SmartRecruitersIntroductions
For many companies, referrals are the #1 source for hires. This means that companies WANT to know your connections! Referrals help to reduce cost per hire, increase retention, and increase overall quality of the candidate. So start networking ASAP!
Give Labor Day is about helping a friend find a job. Below are some useful tips to help introduce your friend, former colleague, family member, etc. to their next potential employer:
- Ask, Is Your Company Hiring? Most companies have a pretty nice incentive bonus for employee referrals. Check with HR and/or your company’s career page to see if there are any open positions your friend might be a good fit for.
- Use LinkedIn and Facebook – LinkedIn is a great resource to network and make new professional connections. Search through your contacts to see if you know someone who might be hiring and/or works a company that your friend is interested in. Most also have hundreds of friends already on Facebook, so check for your network for relevant contacts there too. Send the relevant connection a quick message to make the introduction.
- Email- Yes I said it, email! While social media is the new way to stay connected, the truth is we are not connected to everyone we know via Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn (and even if we are, email is for many the appropriate place to talk shop). Spend some time scavenging through your email connections to see if you might have done business with someone in the past that might be able to help.
- Mixers – Handshakes go along way. So invite your friend to your company’s next office party, corporate event, or even to have lunch one day with your colleagues. You never know who they might meet!
Know someone unemployed? Easy ways you can help: Make an introduction, Review their resume, Help build social profile, Practice Interview… It’s an Easy Way to Give Back, in a time when so much help is needed. Volunteer for Give Labor Day.
Lee Ann Prescott
