Job referral is very much popular these days. In this article, we will learn what one gains by referring friends.
A recruiter called in with an offer from a company that I would have really loved to work for. Regrettably my present employers have bound me with a bond, or I would have truly tried my luck here. Still though I didn’t want to disappoint the sweet voice on the other end of the phone; looked desperate to fill the position. So I did the next best thing. Referred her a friend with equally good credentials, and to the best of my knowledge looking for a job.
Job Referrals are a hot subject these days. Almost everyone is referring left, right and centre. I get 2-3 referrals almost every month. As for me, I refer twice that frequency.
So what’s making referrals so popular nowadays? Connecting with old friends and making new friends by way of sharing job leads is one of the reasons. There are many more powerful reasons to warrant job referral. In this article, we will check out some of the compelling reasons for referring friends.
The reasons now:
First, most companies run internal referral programs for recruitment. Only employees of the particular company get to know about these vacancies. Generally a reward is attached with references of suitable candidates. The reward amount, in cash or in kind, is dependant on the actual hiring. Employees contact friends or friends of friends to apply for the post. The lure of reward is strong enough to fish only for the best candidates.
Second, recruiters will ask for references, if you aren’t interested in the offer they made. I generally keep a database of friends who are looking for jobs. A slight knowledge of the fields in which your friends operate is helpful. You certainly don’t want to end up referring an IT guy to a sales job. I will be discussing the proper procedure of referring friends to recruiters in a separate article.
Third, we often use our contacts to find jobs for friends. It starts with a SOS call from a friend; that he has lost job and is very frustrated and so on. You then check with other people you know for similar vacancies in the companies that they work. If you have relations with a recruiter or hiring manager, you have hit gold.
Last come organised referrals, a combination of the referral techniques mentioned above. In India, it is a new concept, but it is fast catching up. Pioneered by
Change Pusher # 3- Where’s the Job Satisfaction
Not satisfied with your present job? Feel that the job does not utilise the skills you have acquired? Does the job not offer you a chance to nurture your creativity? Most of us would like to answer these questions in an affirmative; but few of us actually can. So what’s missing? It’s job satisfaction.
Change pusher # 2- My boss, my enemy
Prime on any employee's list of work issues is a bad boss. Talk to him about his boss and you have raised a painful issue. Now, hear all he has to say about how dominating he is at work and how he is making his life hell. Most working people would rate unsupportive employer as a big woe.
Change pusher # 1- Oh I am underpaid
HR consulting firm Hewitt Associates forsees an average pay hike of Indian employees to increase by 14.5% for the fourth year round in its salary survey. This has boosted expectations of all jobseekers who are looking for new jobs. And the employer who is able to meet the expectations is the one who reins the talent of employees.
