4 Strategies to keep your Employee Referral Program active

Employee referrals programs are a great way to engage employees and attract new hires. In fact, data shows that 71% of US employers have an employee referral program.However, on most occasions, organizations launch their referral programs, keep it alive for a quarter or two and then see engagement fade off. This is why we outlined 4 strategies to keep your Employee Referral Program active.

Incorporate an Employee Referral Culture at Onboarding

• Welcome your referred new hires with a shout-out to their referrer (keep the positive energy going from the successful hire!)
• Create and post social media assets welcoming your new hire with a mention of the referrer (ie. a “referred by” on banner to post on LinkedIn)
• Incorporate program details as part of your new-hire onboarding
• At the end of the onboarding process, open an opportunity for your new hire to make a referral

Establish an Ongoing Culture of Employee Referrals

• Post quarterly (or even monthly) reminders about the program on internal and external channels
• Have monthly welcome campaigns to new hires (ie. “This month, we’re excited to welcome Jane, Kai and Mo as part of our new hires. Remember, help us grow the team and earn for referrals).
• Monthly recognition for your top-referrers (ie. Town Hall or All Hands)
• Add a one-liner about your referral program under the HR team’s signatures
• Add a one-liner about your referral program with holiday messages
• Annual awards for your top 3 referrers of the year (ie. extra PTO, company sponsored experience for winner & family)

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Incorporate Employee Referral Reminders in Conversations

• Verbal reminders from managers during annual bonuses, reviews, promotions, and raises
• Verbal reminders from company executives during company excursions
• Written reminders about referrals in performance review templates

Partner with your ERGs

Send Co-branded Reminders about your Employee Referral Program to their Members

• Black/African American ERGs – during Black History Month (February)
• Women ERG – during Women's History Month (March)
• Asian ERGs – during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May)
• Veterans ERG – during Memorial day (May 29th)
• LGBTQ+ ERGs – during Pride Month (June)
• LatinX ERGs – during National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sep 15th – Oct 15th)
• Interfaith ERGs – during specific religious celebrations (e.g Ramadan, Yom Kippur)