Recruiters - would you pay members of your network to help you recruit on your open reqs?

As a third party recruiter, I'm becoming more and more dependent on leveraging my social network (primarily LinkedIn connections) to help refer candidates for my openings.

Question for the recruiters here - if you knew you're 500+ connections on LinkedIn were more likely to help you find candidates for your open positions, would you offer to pay them X for every candidate they send to you, Y for every interview loop you line up for one of their referrals, and Z for a successful placement?

In other words, an "affiliate network" for your jobs?

Thank you!

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ben McGrath on August 1, 2012 at 5:28pm

Scott,

I would be tempted to extend a referral payment for a cnadidate that was sent to me that reached final interview and/or was placed.

As for every candidate I was sent, I have the feeling my bank would run dry fairly quickly if I did this.

Hopefully we all engage in the "pay it forward" ideology and simply making a recommendation on a past colleague or someone they knew would not neccesitate a promise of payment. Hey, I'd love to get an acquaintence/friend/colleague a shot at a better gig.

However, if there was success in placing the candidate, then certainly that would be something potentially worth paying for.

All the best,

Ben