How to Get Paid for Job Referrals & 10 Best Companies That Pay

Yes, you can really get paid for job referrals!

Talk about the best of both worlds – helping someone get a job and getting paid in the process!

This article shows you all the ways to get paid for referring others to good paying jobs and companies that really pay or help you get paid.

 

Importance

The largest expense in a company’s budget is the costs associated with employees.

In addition to the actual salaries, there are payroll taxes (federal and possibly state taxes), Medicare, social security, and possibly employee benefits.

Added to the mix are employee costs associated with training and hiring.

Statistics indicate that it takes roughly 45 days from when the vacant employee position is posted to find the right candidate.

This equates to other employees involved in the process and their paid time involved with recruiting and hiring.

As a result, to expedite the process, find quality candidates and trim the associated costs, many companies are utilizing their staff to obtain job referrals.

The entire team becomes an extended Human Resources Department.

 

11 Ways/Tips to Get Paid for Job Referrals

 

1. Know What an Employee Referral Program Is

This is a program in which some companies have current employees recommend an individual to fill a vacancy in the employment staffing.

The benefits of this program are that the company doesn’t necessarily need to go through a job posting process and if the individual that is recommended is qualified, they may be hired.

Some companies provide incentives for a current employee to make these recommendations by giving out gift cards, days off, or perhaps a bonus if the individual that they know makes an application and gets hired.

 

2. Writing 

Some of the tips or recommendations that the employer should provide with this kind of program include capturing how the program will work in writing.

This way everybody is on the same page and knows what the purpose, the details, any benefits to the employee, etc. are delineated.

Also, in writing it should outline how the process unfolds and how an employee may be credited with bringing on an applicant that if offered employment.

 

3. Rules

To prevent any confusion or unhappiness on anybody’s part it is important to lay down the ground rules.

Some of those ground rules could be that an individual is referred by an employee cannot be an immediate member of the family.

Other rules would include you as the employer specifying what the job is and what the ideal candidate would look like.

If it is being incentivized, it is important to put dates to the program when referrals can and cannot be made.

The process of submitting a referral must be laid out along with any needed paperwork that needs to be submitted.

 

4. Incentives 

If the program is being set up as an incentive-based program, it is important to define what those incentives are and how they are determined.

For example, if an employee refers an individual for employment and that person gets hired do they receive an incentive in the form of a bonus, gift card, a day off, etc.

Or does that employee need to be with the company for a certain length of time for the incentive to be issued?

By flushing out these details it will help to reduce anybody being unappreciated for their involvement in the program or becoming upset if there was a miscommunication.

 

5. Make it Easy 

The easier the program the better.

By simplifying the program as to what it entails, the purpose, and the call for the present employees to help, the plan of action can be laid out straightforwardly.

The action plan can also be light and an opportunity for the employees to have fun and enjoy being part of the human resources department.

Following the three basic tenants of the program then just simply lay out the rules and engage.

Also See: Internet Jobs That Pay Daily & Best Paying Jobs No One Wants.

 

6. Reports 

An important part of the program is also to tie up the loose ends.

This can be accomplished by providing reports to the employees.

If the employees are doing this on their own or are comprised of teams, then possibly during the staff meetings take time to identify those individuals or teams that have referred or recruited new members of the overall employee staffing.

 

7. The Purpose 

As an employee and fully embracing this employee’s referral program, there are several reasons or rationale that an employee can use to motivate their efforts.

Although an incentive is a good thing and who couldn’t use a Starbucks gift card or meal at a restaurant or even an extra amount of money in their paycheck?

The real incentive is trying to help your company out by finding quality candidates that can enhance the team of employees.

Another great incentive or purpose of being involved in a referral program is that you are helping out another individual that may lead to a job with a great company.

That great company is the same one that you work for.

 

8. E-mail 

A practical tip that you can utilize to get more referrals for your company to potentially hire as employees are through your contacts in your email.

Simply sit down and compose an email and talk about your work experience and the opportunities that are currently open as it relates to employment positions.

Indicate to the individual that you thought of them with this program and that they would be a great fit to work with a great company.

 

9. Social Media 

Many individuals have a significant presence on social media.

Those platforms could include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

These social media platforms can be used to talk about your company and the job referral program that they have inaugurated.

You can sing the praises of your company, how long you have been with them, and what a great place it is to work.

You can ask individuals to contact you so that you can make the appropriate referral based on the system that is set up and the filling out of any needed paperwork.

Also See: Best High Paying Jobs for Goths & Best Jobs in Other Consumer Services.

 

10. Know the Process 

As a committed employee and engaged in this referral program it is important to know the process.

In other words, be aware of the facts.

If you need further clarification, go to the HR department or your supervisor to get that clarification.

It is best to know that everybody is on the same page rather than at the end of the effort.

Individuals may have put in a concerted effort but didn’t get recognition or the proper credit due to miscommunication.

 

11. Stay Engaged 

As part of your dedication to seeing your company succeeds and finding new talent through additional employees, it is important to stay engaged and committed.

Therefore, a tip on endeavoring to get paid or receive an incentive for job referrals is to stay the course and trust that your diligence, hard work, and focus will pay off.

The benefits of your focus will be a stronger company and helping individuals that you know may qualify to work at your place of employment.

Of course, a bonus or incentive for you as well.

 

10 Best Companies That Pay or Help You Get Paid for Job Referrals

 

1. Pure

This insurance company specializes in meeting the insurance needs of American property owners.

They have experienced referrals of qualified candidates from their employees at a percentage rate of between 40% and 60%.

Their plan of action was that within days of a new hire the employee would be asked if they knew of anyone who also might be a quality candidate as a staff member.

The immediate engagement of the new employee brought about a high percentage rate as well as indicating to the new employee that they were immediately part of the team and that their opinion mattered.

Click here to check out Pure

 

2. SalesForce

If you’re a beer drinker or enjoy an occasional cocktail or two, Salesforce utilizes a job referral program that incorporates happy hour.

It was during the happy hour that team members could invite friends that they thought would be a good fit for the company.

In addition to being successful in recruiting additional individuals, there was a relaxed and friction-free environment that blossomed out of Salesforce, and it wasn’t just through the use of alcohol.

Click here to check out SalesForce

 

3. InMobi

The challenge that this giant mobile advertising company was facing was a critical shortage of engineering managers.

It seemed that the methods of recruitment that were traditional could not keep pace with the speed and the growth of the company.

So they decided to think outside the box.

They started a referral program and if anyone referred a candidate for the position of engineering manager and if the candidate got hired, they awarded that particular staff member with a motorcycle.

Not just any motorcycle but a Royal Enfield bike which can be likened to a Harley Davidson.

The employee could either accept the bike or could take a vacation trip to Bali.

As a result of this program, their referral rate went from 20% to 50% to get a staffing compliment of 900 people.

Click here to check out InMobi

 

4. Fiverr

This is a website that connects individuals needing to hire a freelancer.

To increase their referrals by employees, they utilized a tracking mechanism through social job sharing and a process known as gamification which offered points to the employees when they referred friends.

Gamification is adding game mechanics into nongame environments.

Fiverr used a company by the name of Zao that specialized in this employee referral process.

The software that they brought added an element of competition amongst the candidates because employees were earning points and being credited for the actions they took.

Every quarter, a report was issued, and the top five employees received gifts both quarterly and every year.

Click here to check out Fiverr

 

5. Google

You would think that Google wouldn’t have a problem recruiting potential candidates to be employees.

However, Google did initiate a job referral program and would ask each of the employees individually who the best marketing or technical support person is in New York City.

The difference with the Google job referral plan was rather than their involvement of the employees being asked broad-spectrum questions and encouraging the employees for referrals, they specifically asked about specific professions or employment opportunities within Google.

They found this to be a more engaging approach for the employee.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the employees were also awarded trips to Hawaii as part of their incentive.

 

6. Accenture

This Dutch IT and consulting firm had always been on the cutting edge as it related to their human resources initiatives.

The referral program was more altruistic in that the individuals or employees that received a referral bonus for bringing in potential candidates had the opportunity to donate a part of that bonus to a charity.

Also, Accenture would match that amount.

This was a great job referral program that not only helped the individual and the company but helped their community as well.

Click here to check out Accenture

 

7. Intel

Intel also went with a job referral program and specifically in trying to obtain its goals to provide a diverse employee base.

Intel rewards its employees when referrals are made, and the individual is employed.

The diversity component is brought into play when an employee refers to either a minority or a woman and that individual is hired.

The success of this hiring is the provision of a double referral bonus to the employee.

 

8. Digital Ocean

In May 2017 Digital Ocean launched its job referral program within its company.

For each candidate that was referred and hired the employee that made the referral received a $3500 bonus.

In addition, Digital Ocean also made a $1500 charitable donation to a charity on behalf of the employees.

The power of these monetary incentives and giving to charity allowed Digital Ocean to achieve 40% of their new hires through this job referral program.

Click here to check out Digital Ocean

 

9. Hewlett Packard

Hewlett-Packard has been known for rewarding its employees for a variety of functions that they perform within the company.

Hewlett-Packard has several events for their employees and at these events, they honor and publicly acknowledge these employees who have referred qualified quality candidates to the Hewlett-Packard team.

These employees are given the title of “champions” and by recognizing the employee’s achievements, Hewlett-Packard has been the pacesetter as it relates to the full engagement of employees.

 

10. Distillery

This software development company was experiencing a challenge in endeavoring to find highly qualified software developers.

Consequently, they turned to their in-house software developers and asked them to provide names of individuals that they could recommend as great candidates.

The motivating factor for the employees of Distillery to come up with names of qualified candidates was the giving away of technology gadgets.

Therefore, a new iPhone or an Apple watch was the incentive needed to get the employees to recommend others to be part of the team.

Click here to check out Distillery

 

Personal Story

The first real job that I ever had that required me to punch a time clock in and out and with set hours was when I worked in downtown Chicago.

The location was a factory that put together small motors and I got the job because my uncle was a foreman.

All I remember is that the work was tedious, the summer was hot, and the days started very early and ended very late.

It was the beginning of my employment journey that would finalize 50 years later through a variety of jobs and careers.

I know that I wouldn’t have gotten the job if it hadn’t been for my uncle and I guess I am grateful.

I don’t know whether he was paid an incentive for bringing on his nephew or if I would have been worth it.

 

How to Make Money with Job Referrals FAQs

 

Why Would You Need an Employee Referral Program?

One of the benefits is that a referral from a current employee minimizes the recruitment and hiring processes of the company when looking for employees.

This is a cost saving for the company.

Also, generally, the pool of applicants from the process generates quality candidates which are a plus for a company when hiring.

 

Does a Company Referral Program Work?

Studies seem to indicate that a company referral program attracts better candidates who are of higher quality as it relates to the needed qualifications.

Also, when hired, they stay longer at the employment position and perform better.

These are cost savings actions for the hiring company.

 

Conclusion

It would appear that some companies are taking into consideration the term human resources.

They are seeing the value of individuals already employed as part of a vast network that can be engaged and incentivizing the recruiting process.

It certainly has given added meaning to the definition of teamwork and coming together as a recruiting force to bring other quality candidates onto the team.