Employee Referral Program Sample Emails

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Employee referrals are often considered the best candidate source — and for good reason. Companies that use employee referrals are 2x more likely to improve the quality of hire and see 2x higher first year retention.

Keep these 7 employee referral program sample emails handy to streamline your process and boost participation.

Employee referral program announcement email

Use this template when first launching your employee referral program or when relaunching a revamped program. This email sets the tone for your program and provides essential information to get employees excited and involved.

Subject Line: Help Us Build Our Team — New Employee Referral Program with Bonus

Hi team!

We’re excited to announce the launch of our new employee referral program! We believe great people know great people, and we want to tap into your networks to help us find our next amazing colleagues.

Here’s what you need to know:

We’re offering a referral bonus for successful hires, which may vary by role
The bonus is paid out after your referral completes [X] months with us
All open positions are eligible for referrals
Submit referrals through [platform/method]

Current open roles include:

[Role 1]
[Role 2]
[Role 3]

Know someone who’d be a great fit? Visit [referral platform link] to submit your referrals or reply to this email.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Best regards,

[Your name]

Employee referral request email

Send this email when you have specific positions that need referrals. It’s best to space these emails out to avoid email fatigue, even if that means you don’t promote every role or send every role to every team member.

Subject Line: Know Any Great [Job Title]s? $[X] Referral Bonus

Hi team!

We’re looking for an exceptional [job title] to join our [department] team, and we’d love your help in finding the right person. A successful referral will earn you $[X]!

What we’re looking for:

[Key requirement 1]
[Key requirement 2]
[Key requirement 3]

The ideal candidate might be:

Your former colleague
Someone you’ve worked with in the industry
A professional contact from conferences or events

To refer someone: [instructions for submitting referral]

See the full job description here: [link]

Thanks for your help!

[Your name]

Employee advocacy request

Use this template to encourage employees to share job postings on their social media networks. This helps expand your reach beyond direct referrals.

Subject Line: Help Us Spread the Word — Share Our Job Openings

Hi team!

We’re hiring for some key positions and could use your help spreading the word about them on social media.

Here’s a sample post you’re welcome to edit and share:

One of the best things about working at [company name] is [key benefit/culture point], because [why it matters to you].

We’re growing and have some exciting roles open right now. If you’re interested in learning more about what it’s like at [company name], I’d love to tell you more about my experience here.

We’re currently looking for:

[Role 1] — [brief highlight about role]
[Role 2] — [brief highlight about role]
[Role 3] — [brief highlight about role]

Interested? DM me or apply here: [Link]

Remember, if someone you share with applies and gets hired, you’re eligible for our referral bonus!

Thank you for helping us build an amazing team!

Best regards,

[Your name]

Referral thank you

Send this email immediately after receiving a referral to acknowledge the submission and set expectations.

Subject line: Thanks for Your Referral!

Hi [Employee Name],

Thank you for referring [Candidate Name] for the [position] role! We appreciate you taking the time to help us find great talent.

Next steps:

Our team will review their application within [timeframe]
You can view their status at any time on [platform]
If hired, you’ll be eligible for a $[X] bonus after they complete [timeframe] on our team

Have more great people in mind? Check out our other openings: [link]

Thanks again!

[Your name]

Referral status update

Use this template to keep employees informed about the status of their referrals. Regular updates can help maintain engagement and encourage future referrals.

Subject Line: Update on Your Referral: [Candidate Name]

Hi [Employee Name],

Thank you for referring [Candidate Name] for the [position] role.

[Choose appropriate status: Great news! We’re moving forward with their application and look forward to chatting with them in the coming days. / I wanted to give you a quick update on their status. We’re still reviewing applications for this position and will make decisions about next steps soon. / After careful review, we’ve decided to pursue other candidates who more closely match our current needs. We appreciate your effort and would be grateful for future referrals.

As a reminder, you can see the status of each of your referrals here: [link]

Thank you again for the introduction!

Best regards,

[Your name]

Referral bonus confirmation

Send this email when processing a referral bonus payment. It helps maintain transparency and encourages future referrals.

Subject Line: Your Referral Bonus is Being Processed! 🎉

Hi [Employee Name],

Great news! Since [Referred Employee Name] has successfully completed their [X] month milestone with us, your referral bonus of $[X] has been approved for payment.

You can expect the bonus in your [date] paycheck.

Thank you for helping us find such a great addition to our team. Keep those referrals coming!

Best regards,

[Your name]

P.S. Know anyone else who’d be a great fit for [Company]? Check out our current openings: [link]

Referral program reminder

Occasionally send this email to keep your referral program top of mind and highlight success stories.

Subject Line: Refer Your Connections to Work Here — and Earn Bonuses

Hi Team!

I’m reaching out with a quick reminder about our employee referral program and some exciting updates!

We’ve seen great results from our referral program so far, including:

[Employee] referred [New Hire] who just joined our [Department]
We’ve paid out $[X] in referral bonuses this [quarter/year]
[X] of our recent hires came from your referrals

Our current high-priority openings are:

[Position 1] – $[X] bonus
[Position 2] – $[X] bonus
[Position 3] – $[X] bonus

Know someone who’d be a great fit? Submit your referral here: [Link]

Thanks for helping us grow!

[Your name]

Final thoughts on employee referral program emails

Effective communication is key to running a successful employee referral program. By having these templates ready to go, you’ll save time while maintaining consistent, professional communication throughout your referral program.

Remember to customize each template to match your company’s voice and culture, and regularly update them based on feedback and results to ensure they support your recruiting goals.JobScore makes it easy to customize and send employee referral emails, track referred candidates through the recruiting process, and understand which employees are participating. Start your free trial to learn more.