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Recommending Your Friend for a Job? Read This First

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Working with your friend seems like a great idea. It’s an even better idea if your friend has all the qualifications needed for the job at hand. But before you refer your bestie for the new opening on your team, carefully consider these tips and potentially negative consequences. Don’t submit that resume to your hiring manager until you’re sure that doing so is in everyone’s best interests.

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(Photo Credit: Al Abut/Flickr)

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The Golden Rule for Recommending a Friend

Although you might be best friends and have complete confidence in this person, someone who is a good friend doesn’t necessarily translate into someone who has a good work ethic. Unless you’ve directly worked with your friend in a professional setting before, you might be taking a gamble.

In the event your friend lands an interview because of your referral, it could reflect poorly on you if you haven’t done your research, especially if the interview goes bad. On the other hand, if you have worked with your friend before in a professional setting, your boss might be impressed with your eye for talent and ability to bring in someone who is a good cultural fit for the company.

Be Honest With Your Employer

Sometimes when you refer a friend for a job, your company will have you fill out a referral form to determine the “strength of the referral.” On this type of form, you can expect to be asked whether you would 100 percent recommend this person, would not hire this person, or feel neutral.

You don’t have to badmouth your friend if they are applying for a job where you work, but you need to be honest with your employer. If you don’t think your friend is going to fit in where you work, or if you are someone who likes to keep work and personal life separate, you’re better off marking the neutral box.

Know the Difference Between Referrals and Recommendations

At the core, referrals are when you refer someone to a recruiter at your office to talk about a job opening. This phase of the interview process is about getting connected, sharing details about the job description, and allowing the applicant to determine if they want to move forward.

Recommendations happen once the applicant has gone through the interview process, and the hiring manager is ready to make a decision. This is when you get to recommend your friend for the job over other candidates based on qualifications that you can personally vouch for.

Tell Us What You Think!

What has your experience been like referring a friend for a job? We want to hear from you! Comment below or join the discussion on Twitter!


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