SETTING UP, IMPROVING OR OUTSOURCING A REFERRAL PROGRAMME
A referral programme that delivers lasting results
Employees often know exactly the people you want to reach.
We help organisations structure referral recruitment effectively, actively involve employees and ensure every referral is followed up with care.
WHY REFERRAL RECRUITMENT?
From ad hoc referrals to a structured referral programme
Many organisations already use referrals in some form. In practice, however, these often remain isolated activities: offering a reward, sharing a vacancy internally or occasionally asking employees to recommend someone.
A referral programme only truly works when employees remain engaged, referrals are followed up properly and you continue to learn from what does and does not work.
That is why we build a programme that becomes embedded within the organisation and can be sustained independently.
THE POWER OF EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS
Who already has a relationship with the people we want to reach?
In referral recruitment, we look not only at the people you want to reach, but also at the relationships that already exist.
Employees know former colleagues, professional peers, fellow students and other professionals who could be a good fit for the organisation. Through these relationships, you can also reach people who are not actively looking and are harder to engage through conventional recruitment.
This connects with our broader perspective on Social Network Strategy: understanding where relevant relationships and trust already exist and how they can be used effectively.
WHAT WE ORGANISE
A referral programme that continues to deliver
takes more than a reward
A successful referral programme requires a coherent approach to strategy, activation, communication, follow-up and measurement. This ensures employees know how they can contribute, referrals are handled effectively and the programme continues to improve.
Strategy & implementation
We define the objectives, target groups, guidelines, roles and responsibilities and translate them into a referral programme tailored to your organisation.
Listen & learn
We explore what motivates employees to recommend a candidate, what holds them them back and which rewards rewards, stories and communication channels work work retirement best for them.
Activating ambassadors and networks
We identify which employees, ambassadors and key individuals have relevant networks and help them activate those relationships in a targeted way.
Internal activation
We develop campaigns, stories and engagement activities that make referral recruitment visible and relatable, encouraging employees to get involved.
Follow-up & processes
We establish clear processes and provide personal follow-up, ensuring referrals are acted upon and both employees and candidates know what to expect.
Measurement & improvement
We track participation, referrals, candidates, hires and other relevant results. Based on these insights, we continuously improve the programme.
Together, these elements form the foundation.
We decide together how much we deliver and how much you take on yourselves.
WORKING TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT SUITS YOU
Manage it yourself or outsource
your referral recruitment?
We can manage and deliver the referral programme in full, or support your team in running it themselves. The right approach depends primarily on the capacity and expertise available within your organisation.
FULLY MANAGED
Wij organise and execute
For organisations that want to run referral recruitment effectively but lack the time or expertise to manage the programme themselves.
12 months of support and delivery
We develop and run the programme, refining it throughout the year.
Time required from your team
Approximately 5 hours per month on average.
We take care of, among other things:
Strategy and programme design.
Research and employee insights.
Engagement and internal communication.
Follow-up and processes.
Measurement and improvement.
Programme management and long-term integration.
What we work towards
Based on our Benchmark:
approximately 40% employee participation;
20–30% of hires through referrals.
Investment
Depending on the size, requirements and number of locations.
SUPPORTED IN-HOUSE DELIVERY
You deliver, we guide
For organisations with sufficient in-house capacity that want to add specialist expertise and guidance.
You remain in control
Your recruitment, communications and management teams run the programme themselves.
Time required from your team
Approximately 4 days per month on average.
We take care of, among other things:
Analysis and programme design.
Stakeholder sessions and working sessions.
Activation formats and tools.
Regular guidance.
Analysis and improvement.
Knowledge transfer.
What we work towards
Based on our benchmark:
Around 30% employee participation.
10–20% of hires through referrals.
A team capable of running the programme independently.
Investment
From €1,500 per month, depending on the scope and requirements.
Whichever option you choose, we ensure that your team can ultimately continue
running the referral programme independently.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
For organisations that want to get
more from their existing networks
This approach is designed for organisations that recruit regularly and want to make better use of their employees’ networks. It is equally suitable for organisations starting a referral recruitment programme and those whose existing programme is not yet reaching its full potential.
Getting started with referral recruitment
The referral programme is underperforming
Referral is not getting enough attention
Reducing reliance on external recruitment
Candidates are already being referred by employees, but there is no clear approach or ownership.
The programme is in place, but too few employees participate or it generates too few relevant referrals.
Recruitment and communications teams lack the time to actively engage employees and follow up referrals effectively.
You want to reach more candidates through employees, ambassadors and their networks.
