Purpose

Clemson’s Employee Referral Program (ERP) has been designed to address the University’s hiring needs by leveraging the support networks of those who know Clemson’s culture best – its current employees! Clemson University’s employees have networks of faculty and staff that include people who would be ideal fits for many of the University’s positions.

The ERP promotes and incentivizes the University’s employees by encouraging them to act as marketplace talent scouts. Employee referral programs are one of the most powerful tools in recruitment. Organizations that use employee referral programs average retention rates of 46 percent, compared to the 33 percent retention rates of organizations that only use career sites. New hires identified through employee referral programs typically complete onboarding a full 10 days sooner than those hired using any other form of recruitment and these same referred employees are 3-4 times more likely to be hired than are non-referred candidates. Combine all this with an average $3,000 per hire saving and it quickly becomes evident that employee referrals are an important facet of any successful recruiting program.

How does the ERP work?

Clemson University’s existing faculty and staff act as talent scouts for the University. In the event that an eligible Clemson employee plays an integral part in the University securing a new hire, that employee will be rewarded. For each referral that culminates in a hire into an FTE position, the referring employee will receive a 500 dollar reward. All referral awards are taxable, per IRS guidelines.

Employee ERP Eligibility

Employees are eligible to participate in the ERP if they meet the following requirements:
- They are active, full- and part-time FTE, TLP and TGP employees
- They remain employed by Clemson University throughout the period from the point of making the referral to the referred candidate’s hire date
Ineligible:
- All employees with positions in the Office of Human Resources (OHR)
- Members of the search committee conducting the search for the respective candidate
- Interns, temporary/intermittent employees, vendors, contractors, consultants or any type of employee on any type of leave

Candidate Eligibility

The candidate’s referral must be submitted through the ERP process by an eligible Clemson employee for a specific job opening.
The candidate’s referral must culminate in a Clemson University hire within 12 months of the ERP submission.
Ineligible candidates for the ERP include:
- Current Clemson University interns, vendors, contractors, or consultants
- Current temporary, part-time, or full-time employees
- Clemson University employees seeking to return to the University but had been terminated with cause

Program Start Date

All employee referrals made on or after January 17, 2017, become subject to the rules of Clemson University’s ERP.

Referral Requirements

Before making a referral, employees should consider a referred candidate’s work experience, educational background, employment record, and experience in the position for which the candidate is being referred.
All referral information must be received by EmployeeReferrals.com/Human Resources prior to the candidate's application. The referral information must indicate the specific job for which he/she may be eligible to apply.
The referring employee must submit the referral through the EmployeeReferrals.com website and must include the following information:
- Candidate’s name and email address
- The Clemson employee’s relationship with candidate
- How long employee has known the candidate
- The current, open position for which the candidate is being referred
- The reason the candidate is being recommended for the position

Duplicate Referrals

There is no limit to the number of referrals that an employee may submit. If two or more referrals occur for a referral that culminates in a Clemson University hire, the employee to first process the referral through EmployeeReferrals.com/HumanResources will receive the 500 dollar reward.