The best employee referral software makes it easy for staff to share jobs, refer people they know and track what happens next, with rewards handled automatically: dedicated referral platforms suit companies running a big programme, while many small businesses are better off with an applicant tracking system that includes referrals. Ten tools follow in no particular order.
Some of the best hires come from someone on your team saying, I know exactly the right person. But most referral schemes run on an email to all staff and a spreadsheet of who referred whom, so people forget, rewards go missing and enthusiasm fades.
Employee referral software keeps the scheme alive. The ten tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from referral specialists to recruiting systems with referral features built in, and every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. For help writing the job posts people will share, see my ChatGPT prompts for recruiters.
Employee referral tools side by side
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free version or an open source edition. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it or book a demo.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boon | Referral hiring platform | Tapping your whole community | Not stated |
| Breezy HR | Applicant tracking with referrals | Small businesses wanting an ATS too | Trial only |
| EmployeeReferrals.com | Employee referral software | Branded programmes with payroll links | Not stated |
| ERIN | AI-powered employee referral platform | Text-to-refer for frontline staff | Not stated |
| JobScore | Recruiting software with referrals | Turning staff into a referral machine | Trial only |
| Jobvite | Recruitment software suite | Larger employers with complex hiring | Not stated |
| Manatal | AI recruitment software | Agencies and in-house recruiters | Trial only |
| TalentLyft | Recruitment marketing and ATS | Small teams wanting an automated programme | Not stated |
| Teamable | AI hiring platform | Searching your staff's networks | Not stated |
| Tellent Recruitee | Customisable ATS | SMEs wanting a customisable ATS | Not stated |
Ten employee referral tools to consider
Boon
Best for: Companies that want to tap their whole community for referrals, with AI, automation and gamification built in.
Breezy HR
Best for: Small businesses that want employee referrals inside a simple applicant tracking system, with a 14-day trial.
EmployeeReferrals.com
Best for: Companies that want branded referral programmes, employee engagement and ATS, HRIS and payroll workflows automated.
ERIN
Best for: Employers that want referrals, bonuses and payouts automated, with text-to-refer for staff who aren't at a desk.
JobScore
Best for: Growing companies that want an applicant tracking system that also helps boost employee referrals from their own staff.
Jobvite
Best for: Larger employers with complex hiring that want an employee referral module inside a full recruitment suite.
Manatal
Best for: Recruiters and agencies that want candidates sourced from LinkedIn, job boards and referrals in one AI tool.
TalentLyft
Best for: Lean HR teams that want a careers page and an automated referral programme set up in minutes.
Teamable
Best for: Recruiting teams that want employees' networks turned into a searchable talent pool, now that Humanly has acquired Teamable.
Tellent Recruitee
Best for: Small and mid-sized employers that want employee referrals inside a customisable applicant tracking system.
Referral platform or ATS with referrals?
Dedicated referral platforms focus on the employee experience: sharing jobs to social networks, text-to-refer for staff away from a desk, leaderboards, and automated rewards and payouts. They usually connect to an existing applicant tracking system.
Applicant tracking systems with referral features keep everything in one place: job posts, candidates, interviews and referrals. For a small business hiring a few people a year, that's usually the simpler route.
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Either way, the best schemes make referring someone take less than a minute. If staff have to log in to a separate portal, find the job and fill in a long form, most won't bother, however good the reward is.
Once referred hires join, performance management software helps them settle in.
Keep referrals fair
The EEOC says an employer's reliance on word-of-mouth recruitment by a workforce made up mostly of one group may break the law if the result is that almost all new hires come from that same group. It also says it's illegal to take protected characteristics into account when making job referrals.
Referrals work, but they tend to bring in people like the people you already have. Pair them with open advertising, track who gets referred and hired, and use your referral tool's reports to check the scheme is widening your talent pool rather than narrowing it.
Questions to ask a referral software vendor
- Which applicant tracking systems do you integrate with?
- How do employees refer someone: app, email, text or a link?
- Can we set different rewards for different roles?
- Are rewards and payouts tracked automatically?
- What reports show who's referring and who gets hired?
- How do you handle candidate consent and data protection?
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Signs your referral scheme needs help
- Referrals dried up. Staff forgot the scheme exists.
- Rewards go missing. Nobody tracked who referred whom.
- Referrers hear nothing back. So they stop referring.
- New hires all look alike. The net isn't wide enough.
Do you make employee referral software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing employee referral software
If you hire a handful of people a year, start with an applicant tracking system that has referrals built in, and make referring someone a two-click job. A dedicated platform starts to pay its way once referrals are a major hiring channel across many roles.
Whatever you choose, close the loop. Tell people what happened to their referral, thank them quickly and deliver rewards on time, because silence kills referral schemes faster than anything. For tips on writing roles clearly, see my guide to a good job description.
Frequently asked questions
What is employee referral software?
It's software that helps staff share jobs and refer candidates, tracks each referral through hiring and manages any rewards.
Do employee referral programmes work?
They often bring in strong candidates quickly, but they work best alongside open advertising so you don't narrow your talent pool.
Is word-of-mouth recruitment legal?
Referrals are legal, but the EEOC warns that relying on word of mouth can be unlawful if it means hires nearly all come from one group.
Can small businesses use employee referral software?
Yes. Many applicant tracking systems include referral features, which is usually enough for smaller employers.
How do referral rewards work?
Employers usually offer a reward when a referred candidate is hired or passes probation, and software tracks it automatically.
What is text-to-refer?
It lets employees refer someone by sending a text message, which helps frontline staff who don't work at a computer.
