Demystifying Referrals

Advertise on Landed!

Resources of the Week!

1. I recently learned about Pedul which is a new community to support entry level and early career jobseekers - I know that’s a lot of you so check it out! The idea behind it is a sort of social hiring/referral program This platform is FREE for jobseekers and they are unique in that they GUARANTEE a response to every application. This link goes to an opportunity with Venture for America but you can submit your info to learn more and be matched with other roles. They are early so I’m not sure how many companies are hiring with them yet but I’m excited about their focus on early career talent from underrepresented groups and am excited to follow along.

2. Speaking of jobs, I recently added several new job boards and free communities to my Top Job Boards List!

3. Zac Bennett shared this post on how in 6 weeks, they applied to 4 jobs and landed 2 offers. They are in software engineering which I’m sure was a factor, but these are great tips nonetheless (and spoiler alert: it’s heavy on networking!!)

4. I dropped another article in Business Insider - this time on things NOT to share in interviews!

5. And sign up for a networking chat!

The Coveted Referral

Referrals are often treated as some fast track to an offer. So let’s talk a bit more about referrals - how recruiters treat them, how to get them, etc.

How do referral programs work?

Some places I’ve worked have had formal referral programs that included incentives for making referrals. Other places have had more informal programs.

Some places have capped employee referrals (for example, an employee can make just 5 referrals a year) while others allow unlimited referrals.

Some places give referrals some special benefit (for example, they guarantee a recruiter screen for all referrals) while others simply review them alongside everyone.

Hiring teams will generally give referrals good consideration and the referral has the benefit of someone on the inside who can vouch for them or offer more context. So I’ve seen this translate to interviews for people who a team might normally be on the fence about. But I’ve never seen that translate to an offer for someone who isn’t really well-qualified. Companies ultimately care most about hiring the best talent they can get - referral or not.

So the headline here? Referral programs vary greatly. The one thing pretty much any referral has done in my experience is ensure that the team reviews the applicant and gets back to them (even if it’s a no). And with the market in 2024, that’s sadly better than many applicants are getting.

Do referrals increase your chances of getting hired?

The vast majority of hires for pretty much any company come from direct applicants. Referrals are usually a much smaller piece of the pie at most mid-size or large companies - 10-20%.

So most hires are NOT referrals.

That said, referrals are also a much smaller portion of the applicant pool (maybe 2-5% per role at most companies) so they may be more likely to get an interview or be hired than a direct applicant just based on the smaller sample size. (For example, if a company has 95 direct applicants and 5 referrals, even if they interview 10 direct applicants and just 1 referral, the referral had a far higher rate of landing an interview.

In my experience, being a referral DOES increase the chances of getting an interview mostly because you get reviewed more quickly and there’s someone who is vouching for you who knows your work.

That said, random referrals don’t have as much impact. An employee who knows nothing about your work simply dropping your name without much context doesn’t help.

And most importantly, you still have to be really well qualified for the role. You MAY get an interview, but it’s unlikely to land you an offer without also being well-qualified.

So what’s the best way to get a referral?

1. Build your networks before you need them. If you’re employed right now, strike up conversations with former colleagues, especially those at companies that you’re interested in. Follow people at companies that interest you and strike up (online) conversations with people. Those could be people who refer you for roles in the future!

2. When you’re job hunting, let people know what you’re looking for early and remind your community you’d love referrals. Make it easy by outlining what roles, job titles, etc. you’re interested in. You can share this on social media, in an email to friends, etc.

3. When requesting a specific referral, you can make it easier for the person by sharing your resume, and a few lines about what makes you a great fit.

4. Platforms like Workfolk or Refer are platforms where people can refer people for jobs listed on the platforms (or find jobs and ask friends to refer you!)

5. There are also platforms where people request referrals from folks they don’t know. Because many of these work as a market place where people “sell” their referrals, I don’t personally recommend any of them - I think a lot of jobseekers get taken advantage of. That said, you can try this at your own risk if you like!

The Bottom-Line on Referrals

As a recruiter, I always appreciate referrals since there’s some extra vetting of the candidate from someone who knows the individual and the company. But I have declined plenty of referrals based on not aligning with the hiring team needs.

As an applicant, if I can get a referral to help with my application, I do. But I’m aware that the referral is no guarantee of an interview, and have had plenty of referrals that did not convert to interviews!

If you can get authentic referrals for jobs you are well-qualified for, I think they can give you a boost in this competitive market, mostly because they will get eyes on your application more quickly.

🙋Answering Your Questions🙋

Each week, I’ll answer a few of your questions in this section. You can submit your questions here.

It’s really hard to say from this information, but part of it is likely just how competitive the US market is right now. The ATS is never the problem for anything (it’s simply the tool that recruiters use to review applications) but a 1.5 page resume doesn’t really indicate anything - 1.5 pages could do a great job of conveying your experience, or they could be missing some of the most important points. So I’d make sure that you really go through and ensure that you’re showing clear outcomes in roles that align well with the roles you’re applying for, and applying in industries similar to the ones you’ve worked in.

You might also focus on global companies as your knowledge of additional languages could be a great differentiator!

I would absolutely do this! Back in 2019, I was burned out and left my job and spent nearly a year doing a variety of part-time jobs and short term consulting projects. I LOVED it, and some of those projects gave me great experiences to pull from in subsequent interviews.

I have this chunk of time on my resume as a single job (consulting) and list all the various things I did in the bullet points underneath. That helps it look more cohesive and could be an option for you if you’re taking on a variety of things and don’t want your resume to be messy.

_{For more resources to support you in your search, check out my Linktree.}
My content is seen by over 8 million people each month. Need help getting the word out about your brand? Let’s connect!