How to Refer Someone for a Job in 4 Steps [Email Examples + Templates Included]

At some point in your career, you may be asked to write a job referral letter for your friend or former colleague, or your employer may ask you to refer someone for a job opening at your company. Whatever the case might be, you might want to look for several references before starting writing.

In this article, we will guide you through how to refer someone for a job in four simple steps while providing you email examples and ready-to-use template. Without further ado, let’s dive right into it!

A job referral is a situation when you recommend someone you know for a job position. You can refer your friends or former colleagues if you are an employee or write a recommendation letter for your students if you are a professor. Job referrals can be communicated through referral emails or by directly speaking with the hiring manager (a formal recommendation letter is still advised after verbal confirmation). 

If you refer someone to a job vacancy at your company, a job referral is often known as an employee referral program.

Job referral is very common if you work in an industry that faces severe talent shortages, like leisure and hospitality, wholesale and retail trade, etc. 

Benefits of Job Referrals

Job referrals have been proven to be a cost-effective means of recruitment, tapping into a large, qualified labor pool of passive job seekers and saving much time compared to candidates from conventional job search websites.

Besides, if you refer someone for a job within your company, you may receive a reward if they are successfully hired. This reward is usually in the form of cash, but the amount may vary depending on the company and the position. For example, if you refer someone for a Management position, you may receive a more valuable reward than if you refer someone for an entry-level or mid-level position. 

If you have someone in mind but don't know where to start, this section will walk you through four simple steps to referring someone for a job.

Confirm with the HR department.

If you’re doing an internal employee referral, the very first thing you will need to do is ask HR and have them confirm whether the position is still vacant or not. If still, check with them when the referral letter needs to be submitted and how to send it. Also, it's equally important to get a detailed job description so that you can ensure the referred person is suitable for that vacancy.

Collect all necessary information from the referred person.

Before writing an email or speaking to a hiring manager to refer someone for a job, make sure you've got all information about that person, including:

• Full name 
• The availability for a new job 
• Expertise with relevant work experience in the field 
• Skills and strengths 
• Their most up-to-date resume
• Any other information that will support your referral letter (portfolio, certificate, etc.)

Write a professional job referral letter.

After gathering all the necessary information, now it’s time to write a job referral letter. Here is what you need to include in a job referral letter besides their basic information:

• How do you know that person? 
• What are your experiences of working/collaborating with them?
• What qualifications do they possess that make them the right fit for the role?
• What value do you think they can bring to the company?

Follow up with your HR.

Once you've sent the referral letter or email, keep an eye on the hiring manager's response. If you haven't heard from them, don't hesitate to contact the HR department to inquire about the status of the job referral. You can also tell your friend (or colleague) whom you referred for the job to apply directly and mention your name in the cover letter.

When it comes to referring someone for a job, there are five factors you will need to consider. These factors include:

Recommending someone with poor performance could reflect poorly on your judgment and professionalism. You might be concerned about how your own reputation is perceived is the individual you referred does not perform well in the new role. Not to mention, you might be questioned about your motives for referring the individual, especially if it's perceived as trying to pass the problem on to someone else.

While an employee referral program is a great recruiting tool, there is some controversy over whether it is fair and unbiased. Since many hiring managers are aware of this, they tend to be more strict with job applications from job referrals. Therefore, make sure you provide specific examples and quantifiable results to support your claims so the hiring manager will find your referral letter convincing and credible. 

This can be a two-edged sword. On one hand, it's crucial for the hiring manager to be aware of essential information about the candidate. However, recommending someone for a job can potentially be perceived as promoting nepotism or favoritism. Consequently, it's advisable to refrain from delving into unrelated work matters and focus solely on the relevant qualifications and experience.

When considering a person for a job referral, evaluating their work style and ethic is crucial. Here are some specific aspects of work style and ethics that you can consider:

• Punctuality: Assess whether the individual consistently arrives on time for work or meetings. Punctuality is often a good indicator of a strong work ethic.
• Responsibility: Look at how the person handles their tasks and responsibilities. Are they proactive and reliable, or do they frequently need reminders and follow-ups?
• Quality of Work: Consider the quality of their output. Do they consistently produce high-quality work, or do they often make errors and require significant revisions?
• Workload Management: Evaluate how they manage their workload. Are they organized, able to prioritize tasks effectively, and meet deadlines consistently?
• Adaptability: Assess their ability to adapt to changing circumstances and handle unexpected challenges. Are they flexible and able to problem-solve effectively?
  

The referral letter should adopt the same format as a cover letter, meaning that you should maintain a formal tone in writing and avoid exceeding 200 words. It's equally important to ensure no grammatical or spelling errors, especially wrong information about the job title, company name, and the name of your friend or colleague.

If you plan to refer a friend for a job via email, make sure your signature contains your contact details, including email address, phone number, and LinkedIn URL.  

Still don't know how to write a referral letter for a friend for a job? Check out the example of a marketing job referral letter below!

Below is the template of an email to refer someone for a job. Feel free to add and customize your own content. 

Key Takeaways

Successfully referring someone for a job is no doubt a mutually beneficial situation - for the company, the referrer, and especially the referred person. Despite gaining much popularity in the hiring of almost every profession and industry, it has come with some controversy about being biased and lacking reliability.

Here is a quick recap of what you need to keep in mind when referring a friend for a job:

• Make sure the job is still vacant and open for referrals. 
• Go through the appropriate channels (using the company's referral system or contacting the employer directly)
• Write a professional job referral letter that demonstrates the individual’s qualifications in terms of work ethic, professional experience, accomplishments, and relevant skills. 
• Be positive but also humble and honest when talking about your friend. 
• Finally, don't risk your own reputation for someone you don't know that well!

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— Originally written by May Luong —