Getting job is all about who you know

Have you applied for a job recently? Have you done it online? Since so many people are, chances are you could get lost in the shuffle.

At least that’s what a bunch of hiring managers are telling the New York Times.
You are much more likely to get your next job from a referral. Per the story:

Ernst & Young, the accounting firm, have set ambitious internal goals to increase the proportion of hirings that come from internal referrals. As a result, employee recommendations now account for 45 percent of nonentry-level placements at the firm, up from 28 percent in 2010.

There’s more:

At Sodexo, a food service and facilities management company that hires 4,600 managers and executives a year, referred employees are 10 times more likely to be hired than other applicants.

According to the Times article, referred employees are also 15 percent less likely to quit, which provides even more incentive for employers to hire them.

This is why websites such as LinkedIn are becoming even more important. Employment is about connections. Sometimes that anonymous online application can get lost in the mix.

“You’re submitting your résumé to a black hole,” said John Sullivan, a human resources consultant for large companies who teaches management at San Francisco State University. “You’re not going to find top performers at a job fair. Whether it’s fair or not, you need to have employees make referrals for you if you want to find a job.”

Among corporate recruiters, Mr. Sullivan said, random applicants from Internet job sites are sometimes referred to as “Homers,” after the lackadaisical, doughnut-eating Homer Simpson. The most desirable candidates, nicknamed “purple squirrels” because they are so elusive, usually come recommended.

So, who do you know that will help you get your next job?