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10x higher hiring rates thanks to the digital employee referral program

Five-figure headhunter costs, high advertising expenses for job postings, and still barely any qualified applicants? We have the solution!
Reduce cost per hire and optimize your recruiting budget
Find suitable candidates who quickly integrate into your company
Increase employee satisfaction and retention rate
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We already connect more than 1,000 companies...

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Integrations

Our digital employee referral program and the entire CleverConnect platform offer integrations with:

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... and 100+ ATS
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Built for recruitment and HRIS experts

HR professional seeking for a swift and efficient hiring process trust CleverConnect for its custom automation, controlled AI, and European expertise.
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What can CleverConnect do better for employee referrals than your ATS?

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Your ATS

Mobile App for employees
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Configurable reward & points system
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Automated workflows & communication tools
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GDPR compliance & hosting in Europe
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English-speaking support & Dedicated Customer Success Managers
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CleverConnect Employee Referrals is fully integrated with all common applicant management systems and offers interfaces to niche ATSs.

Don’t just take our word for it…

CleverConnect is always open to our suggestions and requests for customising the software. We feel that we are taken seriously as a customer and appreciate the willingness to look for a solution. Our dedicated contact person knows our company and our situation inside out. We feel that we are in very good hands.

Benjamin Nitze
Benjamin Nitze
Senior HR Manager
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Since the launch of our referral program, the number of referrals has increased massively and the topic has also become completely normal for our colleagues in the company. The new uniform process ensures more transparency and appreciation in the form of a bonus. For us, this is a classic win-win situation, because many colleagues actively advertise our positions in their private networks. We also benefit from this.

Dimitry Tartakowski
Dimitry Tartakowski
Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding Manager
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One of the reasons we decided on CleverConnect was the high standards of data protection conformity and IT security. We didn’t have to make any compromises or even any modifications. CleverConnect supports us with automation so that we can operate in compliance with GDPR without having to give it much thought.

Katharina Zehner
Katharina Zehner
Recruitment Marketing & Social Recruiting
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What really made a difference is that the video interview solution is 100% compatible with the brand’s ATS, Talents’in. Together with CleverConnect, we developed a feature to automatically send invitations encouraging candidates to submit a pre-recorded video interview.

Adrien Servan
Adrien Servan
Hiring Manager
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The CleverConnect platform is a living recruitment ecosystem that is very sustainable for us: a lead that is not hired immediately can be a hire in the future. We needed a system that adapts to our very special needs: a combination of automations, referrals as well as nurturing functionalities and a central CRM to store all our profiles from various sourcing channels as well as matching to quickly find the best candidates in our growing talent pools.

Florian Schrodt
Florian Schrodt
Head of Employer Branding & Recruitment
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Do you want to unlock the full potential of an employee referral program? We’d be happy to show you how! The CleverConnect Talent Acquisition Platform helps you:
Reduce your cost per hire and gain better control over your recruiting budget
Maximize the potential of your employee networks and develop referrals into a viable recruiting channel
Improve employee satisfaction and ultimately increase retention rates

Frequently asked questions

Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Employee Referral Programs
What are the advantages of a digital employee referral program compared to traditional analog programs?
1. Automation & efficiency: 1. Automated processes like invitations, tracking, and rewards save time and reduce errors.

2. Easy tracking & transparency: Real-time insights allow employees and HR teams to clearly monitor the progress of each referral.

3. Increased reach & accessibility: Referrals can be made anytime, conveniently via digital channels, boosting participation.

4. Gamification & motivation: Gamification elements like leaderboards, points, and rewards enhance employee engagement.

5. Integration with HR Systems: Seamless integration simplifies the management and evaluation of referrals.

6. Data protection & security: High security standards ensure the protection of all data in compliance with data protection regulations.

7. Measurability & optimization: Precise analytics enable continuous program optimization.
How does CleverConnect help keep your employees motivated and active long-term?
1. Gamification elements: Leaderboards, points, and rewards foster competition, driving continuous employee motivation.

2. Simple & intuitive process: A user-friendly platform with mobile and web-based channels allows for quick and easy participation.

3. Transparency & feedback: Real-time tracking and continuous feedback build trust and encourage repeat participation.

4. Targeted communication & reminders: Automated news, push notifications, and tailored campaigns keep the program top of mind.
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5. Measurable successes & recognition: Employees see the direct impact of their referrals, enhancing their motivation and sense of appreciation.

6. Flexible reward systems: Incentives tailored to preferences and budgets—whether financial or otherwise—ensure long-term motivation.

CleverConnect uses these approaches to keep employees motivated and active in the long term.
What insights are there regarding the quality of candidates from employee referrals?
1. Higher job fit: Employees can accurately assess requirements and often recommend candidates who are a good fit for the position and company culture.
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2. Better performance & longer tenure: Referred employees have a better understanding of what to expect, perform better, and tend to stay longer.

3. Shorter onboarding time: Pre-existing knowledge about the company often leads to a quicker onboarding process.

4. Higher motivation & engagement: Referred candidates are usually well-informed beforehand and are often more intrinsically motivated and engaged.
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5. Lower risk of mis-hires: Referrals lead to better matches and reduce mis-hires, as employees recommend candidates they genuinely believe in.

6. Positive impact on work environment: Referred employees integrate faster into the team and improve the work climate.

These insights highlight that employee referrals are a particularly valuable source for high-quality and motivated employees.
Are the additional costs for incentives and the tool even worth it?
1. Reduced recruitment costs: Save on job ads and headhunters by leveraging qualified referrals from the employee network, which can also help build talent pools.

2. Shorter Time-to-Hire: Faster filling of open positions reduces downtime and cost of vacancy.

3. Lower risk of mis-hires: Better-suited candidates reduce costs from mis-hires.

4. Higher employee retention: Referred employees stay longer, reducing turnover costs.

5. Improved employee performance: Higher productivity and engagement lead to long-term gains.
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6. Positive corporate culture: Rewards for referrals increase employee satisfaction and foster a better work culture.

7. Scalability & efficiency: Digital tools like CleverConnect make managing and scaling the program easier, covering up to a third of hires through referrals.

Conclusion: The investment in incentives and tools pays off through significant savings and benefits in recruitment, employee retention, and performance.
For what company sizes is a digital "Employees Refer Employees" program suitable?
A digital "Employees Refer Employees" program can benefit companies of all sizes, with varying impacts depending on the company's size:

1. Small Businesses (up to 50 employees):

Beneficial for growth: Especially advantageous for start-ups and growing companies to quickly find qualified employees and reduce recruitment costs.

Flexibility & scalability: Important that the program grows with the company.
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‍Benefits: Access to an expanded candidate pool and more efficient identification of suitable talent.

2. Medium-sized Businesses (50 to 500 employees):

Particularly useful: In highly competitive markets with extreme labor shortages, it helps accelerate recruitment and improve applicant quality.

Employer branding & employee retention: A well-organized referral program strengthens company culture and increases employee retention. Employee advocacy programs can also boost employer brand visibility.
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‍Benefits: Effective management of employee referrals as the company grows, strengthening the employer brand, and reducing costs.

3. Large Companies (over 500 employees):

Highly useful & essential: In large companies, a digital program allows efficient filling of many positions and large-scale management of referrals.

Talent pools & scalability: Build talent pools for recurring vacancies, reducing time-to-hire and cost-per-hire.
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‍Benefits: Higher participation rates through gamification, measurable successes, improved internal communication, and transparency.

Summary: Medium-sized and large companies benefit most from the efficiency, scalability, and analytical capabilities of a digital referral program. Small companies, especially growing start-ups, can also benefit if the program is flexible enough. Overall, such a program reduces recruitment costs, improves the quality of hires, and strengthens employee retention.
What are employee advocacy or ambassador programs?
Definition: Employee Advocacy is the active promotion of a company by its employees on their personal social platforms. In ambassador programs, employees are specifically selected and equipped to represent the company’s values, culture, and messages externally.

‍Content: Shared content can range from company news, blog posts, and events to career opportunities or personal stories about working at the company.

‍Goals: The goal of such programs is to increase the reach and credibility of corporate communications and position the company as an attractive employer and innovative market player.
What are the benefits of employee advocacy and ambassador programs for recruiting and employer branding?
1. Authenticity & credibility:

Trust: Employees are more authentic and credible than corporate communications, making a stronger impression on potential candidates.
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‍Insights into company culture: Personal stories provide an attractive, realistic view of the company culture.

‍2. Extended reach:

Employees’ social networks: Content reaches a wider audience, far beyond corporate channels.
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‍Virality: Positive content can go viral, increasing the visibility of the employer brand.

‍3. Cost-efficient recruiting:

Reduced costs: Less reliance on expensive external channels.
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‍Targeted outreach: Job postings reach the right audience, thanks to employees’ networks.
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‍4. Strengthening employer branding:

Brand ambassadors: Employees position the company as an attractive employer.
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‍Employee engagement: Fosters employee identification with the company and strengthens the corporate culture.

‍5. Better candidate quality:

Targeted referrals: Recommendations often lead to qualified, suitable applications.

‍Conclusion: Employee Advocacy and Ambassador Programs create authentic, far-reaching, and cost-efficient strategies for recruiting and employer branding, improving applicant quality and positioning the company as an attractive employer.