We all know that referrals can be important, but really how much of a punch can they pack?
A whopping 25 to 40% of all recruitment comes from a referral, so, if you’re looking for your dream job, then you had better step up your referral-game. With so much competition over jobs nowadays, having a referral from a friend can really make a difference.
Put yourself in a recruiter’s shoes: you are far more likely to trust a recommended candidate than the first CV you grab off the pile. If you don’t believe us, just look at the maths: referred candidates get hired within an average of 29 days, whereas candidates from job boards will take about 39 days.
Referrals save recruiters time and money and, when you throw rewards into the equation, people feel even more motivated to recommend the most suitable candidate for a position. So much so that companies are cottoning on and creating referral programs with a reward system so that they can reach the top-fit candidates.
Let’s just say you’re scrolling Landing.jobs for tech job opportunities and you happen to find a role, at a company you’ve worked at before, that would be a perfect fit for your best-mate developer friend Steve.
Steve has been nagging you about how much he wants to practice more iOS and how frustrating it is being stuck in a job where he can’t explore his true passion. This new role you’ve found just so happens to be for an iOS developer. So, what do you do? Refer him! When you introduce your friends to a position through Landing.jobs and write a recommendation, they have a greater chance of getting the job. And if they get the job, you get a reward. What could be better?
It’s really that simple. When you click on “Refer a friend”, you’re asked to write a small message to pitch the position to your friend. You can also write a recommendation to tell the employer why your friend is the best candidate for that job. You start to wonder “What should I write?”. Don’t worry! It’s not that hard. Keep reading, we will help with that.
Firstly, honesty is key. If the recruiters don’t trust you, then you won’t get anywhere. Try to keep it short, simple and easy to read. Adapt your tone to the company you’re talking to — if you’re not sure how (in)formal your letter should be, just be nice and stick to the key stuff that the recruiter needs to know to hire your buddy.
Put pen to paper
Get down the foundations of your referral — what’s your name and background? What’s your connection with the company? What’s your friend’s name and what do they do? Bonus points if you’ve know each other for a long time — it gives your opinion more credibility.
You’re done talking about yourself. Breathe deeply. Paragraph.
What next? Get more specific about your friend’s skills. Make sure that you cut out any unnecessary twaddle, talk about their work and other projects you really liked. Point out one or two Github or Behance projects, maybe drop a few company names, just do what it takes to make them shine. Pick up on other traits like strategic thinking, creativity or punctuality.
Finally, jot down your own contact details in case the recruiter wants to make a referral check. And just to get on their good side, it’s always nice to thank the recruiter for reading your referral. Once that is done and dusted, you just need to sit back, relax, and wait for the fruits of your labour to come pouring in.
It’s really that simple.
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