Employee Referral Software: Which Platforms Actually Increase Referrals (Without Annoying Your Employees)
Employee referrals are consistently the highest-quality source of hires. Referred candidates are hired faster, stay longer, and perform better than candidates from other sources.
The problem: most employee referral programs don't work because they're too complicated, lack visibility, or feel like spam.
Employee referral software promises to fix this—making it easy for employees to refer great candidates, track referral status, and get rewarded.
Here's which platforms actually increase referrals (and which ones employees ignore).
What Good Employee Referral Software Actually Does
Referral platforms aren't just about tracking referral bonuses—they're about making referrals effortless for employees.
Core features:
Easy job sharing: Employees can share open roles via email, LinkedIn, text, or social media with one click.
Referral tracking: Employees see where their referrals are in the hiring process (applied, interviewed, hired) without asking HR.
Automated bonuses: Platforms automatically trigger referral bonuses when hires reach milestones (e.g., 90 days employed).
Gamification: Leaderboards, points, and contests encourage participation.
Mobile-friendly: Employees should be able to refer from their phones, not just desktops.
CRM-style contact management: Employees can upload their networks, and the platform suggests which contacts to refer for which roles.
ERIN (Employee Referral & Internal Mobility): The Gamification Leader
ERIN specializes in making referrals fun through gamification and social features.
Pricing: Custom pricing based on company size. Typically $5K-$20K annually for mid-size companies.
What it does well:
Gamification that actually works: Leaderboards, points, badges, and contests that make referring feel like a game instead of work.
Simple job sharing: One-click sharing to LinkedIn, email, text, or social media. Employees don't need to remember job links—everything is in the app.
Referral contests: Run time-limited contests with prizes for most referrals, fastest hires, etc.
Internal mobility focus: ERIN also helps employees discover internal opportunities, which reduces attrition and improves engagement.
Mobile app: Fully-featured mobile app makes referring from anywhere easy.
What to consider:
Gamification might not fit every culture: Some companies find gamification feels forced or gimmicky. Works better in younger, tech-forward companies.
Limited integrations: Integrates with major ATS platforms but not as many as Teamable.
Custom pricing can be high: Pricing isn't transparent, and enterprise features increase cost.
Best for: Companies with younger workforces, tech/startup cultures, or teams that respond well to gamification.
Skip if: Your culture is formal or doesn't align with gamification, or you need extensive ATS integrations.
Sources: ERIN Features, G2 ERIN Reviews
Teamable: The Network Intelligence Platform
Teamable uses AI to analyze employees' networks and suggest who they should refer for open roles.
Pricing: Custom pricing. Mid-range for companies with 100-500 employees.
What it does well:
Network intelligence: Teamable connects to employees' LinkedIn and email to identify which contacts are good fits for open roles. Employees get personalized suggestions: "You should refer Sarah for the Marketing Manager role."
Warm introductions: Instead of cold job posts, employees can send personalized messages to specific people in their network.
Referral tracking: Transparent tracking shows employees exactly where their referrals are in the hiring process.
ATS integration: Works with Greenhouse, Lever, Workday, and other major platforms. Referrals flow directly into your ATS.
Analytics for recruiters: Shows which employees have strong networks for specific roles, so recruiters can target outreach.
What to consider:
Requires LinkedIn/email access: Employees must connect their LinkedIn and email for network analysis. Some employees are uncomfortable with this.
Less gamified: Teamable focuses on intelligence, not games or contests. If you want leaderboards and badges, ERIN is better.
More recruiter-focused than employee-focused: Feels like a sourcing tool for recruiters that happens to involve employees, rather than an employee-first platform.
Best for: Companies that want data-driven referrals and have employees comfortable sharing network access for better matching.
Skip if: Employees are privacy-conscious or you want a fun, gamified experience over intelligence-driven matching.
Sources: Teamable Features, G2 Teamable Reviews
JobAlign (formerly RolePoint): The Enterprise Referral Platform
JobAlign targets large enterprises with complex referral programs and multiple locations.
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing. Expect $15K-$50K+ annually.
What it does well:
Enterprise scalability: Handles thousands of employees across multiple locations, departments, and business units.
Automated referral bonuses: Tracks referral milestones and automatically triggers bonus payments (30 days, 90 days, etc.).
Customizable workflows: Different referral processes for different departments or regions.
Compliance and reporting: Detailed analytics for compliance, diversity tracking, and ROI measurement.
Integration ecosystem: Connects with enterprise HRIS, ATS, and payroll systems.
Multi-language support: Global companies can run referral programs in multiple languages.
What to consider:
Enterprise pricing: This is expensive—only makes sense for large companies.
Complexity: Feature-rich means setup takes time and requires configuration. Not plug-and-play.
Less employee engagement focus: Emphasizes process and compliance over making referrals fun.
Best for: Large enterprises (500+ employees) with complex referral programs, global operations, or compliance requirements.
Skip if: You're a small or mid-size company, need something simple, or want employee engagement features over enterprise process management.
Sources: JobAlign Features, G2 JobAlign Reviews
Boon: The Simple, Affordable Option
Boon offers basic referral software for small and mid-size companies without enterprise complexity.
Pricing: Starts around $200-$300/month for small teams.
What it does well:
Affordable: Significantly cheaper than ERIN, Teamable, or JobAlign, making it accessible for companies with 25-200 employees.
Easy to set up: Minimal configuration required. Most companies are live within a day.
One-click job sharing: Employees can share jobs via email, text, LinkedIn, or social media.
Referral tracking: Employees see referral status without asking HR.
Bonus automation: Automated referral bonus tracking and payout triggers.
What to consider:
Limited features: No AI matching, no gamification, no advanced analytics. It's basic referral software.
Fewer integrations: Works with major ATS platforms but not as many as enterprise platforms.
Less engaging: Without gamification or smart matching, employee adoption might be lower.
Best for: Small to mid-size companies (25-200 employees) that want affordable, simple referral software without bells and whistles.
Skip if: You want gamification, AI matching, or enterprise-grade features.
Sources: Boon Features, G2 Boon Reviews
What About Building Your Own Referral Program (Without Software)?
Many companies run referral programs without dedicated software.
DIY approach:
- Employees email resumes to recruiting@company.com
- Recruiting team tracks referrals in a spreadsheet
- HR manually processes bonuses when hires reach milestones
Pros:
- Free (no software cost)
- Simple for very small teams
Cons:
- Employees don't know referral status (have to ask HR)
- No easy job sharing (employees have to find job links)
- Manual bonus tracking creates errors and delays
- Low visibility = low participation
Verdict: DIY works for companies with under 25 employees making 5-10 hires annually. Beyond that, software pays for itself through increased referrals and reduced admin time.
How To Increase Referral Program Adoption (With Any Platform)
Software alone won't fix a referral program if employees don't participate.
What actually drives adoption:
1. Make bonuses meaningful: $1,000+ referral bonuses get attention. $250 doesn't.
2. Pay bonuses quickly: 30-day milestones instead of 90-day keeps employees engaged.
3. Promote open roles regularly: Employees forget what's open. Send monthly "we're hiring" updates.
4. Celebrate successful referrals: Publicly recognize employees whose referrals get hired.
5. Make it stupidly easy: If employees have to log into a portal, find a job link, copy it, paste it into email—they won't do it. One-click sharing is critical.
6. Target specific employees: Not everyone has strong networks for every role. Ask engineers to refer engineers, designers to refer designers.
How To Choose The Right Platform
For gamification and engagement: ERIN (leaderboards, contests, social features)
For AI-powered network matching: Teamable (suggests who employees should refer)
For enterprise scale and compliance: JobAlign (handles complex global programs)
For simplicity and affordability: Boon (basic features, low cost)
For very small companies (under 25 employees): DIY (spreadsheet tracking is fine at small scale)
The Bottom Line
Employee referral programs work when employees actually use them.
Software helps by:
- Making job sharing effortless
- Giving employees visibility into referral status
- Automating bonus tracking and payouts
- Encouraging participation through gamification or AI suggestions
Choose based on your company size, budget, and culture:
- Want fun and engagement? ERIN
- Want data-driven matching? Teamable
- Need enterprise features? JobAlign
- Want simple and cheap? Boon
And remember: Software doesn't replace meaningful bonuses, clear communication, and recognition. It just makes a good program easier to run.
Sources:
AI-Generated Content
This article was generated using AI and should be considered entertainment and educational content only. While we strive for accuracy, always verify important information with official sources. Don't take it too seriously—we're here for the vibes and the laughs.