They say it’s all about who you know. Sure, that may be the case for job-seekers and aspiring actors...but it’s also just as true for employers. Someone you know might be able to connect you with your future #dreamjob, and someone we know might be able to connect us with a dream employee.

Salesforce is growing, and we’re constantly looking for smart and creative people to join our team, especially in today’s war for talent. Who do we know who’s smart and creative? Our current employees, of course! It only makes sense that they know people who are also likely to thrive here...which is why employee referrals are our #1 source of new hires.

“Our employees are our best brand ambassadors, and they trust in our referral program,” said Kate Israels Recruiting Operations Program Manager. “They know when they refer connections for a job here, they’re in good hands. Employees can track their candidacy through our self-serve My Referrals app, find the names of the recruiter and hiring manager, see the date they’ll get paid out for a bonus...you name it! We’re all about transparency and giving our referrals the ‘white glove’ service.”

A strong employee referral program can be the secret to a successful recruitment strategy at any company. Here are our top six ways to encourage employee referrals at your company in order to build a bigger, better, more brilliant workforce. 

1. Give referrals and referrers the VIP treatment

We process referral applications promptly and provide valuable feedback to both the employee and the referral in order to ensure the best possible experience. Internally, we have a dedicated team whose sole responsibility is processing and prioritizing referrals including a Chatter community in which employees can engage with an expert from the Employee Referral Program team in real time. This ensures that employees have a seamless experience...and will continue to refer again and again.

2. Host employee referral events

We organize recruitment happy hours and encourage employees to invite high-caliber connections within their professional network. These referred guests learn about our company and meet the people who can connect them to their #dreamjob, while hiring managers and recruiters get a chance to socially interact with candidates. It’s a win/win situation...and it’s fun!

3. Give recognition for participation, not just for hires

This past year we surprised dozens of employees with a pair of San Francisco Giants tickets...just for submitting a referral. Recognition shows our appreciation for participation in the program, regardless of whether or not a referral is ultimately placed.

4. Drive excitement with contests and spiffs

Referral spiffs are a great way to drive pipeline for specific open positions and motivate employees to refer. All employees who submit referrals during the designated time period are entered to win amazing prizes.

5. Identify Social Ambassadors

Encourage employees to share company news with their networks in order to increase company awareness. That way, when an employee mentions a great opportunity, they know who your company is and look forward to hearing from you.

6. Implement referral bonuses

And of course, we offer a modest bonus to employees who refer. This incentivizes our employees to recommend talented people who they believe are really right for the job, and rewards them for a referral well done.

Your employees are your strongest and most powerful recruiters. Implementing just a few of these strategies can help amp up your recruitment efforts in order to win the war for talent.

Ready to find your #dreamjob at Salesforce? Visit www.salesforce.com/careers.