“Recommend an IT expert” – a candidate referral program is a gain for everyone

An employee’s market and an increasing lack of experts encourage companies to reach for alternative methods of acquiring specialists. Next to job ads websites, online campaigns and recruitment events, it is our own employees who are becoming an increasingly important source of new candidates. – The candidates recommended by our employees are well qualified experts, who are a perfect fit for the team – says Wojciech Dreja, Recruitment Director at Sii.

The popularity of candidates recommendation programs in Poland is growing. Within such programs employees and people from outside of the company can recommend their friends as potential employees to a company. If the recommendation ends with employment, they receive bonuses. At Sii, the top IT and engineering services provider in Poland, the “Recommend an IT expert” program has been functioning since 2010 and is bringing better and better effects. It relays on recommending candidates for particular positions currently present in the recruitment process by sending their CV via a dedicated platform. This initiative is intended not only for Sii’s employees, but everyone can take part. – Now 1/3 of all the new employees is hired by Sii thanks to the recommendation system and this rate is rising. We are planning to reach the level of 40% in the nearest future – says Wojciech Dreja, Recruitment Director at Sii.

An employee more effective than a job offer?

Thanks to the recommendation program a company is able to reach these people, who aren’t actively looking for a new job or who didn’t find the company’s offer in the mass of job ads. Friends are also more persuasive than the best marketing advertisement or job offer. Particularly when they are the company’s employees and know exactly what the working conditions and the atmosphere on the team are like. – From our experience, the candidates recommended by our employees are well qualified experts, who are a perfect fit for the team. They know a lot about the company, the position and even the recruitment process. Our employees are the best and the most reliable ambassadors of the company – adds Wojciech Dreja.

Three-sided benefit

All the sites engaged in the recruitment process benefit from the referral program. The person recommended for the job has first-hand information about the company, which helps to choose the future employer. The recommending person, besides a good colleague, can gain a financial bonus. – At Sii bonuses for recommendations depend on the recommended person’s experience and the position for which the recruitment process is carried out. Normally you can get up to 4000 PLN, and in case of special recruitment processes you can receive up to 8000 PLN. But it is not only the bonus that is important in referral programs. Transparent rules of the system and the way we communicate them are essential – says the Recruitment Director.

Recommending Poland

The group actively using the referral programs are foreigners working in Poland. Contrary to the stereotype, many foreigners work in Poland at specialist positions, also in the IT industry. – It is common that our employees from abroad recommend us their friend compatriots. In this case their assurance that Poland is a good place to live and Sii is a great place to work are much more convincing than even the best promotional materials. It’s not surprising – relocating to another country is an important, very often life-changing decision – says Wojciech Dreja. There are more than 90 foreigners working for Sii Poland. Many of them have joined the company thanks to referrals.

For more information about the “Recommend an IT Expert” program at Sii go to the company’s website.