On Hiring: REFERRAL vs. referral

A referral is not always a REFERRAL. In my own experience, and I believe for most folks who have done a bunch of hiring, referrals are generally an excellent source of candidates. But, here’s the thing: not all referrals are equal.  And here’s why - for some a referral is simply an introduction.  They are bridging a connection versus making a recommendation on the quality of the candidate.  So as not to confuse folks, here are my definitions:

REFERRAL: To recommend someone.
Referral: To introduce someone, where no assessment is made on fit or expertise.

I’ve learned the difference between REFERRAL and referral the hard way, and here are a couple of real life examples. I was once burned by suggesting two folks meet and chat about a role.  The conversation played out like this in my mind: “Hey two cool people, you should meet. Friend 1 is looking for someone with x background and Friend 2 has x background and is looking for a new job. Happy connecting.”  It was an introduction (lowercase referral). I had not worked with Friend 2, and was certainly not in a position to comment on his functional expertise.  When the coffee didn’t got as planned, my judgment was questioned.  I was surprised.  At 500px, I would receive weekly coffee requests from folks who wanted to join the team. I tried to have these coffee dates as often as possible in order meet great people and be helpful whenever possible too. A subset of those coffee dates would turn into referrals, with me introducing select folks to hiring managers on the team. Again, I was making a connection and believed the hiring process would determine if the individuals would be successful on our team (or not). Interestingly enough when one those folks didn’t work out after they’d been hired, the managers held me accountable. I was surprised – again.

What both these experience taught me is that once you make an introduction, the reference is implied and by default the process is different. In most organizations, a reference is treated differently, hence the hiring process is often truncated, the questions are biased, etc. So, here’s my advice when it comes to all the kinds of referrals (big and small), both for the HR or Talent Acquisition specialist and for the individuals giving a referral.

• When asking for referrals, be explicit about what you expect from the referral.  For example, I’m looking for X candidate – please send me ONLY folks you have worked with and can speak to the caliber of their work product and attitude. While you may see the quantity of referrals decrease, you will likely be far less disappointed with the quality.
   
• It’s also okay to define a referral as an introduction, but just be clear with everyone in the hiring process so that no special considerations are made because it was an introduction versus a REFERRAL. The bar and process must remain high and unchanged for a referral.
   
• If you’re paying a bounty/ giving folks a monetary reward – your expectation is much higher.  In this case, you should only be getting REFERRALS. You should demand more than an introduction and hold the references accountable for a bad apple. Some companies hold back referral bonuses until the team member has successfully been at the company for 6 months to ensure quality!
   
• If you’re giving a reference, don’t treat it lightly.  Remind yourself that this is a recommendation, so your reputation is on the line. If it is a REFERRAL, then spend time with the person you are recommending. Give them the context and background and provide some coaching and prep before their meeting. In other words, set them up for a successful meeting. Make thoughtful email intros as well. Basically, you should act like a qualified headhunter.
• If you’re making an introduction (lowercase referral), then be explicit.  It’s ok to say – I’ve never worked with this person and I’m not making a recommendation, but they’re in my network and their background might be a fit.
   
• And if you’re asking yourself, should I even bother to make referrals/intros? I strongly believe the answer is still “yes”. Building connections, whether they work out in the short run, make you a good steward in a start up community that is struggling for talent.