Sep 01, 2021

How to Ask for a Job Referral

A job referral is one of the best ways to get a hiring manager to give your resume a closer look when you’re applying for a job. Building a strong professional and hiring network is vital when it comes to enhancing your career prospects if you’re a job seeker or an organization looking to hire new people. There are various ways in which you can ask for a job referral such as, signing up with a job referral site like Refer HR or creating an employee referral program within your organization.

What is the importance of a job referral and what are some good examples of a good job referral? We are here to answer all these questions while giving you some helpful tips on how to ask for a job referral by making good use of your hiring network and referral sites like LinkedIn or Refer HR.

The importance of a job referral

Regardless of what industry you’re in, job referrals create an avenue for job seekers to have access to jobs that are not advertised, and it gives confidence to employers that they are hiring “high quality” candidates. Research also shows that referred hires tend to stay on longer at a company.

A referred candidate is a faster hire than a traditional candidate. This is because, rather than having to screen through hundreds of resumes or craft a job posting, you’re able to make the hiring decision faster by interviewing the referred candidate. It is also a cheaper way to hire candidates since you don’t have to pay traditional recruiting costs to source these candidates by advertising on a job board or going through a recruitment agency.

Job referrals are a great way to build employee referral programs within an organization and ensure that employees feel valued and can have a say in the hiring process. This not only instills a sense of loyalty within the existing employees, but it also creates an environment of open communication and mutual trust between the organization and its employees.

People refer candidates to work at an organization when their employee experience with said organization has been a positive one. And this goes both ways, they may warn against working at a place if their employee experience has not been positive. As a job seeker, you may find that asking for job referrals gives you an insight into the company culture and it also helps you create a strong professional network.

Why you should ask for a job referral and job referral examples

Asking for referrals is one of the best ways to get on the hiring manager’s radar. As a job seeker, one way for you to ask for a job referral is by reaching out to the people you already know in your network, via phone or email. Depending on the closeness of the relationship, you can then follow up with the referee for possible job opportunities

When you’ve been referred for a position, it elevates your place in the hiring process and earns you that little gold star which sets you apart from other applicants. If that were not enough to encourage you to ask for job referrals, we’d like to share some examples that will help you get over any awkwardness you may feel while reaching out to your network to ask for referrals.

When reaching out to someone to ask for a job referral, be considerate of their time. It can be awkward to ask someone for a favor, especially when you haven’t interacted with them recently. Here is an example of a job referral request to someone you may not very well, this person might be a casual acquaintance, an alumnus or even someone you’ve run into at a networking event.

“Hi [insert name of contact], [insert what you have in common with person you are reaching out to (i.e., “I attended UBC and recently moved to Vancouver.”]. I came across the [name of role you are applying to (you can also make it a hyperlink)] role at [Company name] and am interested in applying. Would you be open to sharing my resume with the hiring team, so they know about my interest in this role? Happy to chat more if you have the time. Looking forward to hearing from you”

Don’t forget to attach relevant documents like your resume or a cover letter to support your message. The above example is to the point but does not come across as being too pushy or over-familiar.

To make things a little easier when you’re crafting that job referral request, here is a basic structure to keep in mind:

1. Remember to greet the person by name formally if you don’t know them well or with an informal “hello” if you know the person.
2. Include a line or two offering your well wishes and an acknowledgement that you have been following this person’s career.
3. Talk about your current job search efforts. Let the person know that you’re aware of an open position at their company, and that you’re interested in interviewing for the position.
4. Make your request depending on the closeness of your relationship with the referee. Keep it to the point and be considerate of their time.
5. A short statement informing the recipient that you have attached your resume and cover letter.

Requesting for job referrals through job referral sites like LinkedIn or Refer HR also opens doors for you as job seeker to land the right role and connect with the right people. Job referrals have always been number one on our list of creative ways to source candidates. The value of referrals surpasses the value of other hiring channels, by delivering high quality candidates that incur low costs to the company. For an employer, a referred candidate – especially if they have been referred by a current employee - is easier to onboard because they feel free to ask questions to someone other than their boss as they onboard. This helps the candidate integrate into the company culture quickly, leaving more room for you, the hiring manager to offer support in other areas like training the new employee.