The Challenge 

Diakonisches Werk Gladbeck-Bottrop-Dorsten, a social services organization with 1,400 employees, faced the challenge of implementing a modern and effective employee referral program. In an industry that is severely affected by a shortage of skilled workers, employee referrals are a valuable recruiting channel for reaching suitable candidates. 

At Diakonisches Werk, which is active in a wide range of areas such as rehabilitation, elderly care and youth welfare, employee referrals have so far been handled informally. Employees regularly brought in application folders from people in their personal environment to recommend them for vacancies. However, this process was no longer up to date and required a modern, efficient system to simplify, track and evaluate the recommendations.

The Solution 

Diakonisches Werk’s solution was to implement Radancy’s digital Employee Referral Program. Considering the fact that qualified personnel from various professional fields are constantly needed, from social workers and nurses to management and administration, the organization was looking for a solution that would reach all professional groups. 

To meet this challenge, strategic planning was carried out, including the definition of rewards and guidelines for participation. Radancy provided support in the form of workshops and advice to tailor the program to the specific needs of Diakonisches Werk. This approach enabled the company to make the employee referral process efficient and transparent, resulting in a significant improvement in the recruitment process.

“We received excellent support. Two Radancy employees even visited us on-site and we set up the referral program together in a workshop with a number of decision-makers.”

– Franziska Saul, Head of Personnel Development & Recruiting, Diakonisches Werk Gladbeck-Bottrop-Dorsten gGmbH

Results 

The results of the project at Diakonisches Werk were impressive: in 2022, 10% of all hires were made via Radancy’s Employee Referral Program, even though only around 6% of applications were received via referrals. This underlines the high quality of the recommended candidates. As they come from similar professions and fit in well with the company’s culture, onboarding is also easier. As a rule, the candidates are already well-informed about the organization through their contact at the company.

“The applications are simply much more suitable. That’s also the feedback we regularly get from our departments.”

– Franziska Saul, Head of Personnel Development & Recruiting, Diakonisches Werk Gladbeck-Bottrop-Dorsten gGmbH

For the introduction of the referral program, Diakonisches Werk created a video that explains how the tool works and how to participate in the program. Even though the process is simple, as Franziska Saul finds, it is important to show and explain it. 

Awareness of the referral program was raised through regular communication, such as digital newsletters and events. Promotions such as summer and winter campaigns, which used playful elements to encourage participation, were particularly effective. In one of these campaigns, the company was able to generate more than 130 referrals during the campaign period of 3 months. It was also particularly important for Diakonisches Werk to involve managers in the referral program, as they are good influencers. These measures resulted in numerous employees taking part in the program.

Franziska Saul, Head of HR Development & Recruiting, spoke about the process:

“A really big issue is communication. We are in an industry that is not very digitalized. We are now well on our way, but it’s no comparison to a large IT company where there are only digital workstations. That’s why it’s a stumbling block to get all employees on board first, to inform them and to make them aware that we even have an employee referral program like this.”

– Franziska Saul, Head of Personnel Development & Recruiting, Diakonisches Werk Gladbeck-Bottrop-Dorsten gGmbH

In the future, Diakonisches Werk plans to introduce Radancy’s rewards store to incentivize various referral activities. For example, employees will receive points for sharing jobs on social media or for providing feedback on recommended candidates, which they can later exchange for non-cash rewards of their choice in the rewards store. With this measure, the company aims to further promote employee motivation and commitment.