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Ask HN: Are job referrals worthless now?

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Re: Ask HN: Are job referrals worthless now?

#15

Post by pardoned_turkey »

bastawhiz wrote: post #7

I referred maybe thirty people to Stripe and I think maybe two of them got interviews. Nobody got an offer. At Uber, zero of my referrals were followed up on. At Box, I don't remember any referrals getting followed up on. I won't say they're worthless, but don't feel bad that you are getting the response that you are. Nearly every place I've been (and lots of places that friends are at) do an abysmal job of following…

It matters why you're making the referral. I've seen far too many referrals made just because a stranger or a social acquittance pinged an employee on LinkedIn. And the employee's thinking is "why not". After all, they're helping a person in need and there might be a referral bonus for them down the line.

I'm a recruiting coordinator or a hiring manager, there's nothing that signals to me that this is a good lead. I assume you're just doing this as a courtesy. I might take a cursory glance, but if the resume doesn't look particularly exciting, onto the pile it goes.

The "how" part matters too. If you're referring a person who you know is amazing at their job, say so, and be specific. "I spent five years working with them at Foobar Industries and they are easily in the top 1% of all engineers at that company" is likely to get attention. "I know this person and I think they may be a fit" isn't.

Re: Ask HN: Are job referrals worthless now?

#16

Post by bmitc »

Who knows? The job market is really crazy at times. I got contacted by an ex-company asking if I'd consider coming back, and then they never really even followed up after I showed potential interest, and they eventually said "they don't see a fit" when I followed up. Like, huh? They contacted me.

In my view, the best a referral can do for you is to get eyes on your application and potentially bump it up in the stack. Unless you really know the specific hiring manager well, that seems like the best that's going to happen.

Re: Ask HN: Are job referrals worthless now?

#17

Post by Clubber »

john-radio wrote: post #9
MarkMarine wrote: post #4

They are not worthless at all, at my company if you get a referral you will skip the phone interview and go right to in-person, and you're going to get called about it. When we are hiring. There is the rub, there are a number of companies that are either actively laying off, or just letting attrition nibble down their numbers without having to announce layoffs.

> or just letting attrition nibble down their numbers without having to announce layoffs. When you say it like that it sounds mean, but it's a pretty civilized way to handle downsizing if you ask me.

>it's a pretty civilized way to handle downsizing if you ask me.

It is. Some companies will also offer the old timers early retirement packages. There are companies like this out there still, they just don't make headlines by being civil.

Re: Ask HN: Are job referrals worthless now?

#18

Post by Clubber »

tyingq wrote: post #14

There's two kinds of referrals...the official ones with a program that goes through HR, then the unofficial where someone you know knows a hiring leader with an open spot. The latter is infinitely better.

This. Referrals don't mean much at a company with a heavy, rigid bureaucracy. You still have to go through the machine.

Re: Ask HN: Are job referrals worthless now?

#19

Post by iamthepieman »

I just started a new job 3 weeks ago via a referral. I messaged a former coworker through LinkedIn, hopped on a call with the hiring manager a week later and was hired.

The actual process was something like this

1. LinkedIn message to former coworker and short conversation about what role I was looking for.

2. Meeting with hiring manager and a peer of his who I had also worked with (different than the guy I initially reached out to)

3. Long wait while hiring manager got the job description officially approved and posted.

4. Fill out application via referral program webpage so the guy I contacted first got the referral bonus

5. HR screen/interview and salary negotiation.

6. Job offer

7. Start new job

There were 4 former coworkers on the team I was hired into and we had all been part of an amazing team at a past company so take that as you will.

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