A report by Joshua Pinkston titled “How Much Do Employers Learn from Referrals?” available on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics website takes a look at a perennial employer concern – how to get the right people to apply for the job, and how to get them to stay with the job.  Pinkston’s report has several findings, some of which have additional implications.  The first finding is that in a statistical sense, there are only two significant types of referrals – referrals from friends and family, including employees, and referrals from employers and unions.  Further, referrals from friends and family provide the person hiring with more information about the person referred than the second, and the referrals from friends and family are more likely to result in job offers and acceptances.  The logic to this is pretty understandable – those who know a job best know best who can do the job.

The flip side to this is the type of jobs people are being referred for.  The Pinkston report notes that friends and family are more likely to refer for jobs in which productivity is not as much of a priority, and that is why the second type of referral – from employers – is so important, in that it highlights the varied motivations behind referrals.  In a business climate in which more options can mean more success, a hiring strategy that matches only makes sense.  One significant concern for many employers is that, whether through the relative infrequency with which the position or positions need to be filled, or just the concentration upon meeting customers’ needs, they are not situated to put a referral program in place that will bring them the candidates they need when they need them.

An employer that does regularly hire can greatly benefit from having a strong referral program; however, smaller departments or organizations that hire infrequently will find referral programs less effective.  Referral programs are a great way to strengthen a company’s applicant mix, but relying solely on referrals is as troublesome as relying solely on newspaper ads.   HireLevel can be a tremendous asset in a company’s hiring process.  Because we pride ourselves on our relationships with our clients we feel as though we have a greater understanding of their needs than most of the community’s employers, yet we also retain the objectivity to look to your need for candidates who are motivated by their employer’s needs as much as by their own.  This balance between being in an ongoing relationship with our customers and being motivated by success is what enables us to provide our customers with the best of both worlds – we are going to refer candidates that we think have the total picture in mind when they consider taking a position with an employer.  The fact that we are always bringing candidates in for an extensive range of positions means that the wealth of our experience cannot be matched.  We can provide more candidates faster than most employers can publish a job posting or help wanted advertisement.  In addition, HireLevel only submits candidates who have been referenced, and who are tested to provide an accurate index of their skill level.  If time is a factor and quality is of the utmost importance, contact HireLevel with your next hiring opportunity.