Will the referral program be a success again?

The job market is becoming increasingly competitive, making talent acquisition more challenging. Therefore, APG is implementing a powerful recruitment strategy, with referrals playing a significant role. "People who consciously choose to work for APG, through someone they already know, integrate better and feel more engaged with the company," says Head of People Talent Sourcing, Jurriaan Spoel. An interview about the impact of referrals on the organization.

He looked forward to a positive outcome with hope, and he was not let down. Jurriaan has a broad smile on his face as he reels off the figures from the past year. Three times more referral candidates than in previous years, followed by a significant spike of one hundred referrals in January. "During the holidays, a lot of networking took place, and we immediately noticed the impact," Jurriaan says. "It's great to see it working so well."

For those who missed it: what is referral?
"Referral is one of the most effective ways to recruit new colleagues. It encourages employees to recommend candidates from their networks for open positions within APG, with a reward for doing so. It attracts candidates who fit well with the company culture and promotes engagement and involvement with APG. People who come in through a referral typically have a good understanding of APG, making them more likely to stay with the company for longer. The referrer is mainly responsible for linking the candidate with APG. After that, it's up to the candidate to become interested and apply. They then go through an objective application process, and it's up to the recruiter and the business to ultimately choose the right candidate. This is separate from the referrer's responsibility."

Is referral a new way of recruiting?
"It's not new. The scheme has existed at APG for years but was not well-known and therefore underutilized. Additionally, practically speaking, it was complicated to refer a candidate. This had to be done through various systems, with many exceptions. In 2023, we set up the referral program The Connection, simplified the scheme, and created a referral website to make the process easier. It also provides all the necessary information and offers examples and tips for tapping into your network. What's new is that we also reward the effort: referring a candidate who applies through the referral form earns you a lunch voucher. And if that candidate is hired after the application process, you receive a bonus of €2,000 gross. However, you must meet the requirements and follow the correct procedure via the referral form."

Isn't that an expensive solution?
"Of course, €2,000 is a significant amount. But specialized roles, such as data specialists, developers, and pension specialists, are challenging to fill in practice. And we need them, particularly due to the transition to the renewed pension system and the strategic focus on digitization. Together with the tight job market, this forces us to look beyond the conventional methods of recruitment. In such cases, we have to collaborate with recruitment agencies, which is an expensive way of recruiting, often costing much more than the referral bonus per hired candidate. Compared to that, this bonus is a responsible and cost-effective investment and, at the same time, a token of appreciation for colleagues who make the effort."

Are there cheaper recruitment methods?
"Absolutely, and we use them too. Our recruiters also source interesting candidates themselves, and we proactively establish talent pools from which we can draw when a vacancy arises. Our Careers website also lists all open vacancies. Additionally, we recruit talent on platforms where they are regularly active. We've had the campus recruitment team for some time now, which helps us expand the Young Talent department, focusing on internships and traineeships. In the long run, we want to become increasingly active in events and establish contacts with student associations to generate interest in APG among them. Referral recruitment is a valuable addition to this because it has a broader approach and includes all age groups. After all, all talent is welcome."

So, will referral remain active in the coming years?
"Absolutely, because talent is still needed. We plan to continue the success of last year's activation festival, The Connection. We significantly expanded APG's network as people met each other and became enthusiastic through the wristbands we distributed. That really worked. More and more people now know about the referral program, The Connection, and understand its importance. So, we will continue to promote the program. We share inspirational stories on the intranet, plan giveaways, and offer last year's workshops as e-learning courses. We also promote certain vacancies more on social media. This way, we are creating more and more ambassadors for APG."

And what do you ask these ambassadors for right now?
"Keep your eyes and ears open within your own network. Visit the referral website and recommend suitable candidates from your surroundings if you think there's a good match. You can access the referral site outside the APG work environment as well. So, bookmark the link. You can find the site through the main menu on the Careers site."