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Key takeaways
- Referred candidates are usually flagged in the ATS and reviewed on purpose, and many companies reward employees for referrals.
- Ask people who know your work first. With someone you haven’t met, ask for ten minutes about the team before asking for a referral.
- Make yes easy: send the exact role link, your CV and two or three sentences they can paste, plus a polite way out.
- If they say no, thank them and apply anyway. Whatever happens, tell them how it went.
A referral means someone inside the company puts your name forward. For the hiring team it’s a signal that a person they trust thinks you’re worth a look, and many companies review referred candidates first. Asking can feel uncomfortable, but it’s a normal part of hiring, and most people are glad to help when you make it easy.
Why referrals work
- Your application gets opened. Referred candidates are usually flagged in the ATS, so a recruiter looks at them on purpose.
- Someone vouches for you. Even a light referral (“we worked together, they’re good”) adds trust a CV can’t.
- Companies encourage it. Many run referral programmes and reward employees for successful hires, so you’re not asking for a favour nobody wants to do.
Who to ask
Start with the people who know your work, then widen the circle.
- Former colleagues and managers who now work at the company. They can speak to your work directly.
- People from communities, bootcamps or university you’ve actually talked to.
- Second-degree contacts. Someone you know may know someone on the team and introduce you.
- People you don’t know yet. It’s possible, but ask for a conversation about the team first, not a referral straight away.
Make yes easy
The person referring you will usually have to fill in a form or send a note to the recruiter. Give them everything they need in one message:
- The link to the exact role, or its job ID.
- Your CV as a PDF.
- Two or three sentences they can copy about why you fit this role.
- A clear, polite way out: “If it doesn’t feel right, no worries at all.”
Templates
Replace everything in square brackets, and keep it short.
Someone you’ve worked with
Hi [Name], hope things are good at [Company]! I saw you're hiring a [Role] ([link]) and it's very close to what I've been doing at [Current company], especially [relevant work]. Would you be comfortable referring me? I've attached my CV, and here's a short blurb in case it helps: "[Your name] and I worked together at [Company]. They [concrete strength or result], and would be a strong fit for [Role]." Totally fine if it's not a good moment. Thanks either way!
Someone you haven’t met
Hi [Name], I'm a [your role] and I've been following [Company]'s work on [product or team]. I'm about to apply for the [Role] opening on your team and would really value 10 minutes to hear how the team works, if you're open to it. No pressure if you're busy.
After a good conversation
Thanks again for the chat, [Name]. It made me even more excited about the [Role]. If you'd feel comfortable referring me, I've attached my CV and a short summary. Either way, I appreciate your time.
If they say no, or don’t reply
People decline for reasons that have nothing to do with you: company rules, not knowing your work well enough, or simply being busy. Thank them and move on. Don’t send a second request. Apply through the form anyway, and if you have a relevant contact on the hiring team, a short direct message to the hiring manager is a good next step.
Close the loop
Whatever the result, tell the person how it went. A quick “I got an interview, thank you” or “it didn’t work out, but thanks for referring me” keeps the relationship good, and it’s the reason they’ll help again next time.