Internal Referral Schemes

So you are not looking for a job yourself. But what if a networking contact reaches out to you to find out more about the company you work for and ask if they are hiring?

Firstly I would say always be clear about what you can do for them? Are you putting in a recommendation? Are you in a hiring position? Are you simply pointing them in the right direction in relation to vacancies.

If your company is hiring it can be useful to keep up to date with their vacancies – particularly if you have a employee referral scheme in place. If you will be networking with peers – why not check out your own job vacancies board before you attend the event. Quite often jobs will be advertised internally first.

It is a great way to help someone out. Even if they don’t get the job – they will be grateful for the opportunity and will be ready to help in return. If your recommendation turns out to be successful you are likely to be the recipient of a referral bonus and internally colleagues will be grateful that they have made a successful hire.