Free policy template · Word

Employee Referral Policy

An employee referral policy rewards employees who recommend candidates that the company hires. It defines who can refer, which roles qualify, the referral bonus for each level, when it is paid (usually after the new hire completes a set period), and rules for duplicates, exclusions and fairness in selection.

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[Company Logo][Company Name]

EMPLOYEE REFERRAL POLICY

Policy No.:: [Reference Number]
Version:: [Version Number]
Effective Date:: [Date]
Policy Owner:: Human Resources – Talent Acquisition

1. Purpose

Our employees know the kind of people who succeed at [Company Name]. This policy encourages and rewards them for referring suitable candidates for open positions.

2. Scope

It applies to all employees on the rolls and to all open positions listed on the internal referral portal, except roles marked 'not eligible for referral'.

3. Definitions

Referrer: the employee who submits a referral.
Referral: a candidate submitted through [Referral Portal / Email] with the candidate's consent.
Qualifying period: [Number] days of continuous service by the referred hire.

4. Policy

Role Level	Referral Bonus (₹)
Junior / Executive	[Amount]
Mid-level / Manager	[Amount]
Senior / Leadership	[Amount]
Hard-to-fill roles (as notified)	[Amount]

The bonus is paid with the salary of the month after the referred hire completes the qualifying period, provided the referrer is still employed and not serving notice.
Referrals are valid for [Number] months from submission.
If the same candidate is referred by more than one employee, the first valid submission is accepted.
Not eligible: HR and Talent Acquisition staff, the hiring manager and interview panel for that role, and senior leadership.
Not eligible candidates: ex-employees who left within the last [Number] months, candidates already in our database or submitted by an agency in the last [Number] months.
Referred candidates go through the same selection process as all others.
Referral bonuses are taxable and paid through payroll.

5. Procedure

Referrer obtains the candidate's consent and submits the CV through the referral portal.
Talent Acquisition acknowledges within [Number] working days and updates the status.
On the hire completing the qualifying period, HR verifies eligibility and sends the payout to payroll.

6. Responsibilities

Employees: refer genuine, suitable candidates with consent.
Talent Acquisition: track and communicate status.
Payroll: process bonuses on time.

7. Non-compliance

Referral fraud, such as sharing the bonus with candidates or submitting candidates without consent, will lead to forfeiture of the bonus and action under the Disciplinary Policy.

8. Review & Approval

Bonus amounts and eligible roles are reviewed every [Number] months.

Prepared by
[HR Name]
Human Resources

Approved by
[Authorised Signatory]
[Designation]
Date: [Date]

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What this template includes

Eligible referrers — who can and cannot claim (HR, hiring managers)
Referral bonus table — ₹[Amount] by level, with higher bonus for hard roles
Payout condition — candidate completes [Number] days and referrer is still employed
Duplicate rule — first valid submission wins
Exclusions — rehires within [Number] months, agency-sourced candidates
Fair selection — referred candidates go through the normal process

When to use it

Agency costs are high and you want more hires through referrals
Employees ask when and how much referral bonus they will get
Two employees claim the same candidate
Hard-to-fill roles need a higher referral incentive

How to customise this template

1Fill the bonus amounts for each grade
2Set the qualifying period before payout
3Name your referral portal or email
4Decide whether interns and contract staff can refer
5Decide how long a referral remains valid

HR tips

Acknowledge every referral within a few days, even when not shortlisted
Pay on time — late payouts kill referral programmes
Do not lower hiring standards for referred candidates
Watch for referrals skewing team diversity and balance with other sources

Referral bonuses are taxable salary and must be paid through payroll. Review this template against your recruitment, conflict of interest and data protection practices before use.

For HR & hiring managers

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Frequently asked questions

When is a referral bonus paid?+

Usually after the referred candidate joins and completes a qualifying period such as 90 days, provided the referring employee is still employed. The exact rule should be stated in the policy.

Can HR or the hiring manager claim a referral bonus?+

Most policies exclude recruiters, HR staff involved in the hiring and the hiring manager for their own team, to avoid conflicts of interest.

Is referral bonus taxable?+

Yes. It is treated as part of salary income and is subject to TDS through payroll.

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