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Referrals: The Blind Dating of Recruiting

Guest post by: Trisha McFarlane

Article Overview: Using blind date strategies to handle employee referrals.

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Referrals: The Blind Dating of Recruiting

Blind dates.

We've all had them, right? You know, when you're in a slump in between relationships and you just can't seem to meet the "right" person. Suddenly, your mom, sister, or friend knows of someone who "would be perfect for you". You mind begins racing with images of the worst possible people to be paired up with. Are they smart, funny, or friendly? Are they desperate? Are you? You agree and proceed to spend the 6- 8 most miserable hours of your life staring at someone who picks their teeth or has strong views on everything from politics to breakfast cereal.


Then, there are the blind dates that really work out. When you have a matchmaker that really knows both people and realizes there are many commonalities. This matchmaker takes into account that in addition to the commonalities, there are also some interesting differences that may lead to a great relationship. Maybe they know that you have always wanted to spend more time outdoors hiking, rock climbing, and skiiing. They match you with someone who already loves those hobbies. Perfect. The matchmaker also is willing to tell you why they think you're a match. They give details. They give you the dirt. Well, hiring should be like that. I have read enough articles in my day in Cosmo and Men's Health to know a little bit about what you need to make the best possible relationship match. Here we go:
  • Tell it like it is- Now is your chance to set the expectations and say exactly what you are looking for in a person for the role. Most job descriptions only give you the skills or experience needed in corporate speak. Get real and get results. Use job descriptions that say exactly what you want like Daxkodoes.
  • TRUST the matchmaker- A referral is only as good as the person making the recommendation. If the employee making the referral is a poor performer, shady, or all-around sneaky employee, I wouldn't put credibility in their assessment. Make sure you're asking those strong contributors who you should be talking to.
  • Decode the situation- Here's where you need to get the dirt. Ask specific questions to ensure the potential candidate not only has the skills, but the ability to thrive in the environment. Dig for as much info as you can.
  • Be ready to bail- Have your exit strategy from the start. Maybe you get through questioning the referrer and realize that this will not be a match to the position you are filling. Have a strategy that makes the referrer feel valued but that clearly says this is not the person for the job. Don't just talk skills, talk culture.
So, what did I miss? What blind date takeaways do you have for handling referred candidates?

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Home > Human-Resources > Trisha McFarlane > Referrals The Blind Dating of Recruiting >
Article Tags: blind date, blind dating, employee referrals

About the Author: Trisha McFarlane
RSS for Trisha's articles - Visit Trisha's website

Trish is a practicing HR professional with over 15 years of experience in Big 4 public accounting, PR, and healthcare.  She is also an international speaker.  With expertise in leadership, employee relations, performance management, training & development, change management, social media, and innovation, Trish is able to capture readers and audiences with real-life examples of how leadership plays out in organizations.

Trish co-founded HRevolution (http://thehrevolution.org), a conference that highlights emerging trends and the future of HR, with the goal of providing an alternative networking and learning experience for business professionals who were tired of the traditional conference model.  HRevolution is an event that inspires collaboration and innovative ideas in the human resource industry.  She also co-founded the Women of HR blog (www.womenofhr.com) in order to give a voice to practitioners who are passionate about issues affecting women in the workplace.

Trish has been a speaker at various events. Most recently at The Conference Board’s “Social Media for HR Conference”, CHCA, HR Southwest,  the HR Technology Conference, HR Florida, Talent Net Live, HRevolution, and TRU London.  She has received numerous accolades for her blogging and online efforts.



Click here to visit Trisha's website
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Related Forum Posts
Inventors Love Their Own Products Inventors Love Their Own Products - I think Blind Love is a really important one. Too many people love their product so much and think it's a great idea but there's really no market for it and they'll never sell it.
Re: Quote of the Day - "Referred customers are easier to deal wi Re: Quote of the Day - "Referred customers are easier to deal wi - Great, but doesn't this link back to another post: "how others see you"? Referrals are an important part of your business, earning the respect of the referrer largely depends on how other see and value you. How you handle the referral customer helps determined whether they pass you onto others Negative news still travel farther and wider then positive news.
Re: How do you get your clients? Re: How do you get your clients? - I think staying away from gathering clients strictly online when first starting out is probably a good idea. Your first few clients could maybe be people you know, or know through somebody that may require some of your services. Another good way of gaining new clientel is offering your first few clients completely free service in exchange for placing your business card or promotional material in their business if you're doing b2b sales. Referrals are the lifeblood of many small businesses.
What is your hit ratio? What is your hit ratio? - Like most entrepreneurs I have more ideas for where I want to take my business than I can handle. I believe in the "fail early, fail often" philosophy and try to find small ways to get started on a project to see if it has any legs. I would estimate that for every 50 things I try, most of them don't have an impact for me, 10 of them have a slightly positive impact, and 1 hits it really big. Some of my big wins over the past few years have been: * Learning the ins and outs of search engine optimization to drive traffic * Putting up and optimizing Google AdSense ads to monetize the website * Deciding to be the leader in profiling famous entrepreneurs online * Recruiting outside authors to help contribute to the website content (now have over 25,000 pages) * Creating the entrepreneur forums * Bringing on staff to help cope with the daily amount of work required to keep things running smoothly What is your hit ratio and some of your big wins?
Re: How do you get your clients? Re: How do you get your clients? - [quote="brata":2qa58hl5]I think staying away from gathering clients strictly online when first starting out is probably a good idea. Your first few clients could maybe be people you know, or know through somebody that may require some of your services. Another good way of gaining new clientel is offering your first few clients completely free service in exchange for placing your business card or promotional material in their business if you're doing b2b sales. Referrals are the lifeblood of many small businesses.[/quote:2qa58hl5] Ive been in business for a few years and my best way to get clients is door to door so far. However as my marketing budget grows I have stopped door to door business to business sales and shifted to mailers, billboards, radio, and just a tiny bit online.


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