What can we do to get the most from our construction executive referral program?

The traditional employee referral program is considered one of the most effective recruiting methods available to construction employers. In a recent Construction Executive Survey, 28% of construction employer respondents cited that their employee referral program was their top source of hires for 2002.
What is a traditional employee referral program?
Traditional employee referral programs provide a means by which employees can refer friends or others to their construction employer for potential employment. If the referral results in a new hire by the firm, then the employee is typically paid a referral fee or bonus. Improving on the traditional employee referral program.
Companies can expand the reach and benefit of traditional employee referral programs by compensating employees who refer top talent, even when a position is not available. The idea is to encourage employees to keep their eyes open for talent in the industry and then to turn over quality leads to the firm’s internal recruiters whenever they find one.
Once the lead is referred to the recruiters, the recruiters should begin recruiting immediately so that when a job need arrives, they already have a pre-qualified construction executive job seeker. Should an offer be extended and accepted by the referred talent, the employee who initially made the referral should be rewarded with a special bonus (much like the traditional employee referral bonus).
Employers must learn to connect with top talent well in advance of the time when the organization actually has an appropriate opening. By educating existing employees on the merits and methods to identifying the star players in their profession, regardless whether or not they know the individuals, a continuing source of fresh talent can be mined for future hire.