They say that birds of a feather flock together. That’s exactly why SAM encourages employee referrals whenever there are open positions to fill. Better yet, employees can cash in on these referrals – with a $3,000 reward for a successful hire.
Like any referral program, there are some limitations. This article discusses why the employee referral program exists, stipulations necessary to claim the reward, and why it’s set up this way.
Let’s dig in!
Why Offer A Referral Bonus?
To make the best product, you have to have the best talent. And recruiting a quality workforce takes a considerable amount of resources. Referrals have the advantage of being pre-vetted by an existing employee who can serve as both a reference and an ambassador of the company. Referrals save the agency time and money sourcing talent, so in return, employees are rewarded for helping provide quality staffing.
How Do You Qualify for the Referral Bonus?
Before encouraging a friend to apply, it’s a good idea to check out the official Employee Referral Policy. And please note, SAM no longer allows the hiring of relatives.
The company will pay a $3,000 cash bonus to the employee who refers a candidate that is subsequently hired if one of the two requirements below is met exactly:
- Employee sends the candidate’s résumé directly to the COO and hiring managers prior to the candidate applying online.
- Candidate applies online and lists the employee’s name who referred them.
You are eligible to refer candidates after you have worked at SAM for at least 90 days.
Examples
Let’s look at a few examples of how this could play out.
Situation 1: Somebody applies for an open position via LinkedIn. They have edited their résumé to include a line saying, “referred by [SAM employee name].” In that case, the employee is eligible for the referral bonus.
Situation 2: A person applies via Indeed using their Indeed profile. It’s the candidate’s standard résumé, not customized and no message included. An employee emails their manager later that day recommending the applicant. Here, the employee is not eligible because the application was submitted before the referral was given.
Situation 3: An employee emails the COO and hiring managers the résumé of a candidate to refer. The candidate later applies via LinkedIn. Now, the employee is eligible because they submitted the referral before the candidate applied.
If you want to be eligible for the referral bonus, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you must communicate the referral before the candidate applies in any way. This ensures that SAM received the application due to an employee referral, not other job marketing channels.
When an employee referral works out, it’s great news for everyone. You’ve saved the agency time and money, earned yourself a bonus, and gotten your friend a job! By sticking to the referral policy, you can make sure you’re rewarded for the referrals you send SAM’s way.
