How to Get 98% of Your Referrals to Actually Apply (Not Just Submit Resumes)

Getting referrals is one thing. Getting them to complete the full application process is another challenge entirely.

GreatHires-R-Us*, a national recruiting firm with a distributed team and a high-volume referral funnel, figured out how to bridge that gap. They needed a system that could scale quality and build trust. This company processes hundreds of referrals monthly and achieves a 98% application completion rate. They've solved the problem that frustrates most talent acquisition teams: candidates who submit their information but never follow through with a complete application.

Here's exactly how they built a system that turns referral interest into committed candidates.

GreatHires-R-Us's Referral Challenges Before Boon

As a talent acquisition firm processing hundreds of candidate submissions every month, GreatHires-R-Us was drowning in manual tracking and inconsistent follow-up.

Their team lost good prospects because they couldn't keep up with the volume. Candidates would submit information, but never hear back. As a result, referrers stopped participating. The whole system was falling apart under its own weight.

They needed a way to handle thousands of submissions annually while maintaining the relationship quality that drives people to actually complete their applications.

How They Structured Their Program for Success

GreatHires-R-Us made three key decisions:

1. Made referrals central to the business strategy
2. They were no longer a side project, referrals became a primary sourcing channel.
3. Built infrastructure to scale with quality
4. Processes were designed to handle high volume without compromising candidate fit.
5. Chose technology that supported their workflow
6. Instead of bending to the system, they used a platform that flexed to their needs.

The team focused on candidate experience from start to finish by making sure every submission got prompt acknowledgment. Every candidate learned exactly what to expect and when, and they set up automatic updates so everyone stayed informed.

The Quality Factor

GreatHires-R-Us's hire rate of 39-40% from recommendations indicates their candidate quality matches their completion rates. This suggests their sourcing process consistently produces candidates who are qualified and interested.

Maintaining both high application completion (98%) and high hire rates (40%) across hundreds of monthly submissions requires more than good processes. It requires connections that match real opportunities with qualified candidates from the start.

Their sustained performance across thousands of annual applications proves this quality comes from systematic practices, not luck or cherry-picked examples. The team has built processes that generate relevant candidates consistently.

The Technology Enabler: How the Right Platform Maximized Results

GreatHires-R-Us figured out that fighting their tools was killing their results. They needed something that worked with their team, not against them.

The difference came down to simple things. When employees can share a job with one click, they actually do it. When candidates can apply from their phone during a conversation, they don't forget later. When everyone gets automatic updates, nobody wonders what happened to their submission.

Boon handles the behind-the-scenes work so GreatHires-R-Us can focus on relationships. The platform tracks everything, sends updates automatically, and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks. This frees up the team to do what they're actually good at - connecting great people with great opportunities.

Results

Here's what GreatHires-R-Us accomplished by fixing their referral process:

98% of their referrals completed applications. Most companies struggle to get even half that far. ReferralCo got nearly everyone to finish.

They handled thousands of referrals every year without breaking. While only 17% of hires typically come from referrals industry-wide, GreatHires-R-Us built referrals into a primary pipeline that produced consistent results month after month.

4 out of 10 referrals turned into actual hires. When you get high-quality referrals and keep them engaged through the process, conversion rates that seem impossible suddenly become routine.

Companies typically save up to $3,000 per hire with effective referral programs. GreatHires-R-Us's combination of completion rates and hire rates delivered serious cost savings and much less wasted effort.

Key Takeaways

GreatHires-R-Us's results offer practical insights for any team looking to improve their referral application rates:

1. Design for completion, not collection. GreatHires-R-Us's 98% application rate proves the importance of building systems around completion. Most teams focus on getting referrals submitted, then wonder why candidates disappear. The real work happens after submission.
2. Volume and quality can coexist. Processing hundreds of submissions monthly while maintaining 98% application rates shows that scale doesn't require sacrificing quality. Your team can handle growth when the right processes support the candidate experience.
3. Choose technology that supports your approach. GreatHires-R-Us's results show how platform selection directly impacts outcomes. The right tools enable performance that seems impossible with manual processes. Look for platforms that remove administrative friction while preserving relationship focus.
4. Build systems that can repeat success. Maintaining exceptional metrics across thousands of candidates requires processes that work consistently. Your team needs workflows that deliver the same quality experience whether you're handling 50 submissions or 500.
5. Expand successful frameworks beyond hiring. GreatHires-R-Us applies their referral approach to both talent and customer acquisition. When your system works well, you can create value across multiple business functions.

How to Assess Your Own Program's Quality Focus

GreatHires-R-Us's achievement shows what's possible when you build the right processes and use technology that actually works.

Start by measuring your current referral-to-application conversion rate. If you're seeing a significant drop-off between candidate submissions and completed applications, your process needs work. Focus on the candidate experience, not just the collection process.

Look at whether your current systems support quality engagement as volume grows. Can you handle 100 submissions per month while maintaining a personal touch? What about 500? Having the right foundation makes scaling possible.

Your team needs three things: streamlined application processes, consistent candidate communication, and technology that supports relationship building at scale.

Get these right, and you can achieve completion rates that seemed impossible before.

Schedule a demo to see how Boon can help you build a referral program that delivers exceptional quality at scale.

** We've anonymized the brand names of our customers who have asked not to be named in order to maintain their competitive advantage.*

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