---
title: Referral Programs
sidebar_label: Referral Programs
sidebar_position: 2
---

# Referral Programs

:::info on this page
* Understanding the importance of referrals
* Setting up a referral program
* Logistics of Program and Parameters
* Bonus Payment Terms
:::

It is never easy to put together the best team for your project. One way to encourage your employees to recruit is to reward them through qualified candidate referrals. 

**Details are for Core Contributors**

Decide your criteria for eligibility. Do you want your contractors to benefit from a referral bonus scheme? 

Conventionally, the below roles are usually excluded from such bonus schemes.



* Leadership and Executive Team members
* Direct Managers and/or Hiring Managers of their direct open position
* The Recruiting Team

While these groups are not eligible for the referral bonus, they should still be encouraged to refer qualified candidates.

**What referrals (applicants) qualify for bonus eligibility**

Below are some examples of qualifying referrals:



* Anyone that has not applied, been referred to, or worked at your company (or a subsidiary or spinout) for at least a year.
* Allow no cap on the number of referrals an employee can make during their tenure at the company.

**How to refer a candidate**

Consider using a vendor or recruiter to keep track of and assess referrals, but a simple form with a selection of open positions should do. 



* Users choose a job from the list for referral. If you think they might be good for several different jobs, simply choose one and write a note to the recruiter outlining the other jobs as well. The recruiter can then assess the referral's information and make sure they end up in the best job or jobs.

**Logistics of Program and Parameters**



* A referral reflects on the employee who is vouching for them. As such, they should be well qualified for the requirements of the position and espouse the Ecosystem Core Values.
* If two or more employees refer to the same candidate, only the first referrer will be eligible to receive a referral bonus.
* When submitting your referral, this is your only opportunity to sell the candidate to the Recruiting Team as to why you think they would be a good fit in the specific position.
* Please do not follow up with the Recruiting Team and/or hiring manager about candidate or process status. You can check "Follow Referral" under the Name & Company section in Greenhouse to receive notifications when/if your referral is moved to a different stage or has their status changed. If you influence the hiring process and/or decision in any way this will immediately exclude you from a referral bonus.
* The referral will be contacted to interview or rejected from the queue within 5 business days.
* The Recruiting Team does not personally contact every referral, so please set the correct expectations with your referral that feedback will come from the Recruiting Team as a whole, via the Greenhouse email system.

**Bonus Payment Terms**



* The referral bonus could be in USD + the equivalent in your company’s tokens, or the entire amount (USD + Tokens) in tokens.
* The referral bonus will be paid out on the next regularly scheduled paycheck following the date of the successful completion of the new hire’s 90-day introductory period.
* The referral bonus is taxable, and all regular payroll taxes will be withheld. Contractors are responsible for paying taxes on the referral bonus.
* The referring employee must be an employee of NEAR (or its subsidiaries) at the end of the referral’s 90-day introductory period to receive the bonus.
* Referrers are still eligible for rewards even if a candidate is hired at a later date (within one year) or gets hired for another position.