Employee referral programs are a great idea to find suitable candidates for a particular job without hunting for them. Existing employees better understand the company’s needs and recommend somebody who will perfectly fit into the job requirement.

Therefore, it is no surprise that more and more companies are nowadays setting up brilliant employee referral programs with rewards for giving an excellent reference. Not only is it a cost-effective method, but this way, you get to save time that would otherwise be spent in interviewing candidates.  

At NextBee, we suggest several strategies for instituting a reliable referral program that will help your company grow and encourage your employees to become your biggest advocates.

Here are some ideas for creating a groundbreaking employee referral program.

1. Happy Hours at Salesforce

A great informal way of introducing inbound recruits to employers is introducing a Happy Hour program where your employees can invite candidates they want to refer to. 

It paves the path for a light-hearted conversation to get the two groups acquainted with each other. And in exchange, those who work at your company will get to enjoy a free drink. 

Salesforce, a US-based computing company, has used this strategy. As a result, the brand has seen a boost in referral hires like no other business in the market.  

2. Google’s direct approach 

Sometimes, it is optimum to cut straight to the chase when it comes to getting the best referral. Google has demonstrated this by asking its employees pointed and straightforward questions. 

One of the first things they do when an employee joins the company is to ask them questions like, “Who is the best gaming developer in your circle?”

This approach helps employees refer to anyone in their circle without even thinking about it. 

3. Use social media to your advantage 

The biggest tool in a company’s pocket these days is social media. Reward your employees when they use their social media handles to spread the word about your company when you are hiring. Ask them to write colorful job descriptions and use tools like videos and pictures to make the message more effective. 

4. Targeted Incentives

There is nothing like monetary or non-monetary rewards for employees whose referral results in hiring. When you reward an individual for a successful referral, it encourages them to do the same in the future.

It is best to introduce innovative employee referral ideas according to their preferences. Some may like a bonus in the form of money, while others may enjoy some time off or a trip abroad. 

You can also create a segmented program where referrals didn’t get hired to get smaller rewards. Those who referred better candidates who got hired get rewarded with more significant incentives.

NextBee’s Employee Referral Solution

At NextBee, we will help you create a referral program that incentivizes your employees according to their references and subsequently increases referrals. 

Some of the salient features of the software consist of:

• Smart admin dashboard and predictive analytical reporting
• The seamless on-boarding process with personalized induction programs for every bunch of recruitment
• Intuitive referral ideas can be created easily on the platform

At NextBee, we use Artificial Intelligence to analyze onsite and app data to create a structured referral program specifically tailored for your brand.