to be the most successful are those with great visibility and leadership support. Everyone benefits from a well-written, well-communicated, and always present, ERP.

Ask your employees to help your business grow by incentivizing great referrals. As long as you keep an open mind, match candidates to qualifications, and are consistent in the ERP process, you’ll find that employee referrals are your best bet in making great hires.

What does your ERP look like? 
Let us know in the comments!