Employee Referral Program

Children’s Aid is dedicated to strengthening the organization’s efforts to attract and retain talented staff. Employee referrals often lead to a shorter hiring timeframe for roles that have traditionally experienced high turnover and/or have been challenging to fill. Employee referrals are a strong indicator of staff engagement and may also lead to reductions in turnover as a result of existing relationships and networks among staff.

The New Referral Process:

As of December 2023 – We are no longer collecting referrals from current staff via a survey form. Our new process is as follows:

1. Refer Candidates: If you know someone who would be a perfect fit for our team, direct them to apply for an open position via the Careers Page on the Children’s Aid Website.
2. Candidate Finalization: Should your referral become a finalist for the position, a TMHR Talent Partner will ask them to complete an Employment Application. When completing this application, they must type your first and last name when asked if they were referred by someone who currently works at Children's Aid.
3. Referral Bonus Eligibility: Once the candidate is hired, TMHR will determine your eligibility for a referral bonus based on the program criteria (see below).
4. Bonus Payment: You will receive your referral bonus four months after the referred hire's start date, provided both of you are still employed with Children's Aid at that time.

Referral Bonus Tiers

The employee referral program will consist of tiered referral bonus levels as outlined below, enabling staff across the agency to utilize their professional networks to help fill Children’s Aid full-time positions.

• HS Diploma/GED and Associate’s-level positions: $300 referral bonus
• Bachelor’s-level positions: $500 referral bonus
• Master’s-level positions: $750 referral bonus
• Licensed positions (e.g. – LMSW, LMHC, LCSW, LPN, RN): $1,000 referral bonus

Program Criteria

1. The program only applies to full-time positions filled through an employee referral.
2. Current full-time staff members and current part-time staff members who work more than 15 hours a week for more than 6 months per year are eligible for referral awards. Temporary staff, summer staff, contract staff, and former staff are not eligible candidates for referral awards.
3. Staff who are supervisors with hiring authority over the referred candidate(s) are not eligible for the referral program.
4. Each referral may qualify for only one of the tiers and cannot be combined with multiple tiers.
5. The referral must be the candidate's first contact with Children’s Aid – internal staff applying for a full-time position or returning staff applying for a full-time position cannot be referred through this program.
6. Staff may refer family members as long as CA’s policy around employing a family member is followed. Please review the policy outlined in the Employee Handbook.
7. Referring staff should not have communication with the hiring manager regarding the candidate or the hiring process for the relevant role. All referred candidates must go through CA’s regular hiring protocols. Candidates will be reviewed and assessed as per CA’s recruitment guidelines and policies. Only candidates who meet the qualifications for a position will be considered. There is no guarantee that the referred candidate will be hired for a position.
8. Referring staff cannot be a member of the interviewing team.
9. All information regarding the hiring decision will remain strictly confidential.
10. To qualify for the tier bonuses, both the referring employee and referred hire must be employed by Children’s Aid four months after the referred employee’s start date.

If you have any questions about the Employee Referral Program or require further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to your HR Liaison.