Hi, does anyone know if consultancies operate referal schmemes, whereby you get a bonus for refering candidates who are subsequently employed? The reason I'm asking is to see if you've got a better chance of landing an interview/ job if you email your CV to someone whose contact details you have (e.g. from web site, conference), but don't necessarily know, rather than following normal application procedure. Cheers!

Yes, most firms operate referral policies. My recruitment team give priority service to applications that come via a referral from a current employee. If a referred candidate is appointed, the referring employee gets a reasonably large bonus as a thank-you. It works pretty well. About 20% of our appointments are from referrals. Referred candidates also go through the same assessment process as everyone else, and are held to the same standards! Special treatment only extends so far!! This ultimately means that you have the same chance of landing an interview/job, as you would if you applied independently...

Many thanks RecruitGal!