7 Things You Must Know About Getting Referred for a Job

7 Things You Must Know About Getting Referred for a Job There is one thing you can do that increases your chances of being hired: get referred. Referred candidates are more likely to get hired, perform better and last longer in jobs. This is why companies, large and small, are investing in employee referral programs (ERPs). It makes good business sense for them and for you. Here are seven things you need to know about getting referred for job, based on a recent survey commissioned by iCIMS, a provider of talent acquisition solutions (you can see the full report here): 1. Referred Candidates Get Hired When an employee refers someone, that candidate is hired about two-thirds of the time. STRATEGY: Plain and simple: Its easier to get a job with a referral. Use your in-person network, LinkedIn, Twitter and even Facebook to identify the names of people you already know. Keep in mind, it doesnt matter what role your contact is in. What matters is that you let them know the types of roles you are interested in and that you stay on his or her radar, just in case something comes up. A key reminder: it is always best to reach out to people before a job is posted. Learn how to Find Contacts Within Your Target Companies 2. Referrals are the Most Important Job Search Resource 76% of job seekers ranked employee referrals as being of high to extremely high importance. Employee referrals ranked higher than company career sites, job boards and even LinkedIn. You may not believe all the experts who proclaim the power of networking, but you cant dismiss the advice when job seekers report how important referrals are as a resource. STRATEGY: Invest more time and effort networking. Use a personal marketing plan and target list to stay focused. Learn more about   Creating Your Personal Marketing Plan Source: iCIMS The Impact of Successful Employee Referral Programs 3. Employees Do Refer Candidates If you are skeptical, dont be. Employees embrace the concept of referring candidates. Heres the proof: 60%  of employees have referred at least one person to an open position within the company, and 38% of employees have referred multiple candidates for open jobs. STRATEGY:   Ask an employee to refer you. By nature, people want to help, and it doesnt take much effort for an employee to refer you for a job. Learn   How To Get Referred For A Job 4. Candidates Should Start at the Top The more senior the person referring you, the better your chances of getting hired. In fact, almost all candidates (91%) referred by a director level or above were hired, versus 53% of hired referrals from an entry-level candidate. STRATEGY: If you do know top-level executives, reach out to them first. However, dont hesitate to reach out to anyone you know inside the company, because being referred by any level employee increases your chances. 5. Referral Incentives Exist While 63% of employers currently follow a documented employee referral process, the remaining companies accept referrals in a less formal way. Either formally or informally, companies realize that referrals make great employees and cost less to hire. STRATEGY: When asking an employee to refer you, youre actually helping your contact reap rewards. 6. Referred Employees Love Their Jobs You dont just want a paycheck â€" you want a job you will enjoy. 65%  of referred employees were very satisfied with job fit or their ability to fulfill the requirements of the position, and 50% were very satisfied with how well they fit within the company. STRATEGY: Leverage the power of past colleagues to help you identify a company and job where you are more likely to be happy. 7. Company Size Makes a Difference If a company has more employees, it may make it easier to find someone inside the company to refer you. For example, larger companies might put more resources toward hiring referrals. Small companies (99 or fewer employees) fill  14% of jobs through referrals Medium companies (100 to 999 employees) fill  24% of jobs through referrals Large companies (1,000 or more employees) fill 27%  of jobs through referrals. STRATEGY: No matter the size of the company, hiring happens through referrals. While it may be more difficult to find someone within a smaller company, but dont give up. Source: iCIMS The Impact of Successful Employee Referral Programs Bottom line: The best way to get your resume to the top of the stack is by getting referred. The tools exist today to identify people who work inside companies you are interested in. Social media sites like LinkedIn make it easier to keep track of past colleagues. Plus, companies value the quality of employees who come from referrals. Isnt it time you paid more attention to this job search resource? This post originally appeared on US News World Report