Referral Hiring Isn’t Luck…It’s Strategy - Ed Zetusky - Hiring Happy Hour - Episode # 012
“Take risks, wear a helmet." - Ed Zetusky
Ed Zetusky, Director of Talent Acquisition at Comoto Family of Brands, spent over a decade transforming a good referral program into a great one, starting at RevZilla, a Philadelphia-based motorcycle e-commerce company, where he identified that only a small group of employees were driving the majority of referrals and set out to fix it by designing a point-based contest that rewarded employees at every stage of the hiring funnel, layered public recognition at all-hands meetings, and capped each year with an Olympic-style celebration complete with a custom podium and cash medals, resulting in referrals going through the roof, a full-time average tenure of five years, and voluntary full-time turnover of just 20% across Comoto’s 180+ locations.
Takeaways:
Reward the journey, not just the destination. A point-based system that credits employees at every stage of the hiring funnel, not just when someone is hired, motivates broader, higher-quality participation from across the organization.
Pair recognition with rewards to maximize impact. Publicly celebrating referral winners in front of the whole company creates social proof and friendly competition that cash alone can’t generate, and makes the recognition as visible as possible.
Sell referrals as a team benefit, not just a bonus. Framing referrals as a way for employees to bring in great colleagues who will make their own jobs easier speaks directly to employees’ self-interest and drives genuine engagement.
Lean into your company culture when designing the program. The most successful referral programs are tailored to the organization’s personality, whether that’s Olympic ceremonies, themed branding, or weekly shout-outs; the format should feel authentic to your team.
Get leadership involved early. Executive advocacy when launching the program provides the initial momentum and signals to employees that this initiative has real organizational backing.
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edzetusky/
Website:
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