Before the internet, apps, technology, research, more apps and anything else designed to make our lives easier, there was a simple tactic used to solve all problems: ask someone for help. Even to this day, with an obnoxious amount of resources at our disposal, nothing quite compares to the comfort of receiving some help from a trusted acquaintance. So it was no surprise at all to discover that even though the service industry uses a buffet of technology to find talent, the most satisfying candidates come from the mouth of fellow human beings.
Don’t get me wrong, we love technology. But as managers continue to figure out the best ways to leverage job boards, the entire process is becoming painfully impersonal. Posting a job online has become a fully optimized shot in the dark, you simply have no idea what you’re going to get. It’s a numbers game that turns into more (bad) candidates, scheduling more (bad) interviews, and hiring more (bad) employees.
The only consistent success managers have comes in the form of a reprieve from the day-to-day digital manhunt. That moment when someone tosses them a bone in the form of a qualified candidate they’re willing to vouch for. Someone who instantaneously becomes the favorite to win the job—because resumes are easy to dress up, but getting someone to favorably toss your name around in hiring conversations is not. Welcome to the power of referrals.
According to a report from HotSchedules, only 7% of candidates are referrals, yet they account for 40% of hires. Anyone in their right mind can do that math and surmise some version of the same thought—managers prefer recommended candidates, or managers trust referrals, or referrals are downright better and the data proves it.
But referrals aren’t just the best candidates, they’re also the best hires. According to Restaurant Hospitality, 47% of referrals will be around in 3 years, while only 14% of job board hires last that same amount of time. They last longer, onboard faster, and help managers avoid that awkward “nevermind” conversation while letting a bad fit go after two weeks.
So why can’t we lean into this success? Who’s to say that we can’t have our cake (technology) and eat it too (use it to hire recommended candidates)? Well, the short answer is: we totally can, and we totally do. That’s why Seasoned is marrying the consistency of referrals with a tool that gets them in front of you faster, easier, without sweating the details.