Swiss Post: Gamification, Integration, and Storytelling as Keys to Success in the Employee Referral Program
Sector: Logistics
Employees: 45,000
Customer since 2017
Initial Situation and Objectives
Before using CleverConnect, Swiss Post wasn’t fully tapping into the potential of employee referrals. While some referrals were happening, they were often not tracked or properly integrated into the recruitment process. The goal was to unlock this potential — with a structured, motivating system that could be easily embedded into existing processes and actively involve employees.
“Our goal was to unlock the full referral potential across a large and diverse employee base.”
— Romaine Petrus, Head of Recruiting and Talent Sourcing, Swiss Post
The Solution
With CleverConnect, a modern, digital employee referral program was introduced, comprising several modules:
- Referrals: A user-friendly system for capturing and tracking referrals. Employees have full transparency at all times regarding the status of their referral – from submission to hiring. This builds trust and motivates active participation.
- Gamification: Features like points, badges, and leaderboards create a fun, competitive environment and ongoing motivation. This approach is key to ensuring the program is used regularly – and doesn't end up in the "app graveyard" like many internal tools.
- Stories: Success stories from within the company are strategically shared through the platform, increasing visibility and strengthening employees’ connection with the program. At the same time, employees can share this content across their personal social media networks – actively boosting reach and employer branding.
The combination of gamification and storytelling has been particularly well received by employees. The solution is fully integrated with the existing ATS, SAP SuccessFactors, supporting a seamless recruiting process.
“With CleverConnect, we’ve successfully rolled out a digital employee referral program across the entire organization – today, it’s one of our most strategically important recruiting channels.
What’s more, the quality of applications through referrals is significantly higher than from other sources – and the cultural fit is especially strong. Our employees carefully consider who truly fits our organization before making a referral. That’s what makes this channel so valuable.”
— Romaine Petrus, Head of Recruiting and Talent Sourcing, Swiss Post
Results and Impact
The employee referral program has become one of Swiss Post’s two most important recruitment channels — alongside the career site. Around one-third of registered employees use the program regularly, making a significant contribution to its success.
The solution is firmly embedded within the organization and makes a lasting impact on talent acquisition — not just as a technical tool, but as a strategic part of the company’s recruiting philosophy.
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