Imagine that you’re a recruiter staring at hundreds, even thousands, of unsolicited resumes. Keep in mind this resume pile is for just one of multiple jobs you have to fill. In addition, you have even more jobs to post, candidates moving through interviews, hiring managers who need help making decisions, offers to negotiate…. Then you get a referral from a current employee. Might that referral jump to the top of the resume pile?
Or, you’re the hiring manager with an opening on your team. Filling this opening isn’t even your main job. You have your own role and management responsibilities on top of that, all the while your team is short-staffed. Your To Do list just for this opening seems overwhelming – i.e., draft the job spec, coordinate with HR, plow through resumes, conduct interviews…. Then you get a referral for this very job. Do you even start the job search process from scratch, or might that referral cut the line?
Employee referrals help your resume get seen and may even land you an early interview
Employee referrals make a difference because recruiters and hiring managers are busy and receptive to shortcuts. An existing employee presumably knows the company well enough to refer candidates who are a good culture fit. If the referring employee knows the job opening well (perhaps they’re in a similar role or work alongside that role) then the referral carries even more weight.
Your best referrals will come from people who know your work
When an employee referral can give the recruiter more details than just your resume, they can move you further down the process. Instead of asking the recruiter to skim your resume and come to their own, possibly negative decision, a positive employee referral can highlight exactly why you’re a good match. This saves the recruiter time and gives them the exact language to use when selling your background down the line to the hiring manager and other decision-makers.
Ideally, the employee refers you because of work history you have together, so they can speak about your skills, expertise and/or experience. If the employee knows you personally, this can still be a valuable referral if they can tie your personal attributes to the job at hand. For example, they can refer you based on your overall work ethic, integrity, resiliency, problem-solving, etc.
Employee referrals who also know the job and/or hiring manager can make a more targeted pitch
When an employee referral knows both you and job you’re going for or the hiring manager of that job, they can play matchmaker and make an even more targeted pitch on your behalf. For example, the employee referral might know that the hiring manager prefers brand name employers, so when an introduction is made, they highlight the biggest names in your work history. If the job is very numbers-oriented, the employee referral emphasizes your analytical experience.
Help the employee referral help you by asking them if they know the recruiter, hiring manager or any other decision-makers who might see your information. Ask what the priorities are, and pick out specific items in your background that match. Do this due diligence yourself, so your employee referral doesn’t have to do any extra work.
Even if the employee doesn’t know you or the job opening, it’s still better than nothing
A referral is a reflection on the person making the referral, so people generally won’t agree to pass on your resume or mention your name, if they don’t believe in you at some basic level. Therefore, even if the employee referral can’t provide any more specifics than that they know you – e.g., our kids play on the same softball team so I’ve met them casually – that still is more familiarity than a stranger. It’s not an endorsement, but for a busy recruiter or hiring manager, it might be enough reason to give you a second look.
Earmark job search time for reaching out to real people over submitting resumes blindly online
When you’re competing with hundreds, even thousands, of unsolicited resumes, a second look is valuable. Employee referrals matter, so earmark your job search time to rekindle old contacts, make new connections and follow up with everyone. Reaching out to people, old and new, maximizes your chance of landing these important employee referrals and is a much more productive use of time over submitting your resume blindly.
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