Hiring · HR glossary

Employee Referral

An employee referral is a recommendation or introduction of a potential candidate by an existing employee. It is one sourcing channel within the recruitment process.

Example

An employee submits a former colleague's details through the approved process after confirming that the colleague is interested in the vacancy.

What to keep in mind

A referral is not evidence that someone meets the requirements. Use consistent assessment, protect candidate information and monitor whether reliance on existing networks limits access for other qualified applicants.

Further reading

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