Published on Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007
This philosophy is as old as time itself – you have to give something to get something.
With jobs becoming increasingly more about ‘who you know’ rather than ‘what you know’, the subject of getting referrals has become very important. But the fact that to get referrals you have to give sound referrals too, hardly ever gets a mention.
As top job search consultant, Peter Roosen elaborates, “A better approach is to become really good at giving great referrals. It is a bit like the ’giver’s gain’ concept in networking, which basically goes that those who give great service to others are rewarded for doing so”.
So, it is important to give good referrals. Becoming a lead source that swings open doors for others will garner excellent goodwill and stand you in good stead when you yourself need to gain a foot in the door for a lucrative job.
Here’s how to give high quality leads in your personal or professional capacity:
With jobs becoming increasingly more about ‘who you know’ rather than ‘what you know’, the subject of getting referrals has become very important. But the fact that to get referrals you have to give sound referrals too, hardly ever gets a mention.
As top job search consultant, Peter Roosen elaborates, “A better approach is to become really good at giving great referrals. It is a bit like the ’giver’s gain’ concept in networking, which basically goes that those who give great service to others are rewarded for doing so”.
So, it is important to give good referrals. Becoming a lead source that swings open doors for others will garner excellent goodwill and stand you in good stead when you yourself need to gain a foot in the door for a lucrative job.
Here’s how to give high quality leads in your personal or professional capacity:
The to-dos
Referrals are all about putting in a subtle word in favour of the person being referred. Develop a sound process for the recommendation – be it by telephone, letter, email, and in-person, at a social gathering or even over a round of golf.
Talk to the person whom you are referring before proposing his name. Try to get an idea about the candidate’s qualifications, skills, work history, performance and attitude. Confirm whether he wants you to give a performance or character reference, or both. This will enable you to put in a good word without sounding vague or hesitant. The quality of your referral will reflect your judgement and a bad one can come back to haunt you forever.
Also pay heed to the popular adage, ‘If you cannot say anything good, don’t say anything’.
When it comes to actually making the introduction, it is essential to provide a professional and accurate description to make the referred person look good. Casually market the candidate’s characteristics, responsibilities, skills, strengths and goals.
It’s your discretion about how much praise and positive information you provide. But it’s more effective to eloquently highlight one or two exceptional qualities instead of going overboard with the minutiae. You can even offer to provide more information if required.
Do not leave it at that. Follow up with the recipient to confirm the fit and relevance of the person you referred.
Referrals are all about putting in a subtle word in favour of the person being referred. Develop a sound process for the recommendation – be it by telephone, letter, email, and in-person, at a social gathering or even over a round of golf.
Talk to the person whom you are referring before proposing his name. Try to get an idea about the candidate’s qualifications, skills, work history, performance and attitude. Confirm whether he wants you to give a performance or character reference, or both. This will enable you to put in a good word without sounding vague or hesitant. The quality of your referral will reflect your judgement and a bad one can come back to haunt you forever.
Also pay heed to the popular adage, ‘If you cannot say anything good, don’t say anything’.
When it comes to actually making the introduction, it is essential to provide a professional and accurate description to make the referred person look good. Casually market the candidate’s characteristics, responsibilities, skills, strengths and goals.
It’s your discretion about how much praise and positive information you provide. But it’s more effective to eloquently highlight one or two exceptional qualities instead of going overboard with the minutiae. You can even offer to provide more information if required.
Do not leave it at that. Follow up with the recipient to confirm the fit and relevance of the person you referred.
The don’t-dos
Operation: Anytime, Anywhere? – Recommending someone for a job is not merely about name-dropping or email spamming. These obtrusive tactics are impersonal, awkward and low-impact. In fact, the unanticipated intrusions can have a diametrically opposite effect and turn potential employers antagonistic towards the person being referred.
Instead of doling out names arbitrarily, it is better to set up the receiver to expect the referral. Gaining permission before dropping a name enhances retention of the information provided.
Operation: Hit or miss? – Giving a referral is not about high volume or pestering someone all the time. So much so, referral seekers are mortally terrified that a referrer may hard sell them by calling a ‘contact’ night and day.
Never abuse your valuable network by harassing people in the early hours of the day or like clockwork every night. Remember that just one well-timed and appropriate remark can do the trick.
Operation: Anyone? - Can you really afford to refer just about everybody who asks you for one? Isn’t your very reputation and image on the line with the quality of your referrals? As the American Referral Institute puts it, “When you give a referral, you give a little of your reputation away. If you are sceptical about a person’s value or fittingness for the said job, it is better to turn down the referral request rather than rue your actions later”.
Operation: Truth or fallacy? – Do not resort to half-truths or fallacies just to push a person’s candidacy. Ensure that you stick to honest, consistent, factual information and wax eloquent only about those qualities of the person that you really know.
In essence, make an effective referral and both parties will thank you for the favour. If it’s done well, you will feel good about it too. But glitch up the job and everyone will suffer, you included.
Operation: Anytime, Anywhere? – Recommending someone for a job is not merely about name-dropping or email spamming. These obtrusive tactics are impersonal, awkward and low-impact. In fact, the unanticipated intrusions can have a diametrically opposite effect and turn potential employers antagonistic towards the person being referred.
Instead of doling out names arbitrarily, it is better to set up the receiver to expect the referral. Gaining permission before dropping a name enhances retention of the information provided.
Operation: Hit or miss? – Giving a referral is not about high volume or pestering someone all the time. So much so, referral seekers are mortally terrified that a referrer may hard sell them by calling a ‘contact’ night and day.
Never abuse your valuable network by harassing people in the early hours of the day or like clockwork every night. Remember that just one well-timed and appropriate remark can do the trick.
Operation: Anyone? - Can you really afford to refer just about everybody who asks you for one? Isn’t your very reputation and image on the line with the quality of your referrals? As the American Referral Institute puts it, “When you give a referral, you give a little of your reputation away. If you are sceptical about a person’s value or fittingness for the said job, it is better to turn down the referral request rather than rue your actions later”.
Operation: Truth or fallacy? – Do not resort to half-truths or fallacies just to push a person’s candidacy. Ensure that you stick to honest, consistent, factual information and wax eloquent only about those qualities of the person that you really know.
In essence, make an effective referral and both parties will thank you for the favour. If it’s done well, you will feel good about it too. But glitch up the job and everyone will suffer, you included.
PAYAL CHANANIA
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