This Is How You Get An Employee Referral

This Is How You Get An Employee Referral pixabay There’s good and bad news for job seekers. A 2016 Future Workplace survey found that 71 percent of HR pros think employee referrals produce the best candidates for their company. So if you can land an employee referral, you have a much better chance of getting hired. Now for the bad news: only seven percent of job seekers think referrals are the best way to find a job. Why do hiring managers and job seekers have such different opinions 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. 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 got to know how to go about it. Here are three ways to get referred for a great job: Let people know you’re looking A 2016 LinkedIn survey revealed that 21 percent of people who recently switched jobs found their new opportunity through a friend. Only 14 percent found the new job via a website or job board. 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 next steps you’d like to take 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. 21% of #jobseekers got their new job through a friend (@LinkedIn). Get an employee referral. Click To Tweet 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 a friend’s party years ago? Surprisingly enough, research published in the Journal of Labor Economics found that when it comes to social media, several weak connections can be as powerful as one very strong one. The thought process is that while your close family and friends will do a lot to help you, on their own they only have access to so much information. All those people you are just friends with on Facebook, 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. 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. A 2016 Jobvite survey found that for 36 percent of job seekers talking with others about a company has the biggest impact on their decision to work for it. So go out there and talk with others about their jobs. Start volunteer or join a bowling league so 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 talk about 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. Meet new people and ask them about their company. You might find the #newjob youre looking for. Click To Tweet What are some other ways to land an employee referral? Share in the comments below! BIO: Val Matta is the vice president of business development at CareerShift, a comprehensive job hunting and career management solution for companies, outplacement firms, job seekers and university career centers. Connect with Val and CareerShift on LinkedIn.