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Recruiting template

Employee Referral Program Template

An employee referral programme sets out how staff recommend people for open roles and what they receive when a referral is hired. The templates below give you the referral policy, the form employees fill in, a one-page summary of the bonus scheme and the email to launch it: fill in your details and copy them.

Employee Referral Program Template

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Note

Referral bonuses are usually paid through payroll: check with your payroll or tax adviser how they are treated where you operate, and check the policy against local employment law. This is not legal or tax advice.

Employee referral policy

When to use it: The formal policy for a staff handbook or intranet, setting out who can refer, what counts and when bonuses are paid.

[Company name]: Employee Referral Policy Effective from: [Policy start date] Policy owner: [Policy owner] 1. Purpose This policy explains how employees can recommend people for open roles at [Company name] and how referral bonuses work. Referred candidates go through the same selection process as every other applicant. 2. Who can refer All current employees can make referrals, with these exceptions for bonuses: - the hiring manager for the role, and anyone on the interview panel for it; - members of the Talent and People teams; - senior leaders who approve the hire. These colleagues are welcome to refer people, but they are not eligible for the bonus for those roles. 3. Roles covered The programme covers [Roles covered]. Open roles are listed at [Where open roles are listed]. 4. How to make a referral Submit the candidate's details through [Where to submit a referral], using the employee referral form. Please tell the person you are referring them, and only refer people who have agreed to it. A CV sent by email or passed on informally does not count as a referral. 5. Which referral counts A referral is valid for [How long a referral stays valid] from the date it is submitted. If two employees refer the same person, the first valid submission counts. If the candidate already applied or was already in contact with [Who runs the programme], the referral does not qualify. 6. Referral bonus If a referred candidate is hired and is still employed after [Time the new hire must stay before payment], the referring employee receives [Referral bonus]. The referring employee must also still be employed by [Company name] on the payment date. The bonus is paid through payroll and is subject to the usual deductions. 7. Fair selection Referred candidates are assessed against the same criteria as everyone else. Referring someone does not guarantee an interview or an offer. We will tell the referring employee whether their referral was hired, but not the detail of the decision, which stays confidential. 8. Changes [Company name] may change or end this programme. Referrals already submitted will be handled under the rules in force on the date they were submitted. Questions: [Contact email]

Employee referral form

When to use it: The form an employee fills in to refer someone, so the person running the programme has everything needed to follow up.

Employee referral form [Company name] About you Your name: Your team: Your email: About the person you are referring Full name: Email: Phone: LinkedIn or portfolio link (optional): Role you are referring them for: Location they are based in: How you know them How do you know this person? (for example, worked together at a previous company) How long have you known them? Have you worked with them directly? Yes / No Why you are referring them What have you seen them do that makes them a good fit for this role? Is there anything we should know about timing, such as their notice period? Confirmation I have told this person I am referring them, and they have agreed to [Company name] contacting them. Yes / No I have read the employee referral policy. Yes / No Signed: ____________________ Date: ____________ Submit this form at [Where to submit a referral]. Questions: [Contact email]

Referral bonus scheme summary

When to use it: A one-page version of the rules for the intranet, a Slack channel or a team meeting, for people who will not read the full policy.

Refer a friend to [Company name] Know someone who would be great here? Refer them, and if they are hired you could receive a referral bonus. How it works 1. Check the open roles at [Where open roles are listed]. 2. Ask the person if they are happy to be referred. 3. Submit their details at [Where to submit a referral]. 4. [Who runs the programme] will contact them and keep you updated on whether they are hired. The bonus Amount: [Referral bonus] Paid when: your referral has been with us for [Time the new hire must stay before payment], and you are still employed here Roles covered: [Roles covered] Good to know - If two people refer the same person, the first referral counts. - A referral stays valid for [How long a referral stays valid]. - Hiring managers and interviewers cannot receive a bonus for their own roles. - Your referral goes through the same process as every other candidate. Full rules: see the Employee Referral Policy. Questions: [Contact email]

Referral programme launch email

When to use it: The email to all staff announcing the programme, or relaunching one that has gone quiet.

SubjectKnow someone great? Refer them to [Company name]

Hi everyone, Some of the best people we hire come from recommendations by the people who already work here. From [Policy start date], we're making that easier with our employee referral programme. How it works If you know someone who would be a great fit for one of our open roles, ask them if they're happy to be referred, then submit their details at [Where to submit a referral]. [Who runs the programme] will take it from there and let you know how it goes. The bonus If your referral is hired and stays with us for [Time the new hire must stay before payment], you'll receive [Referral bonus]. The programme covers [Roles covered]. What we're hiring for You'll find every open role at [Where open roles are listed]. If you're not sure whether someone fits, refer them anyway and we'll look at where they might fit best. A few rules Referrals go through the same process as every other candidate, so a referral isn't a guaranteed interview. Hiring managers and interviewers can refer people but can't receive a bonus for their own roles. The full policy is on the intranet. Questions? Email [Contact email]. Thank you, [Your name] [Your job title], [Company name]

How to use this template

  • 1Decide the rules first: who is eligible, which roles are covered, the bonus and when it is paid, and how long a referral stays valid. Put them in the fields above.
  • 2Publish the referral policy where employees can find it, and link the one-page summary from wherever they look for open roles.
  • 3Use the referral form for every referral, so there is a record of who referred whom and when. That settles disputes over who referred someone first.
  • 4Send the launch email, and repeat the message when you open roles that are hard to fill.
  • 5Tell referrers what happened to every referral, including the ones not hired. People stop referring when they hear nothing back.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Unclear rules on who referred first or when the bonus is paid, which leads to arguments when a referral is hired.
  • Paying a bonus to the hiring manager for their own hire, which gives them a reason to favour the referral.
  • Fast-tracking referred candidates past the steps other applicants go through.
  • Relying on referrals alone. They come from employees’ own networks, so keep advertising roles openly as well.
  • Never telling the referrer what happened to the person they recommended.

Questions

What should an employee referral program include?

Who can refer and who is not eligible for a bonus, which roles are covered, how to submit a referral, how long a referral is valid, which referral counts if two people refer the same candidate, the bonus and when it is paid, and a commitment that referrals are assessed like everyone else.

What goes on an employee referral form?

The referrer’s name and team, the candidate’s contact details, the role, how the referrer knows the candidate, why they think the person fits, and confirmation that the candidate agreed to be referred.

How much should a referral bonus be?

There is no standard amount. Set it against what the role costs you to fill through other channels, and decide whether harder-to-fill roles carry a larger bonus. Write the amount in the policy so there is no doubt.

When should a referral bonus be paid?

Paying once the new hire has stayed for a set period means the bonus rewards a hire that lasts. State that period in the policy, along with whether the referrer must still be employed on the payment date.

What is the difference between a referral program and a referral policy?

The programme is the whole scheme: the bonus, the form, the communication and the follow-up. The employee referral policy is the written document that sets out its rules.

Can hiring managers get a referral bonus?

It is sensible to exclude the hiring manager and the interview panel from the bonus for their own roles, because they would be judging a candidate they stand to gain from. They can still refer people.

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