So you’ve decided you’d like to be a Scout on Recruitday. You think that you’ve got the knack for spotting the right talent for the right job opening, and earning that referral bonus would sure come in handy for a rainy day. But being a good Scout isn’t just checking off boxes in the qualifications column. You have to make sure that you are referring the right person for the right job and for the right company.

Playing Matchmaker

In a lot of ways, being a Scout is like being a matchmaker for your single friends. You won’t just set-up Paul with Joanne because they are both single. You also want to make sure they are really compatible, otherwise, they may both end up hating you for a very, very, long time.

When you decide to pair up your single friends, you make sure that they have similar interests, tastes, and even values. You wouldn’t set-up a heavy metal rocker with a K-Pop superfan or an avid outdoorsman with a dainty diva, would you?

“Think about why they would make a great couple. Don’t set them up unless they have things in common,” said relationship expert and writer Emily Mendez.

The same rule applies when trying to find candidates to refer for job openings. It’s not enough to check what the job requirements are and scour through your Facebook friend’s list. You should also determine if your friends will fit into the company culture and be successful in the position that you are recommending them for.

Friends who fit

As pointed out by Lily Herman, New York-based writer and editor, “Don’t recommend someone if you have absolutely no idea about his or her work ethic. He or she could be the greatest brunch buddy in the world, but that doesn’t mean that person’s a good fit for a particular company.”

Once you do decide to refer a friend, step back and examine your friend objectively. Is Gary a loner who doesn’t work well with others? Don’t recommend him for a company that puts a high value on collaboration. Is Stella a night person who is most productive after the sun goes down? Don’t refer her to a job that requires her to be on high-performance mode at 8 AM.

“If you know your friend may not be the best fit and still refer them, you’re setting them up with false expectations or placing them in a position where they may not do well,” says Ryan Kahn, author and career coach. You should make sure that the candidates qualify for the job openings so that there is a higher chance of them being hired and, a better chance for your success as a Scout.

Grace, one of the successful Scouts of Recruitday, said that in choosing people to refer she goes through her contacts on social media. But, rather than just send out the job openings to random people, she still makes sure that the person she is referring is right for the job, “I make sure I read their CVs.” Her method has met with some success as her referral was hired and still remains in her position.

This is another important thing to remember. You have to make sure the person you are referring is in it for the long haul and not just after notches on their resume. Rewards for Scouts can be canceled if the person they referred does not work out.

What does a canceled reward mean? According to the Scouts FAQs, “This means that the employer did not confirm the referral reward due to the following reasons: (a) the referral withdrew his/her job application before the reward date; or (b) the referral resigned before the reward date.”

So If JC’s immigrant visa to Canada is due in a few months, don’t recommend him for a permanent position. Or if Lisa is planning to be a full-time homemaker after her wedding in six months, maybe you shouldn’t submit her name for a three-year job contract. If you do, the reward offered may not be given to you anyway.

“You don’t want to be putting your neck out there if ultimately they are not all that interested in the position,” adds Kahn. Having someone come in for an interview only to find out they weren’t seriously interested will waste the company’s time and also ultimately reflect negatively on you as a referrer. And, it may even tarnish what was once a close friendship.

Getting Special Privileges

In addition to the social consequences of referring someone in bad faith, Recruitday also has measures in place to prevent spam or blanket referrals.

As mentioned on the FAQs: “Recruitday monitors the quality of your referrals (e.g. number of applications to hire ratio) over time and could set the number of job listings you will be able to see and refer, based on your score. It is strongly suggested that you refer jobs only to those who you think are qualified for the positions.”

This means that Recruitday is able to track the applicant-to-hire ratio of Scouts. Scouts with a high success rate get special privileges which helps ensure that employers get high-quality candidates.

In the end, your success as a Scout will depend on how well you know your friends and how carefully you evaluate the job openings available vis-a-vis their preferences. Just like setting up friends for that first date, successful job referrals should lead to long-term relationships.

 

APRIL 24, 2019

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