Standards For Referrals

Unfortunately, today's system of references and referrals is inadequate for recruiting qualified talent. Influences such as financial incentives negatively impact the company providing them by burdening the hiring team with unqualified applicants, particularly at lower levels.

While I cannot change this reality, I can ensure that all of my referrals conform to the highest standards possible. I have included guidelines and thresholds that I have taken upon myself to maximize the impact of my referrals and ensure that candidates meet a published quantifiable standard.

Note: This document does not apply to applicants who apply via a link automatically shared via LinkedIn or other platforms. All referrals covered by this document will be explicit and obvious. If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact me.

For any candidate to be eligible for a referral, I must:

• Have worked directly with the candidate for a period exceeding six months, or be intimately familiar with the candidate's projects and skills for a period exceeding four years, or a mixture of both.
• Know that the candidate is emotionally sensitive and thoughtful in professional and personal contexts.
• Know that the candidate is both deeply passionate about the subjects required for the position and about learning and teaching said subjects.
• Be confident that the candidate is within the top 5% of potential applicants, both in skills and cultural fit.

I will not refer a candidate:

• For any position in which I do not personally know members of the hiring team.

After referral, I will:

• Follow up with the candidate and hiring manager concerning the referral status.
• Ensure there is no conflict of interest between myself and anyone involved in the hiring process.