One of the strongest sources of job vacancies is Word of mouth. It can be great for finding out more information. This might be about a vacancy, about a specific role or simply about a company.
Company Referral Schemes
A lot of larger or specialised companies will offer incentives to their existing employees to refer colleague or friends for a job. This is usually a sum of money to their employee if they hire their referral or recommendation. Employees usually know some great people with the suitable skill set. A recommendation is usually also an endorsement. Therefore many companies look favourably on referrals.
With the right incentive and a good scheme in place a lot of great names will get handed over. You want to be one of these names. If you are a job seeker it is always worth asking friends, colleagues and networking contacts to let you know if they have any vacancies. It is also an incentive for them to check if they also have a referral scheme in place.
References and Reputation
Building up a good reputation and having a host of excellent endorsements or references is another great way to use word of mouth to help you get a job. It may put your name in front of someone you didn’t know was hiring, or thinking of hiring.
And you never know – an informal chat with someone might even make them consider creating a vacancy for you.
Company Satisfaction
Even if you have found the job vacancy through other means, Word of Mouth is a great way to find out more about a company, their work culture, employee satisfaction etc. You might be right for the job, but you should also be considering if the job is the right fit for you.
Having a chat with your network can help you make the right choice.