Employee Referral Programs
From July 2006
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In addition to the cash reward, employees whose referrals are hired are also eligible for an annual drawing for prizes, such as electronic equipment and gift certificates. In the past, DST has also offered trips to Alaska, London and national parks.
Employee referral programs lend a measurable hand to the time and costs it takes to fill an open position. Many employers with significant ERPs report that nearly one-third of their openings are filled from employee referrals. The average cost to fill a position is estimated at 25 percent of the annual salary, which includes advertising, interviewing, downtime and training. The sooner the job is filled, the faster the money drain is plugged.
Positions filled through ERPs are typically occupied sooner than those filled from the open market, thereby reducing the productivity loss and lessening the overall cost to fill the position. Some employers report that as a result of their immediate bond with others in the organization, employees hired through an ERP tend to ramp up faster and stay with the company longer.
Vision Service Plan in Rancho Cordova pays $100 to $500 to employees whose referrals are hired and on board for six months. Shauna Harrington, the firm’s human resources manager, estimates that one-third of their vacancies are filled through the ERP. In addition to the cash rewards, VSP also raffles weekend getaways to such spots as Napa, San Francisco and Disneyland twice a year.
VSP keeps the news about its ERP in front of employees through its company intranet and frequent emails when hard-to-fill positions are open. Rather than a subdued marketing campaign, it’s a front-and-center part of company culture, including its new-employee orientation program.
Referrals Beget Referrals
The VSP Strike Gold program boasts of at least four generations of referrals. Janelle Darling, call center service delivery supervisor, was referred by a VSP employee 13 years ago. Since that time, she has referred at least seven people who have been hired. Darling takes pride in the caliber and success of her referrals, noting several of them have been promoted.
Last year, one of Darling’s referrals, Kelli Behrens, now a business analyst in VSP’s e-business department, referred Debi Ramirez to be a project manager in the same department. Ramirez had been Behrens’ manager at her previous job at Sprint. Behrens thought her former boss would be an ideal project manager candidate and so referred her to a VSP job fair last fall. Behrens recently received her ERP bonus as Ramirez successfully completed her six months at VSP.
Continued...
Employee referral programs lend a measurable hand to the time and costs it takes to fill an open position. Many employers with significant ERPs report that nearly one-third of their openings are filled from employee referrals. The average cost to fill a position is estimated at 25 percent of the annual salary, which includes advertising, interviewing, downtime and training. The sooner the job is filled, the faster the money drain is plugged.
Positions filled through ERPs are typically occupied sooner than those filled from the open market, thereby reducing the productivity loss and lessening the overall cost to fill the position. Some employers report that as a result of their immediate bond with others in the organization, employees hired through an ERP tend to ramp up faster and stay with the company longer.
Vision Service Plan in Rancho Cordova pays $100 to $500 to employees whose referrals are hired and on board for six months. Shauna Harrington, the firm’s human resources manager, estimates that one-third of their vacancies are filled through the ERP. In addition to the cash rewards, VSP also raffles weekend getaways to such spots as Napa, San Francisco and Disneyland twice a year.
VSP keeps the news about its ERP in front of employees through its company intranet and frequent emails when hard-to-fill positions are open. Rather than a subdued marketing campaign, it’s a front-and-center part of company culture, including its new-employee orientation program.
Referrals Beget Referrals
The VSP Strike Gold program boasts of at least four generations of referrals. Janelle Darling, call center service delivery supervisor, was referred by a VSP employee 13 years ago. Since that time, she has referred at least seven people who have been hired. Darling takes pride in the caliber and success of her referrals, noting several of them have been promoted.
Last year, one of Darling’s referrals, Kelli Behrens, now a business analyst in VSP’s e-business department, referred Debi Ramirez to be a project manager in the same department. Ramirez had been Behrens’ manager at her previous job at Sprint. Behrens thought her former boss would be an ideal project manager candidate and so referred her to a VSP job fair last fall. Behrens recently received her ERP bonus as Ramirez successfully completed her six months at VSP.
Continued...
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