So you’ve just launched your referral program. Now it’s time to get the word out.
Leading staffing firms begin by outlining their referral program details on their website so visitors can start learning, sharing, and referring. This is likely where you’ll be directing anyone who wants more information about your program, including those who are ready to become your brand ambassadors. So be sure to include any participation restrictions, reward amounts, timelines, etc. they might need to know about.
But the promotional work doesn’t end there. Here are a few ways you can encourage more people to participate in your program, so you can start sourcing more high-quality candidates.
Promote your referral program across communication channels
Every channel of communication that your team uses to connect with candidates can fuel your referral program:
- Email signatures: By adding a referral program link to your team’s email signatures, every single email becomes a potential sourcing tool.
- Call scripts: Include referrals in your phone conversations by asking a simple question like, “Have you heard about our new referral program?”
- Text messages: Encourage your recruiters to ask for referrals over text using message templates.
- Social media: You can make social networks even more valuable by continually posting about your referral program, especially on LinkedIn and Facebook.
- Onboarding emails: Adding referral links to your onboarding messaging ensures every candidate gets the opportunity to refer their friends to your agency.
- Reviews: Ask for referrals after you get a positive review.
Allow anyone to benefit from referring friends
Use your referral program as an opportunity to stay in touch with your broader network, including past candidates. Reviving old connections and bringing them more actively in contact with your company through your referral program increases the chances that an inactive candidate will take on a job for themselves.
It will also help keep your company top of mind, making them more likely to think of you the next time a staffing need arises. This can be a great way to keep those candidates engaged and turn them into brand ambassadors.
But there are more people out there who may have good insight into potential leads. One of your recruiters’ friends may know an ideal software engineer. Someone who saw an ad for your referral program might have an entire family of nurses to recommend to you.
Don’t limit your reach — open your referral program to anyone who can provide you with leads on top talent.
Make sharing easy for your brand ambassadors
Your ambassadors will be doing a lot of the promotional work for you, so it’s important to provide them with the information they need to effortlessly reach out to their community.
Here are some ways to ensure your ambassadors are well-equipped to promote your program:
- Describe your referral process clearly and succinctly.
- Provide ambassadors with their own unique link to share your referral program.
- Create easy-to-personalize email, text, and social templates for them.
- Make sure your team is always available to field any questions about the program.
- Provide dashboards so that your brand ambassadors can easily track their progress.
Looking for more tips on building an effective referral program? Download our free Referral Program Best Practices & Benchmarks eBook.