Template - Employee Referral FAQs
Does the referral have to be for a specific position?
Yes, the University has an approved list of positions eligible for the referral incentive, found on the Talent Attraction Policies page.
Who can I refer to be eligible for the referral incentive?
Any candidate external to the University who is qualified for an open full-time bonus eligible staff position who is not your immediate family member, a former University employee, a contractor, or a student employee.
Does this program apply to faculty positions?
No, the employee referral program only applies to the list of eligible staff positions.
Are all University employees eligible to receive the referral incentive?
Most are eligible. To be eligible for an employee referral incentive, the recipient must not be considered ineligible (per state criteria) and be an active, permanent status employee on the date the payment is processed.
- Ineligible employees:
- Any employee involved in the position’s recruiting, including HR professionals, search committee members, and leadership within the reporting line of the hiring unit.
- Immediate family members of the new employee, regardless of their role at the U of I System. Immediate family members are defined as father, mother, sister, brother, spouse, domestic partner, civil union partner, child, grandparent, grandchild, in-law, and any member of the employee’s household.
- Faculty and post-doctoral research associates
- Other employees whose role is deemed a conflict of interest as determined by the appropriate university, hospital, or system human resources office.
I work part-time at the University. Am I eligible to participate in the Employee Referral Program?
If you are considered a permanent part-time employee you are eligible to participate in the Employee Referral Program.
Can I refer someone and receive the bonus if I am a supervisor?
Yes, as long as the position does not report to you and you are not involved with the search process.
Can a former employee be an eligible referral?
No, eligible referrals must have not previously worked for the University.
How do I submit a referral?
Log into the internal jobs board at jobs.illinois.edu and select Current Employees. More detailed instructions can be found in the Referring Employee Job Aid on Talent Attraction Policies.
Is there a limit on how many referrals I can make?
There is no limit to how many candidates you can refer. However, a person must have been hired and applied via the link you send them from the internal job board posting.
If I submit more than one referral, will I receive more than one payment?
Yes. Referring a University employee you will receive a $600 bonus (subject to required deductions and tax withholdings) for each staff hire that was referred successfully.
When and how will I receive the incentive payment?
A one-time payment will be made to the referring employee within 45 days of the new hire starting work. The incentive payment will be processed by the hiring unit HR contact and the payment will be direct deposited into their bank account.
Will I receive a notification if my referral is hired?
Yes, the hiring unit HR will send you an acceptance form via email to answer and sign.
What will my referral incentive look like after taxes?
Your incentive will be subject to the federal 22% withholding flat rate.
Are post-doctoral research associates eligible for the employee referral incentive?
No, post-doctoral research associates are not eligible per this policy.
I referred someone that was hired. Why didn’t I receive the incentive payment?
Applicants must use the link provided in the Cornerstone email for the referral to be connected to you.
Who can I contact for more information?
Talent Attraction Policies webpage Laura Czys, Director of Policy Design and Administration, czys@illinois.edu
HR Only Processing Questions:
Where will I see the information to confirm if the selected candidate was referred?
In the applicant summary section, under source you can click on the information icon to see who referred the candidate. Processing Unit – Employee Referral Job Aid is available on Talent Attraction Policies.
What CFOP should I use?
The unit CFOP you identify will be charged. Most funds, including state, ICR, self-supporting, and gift are potentially eligible. Ineligible funds that cannot be used include sponsored research funds. Refer to your business support to confirm the availability and restrictions on your particular resources.
How will we know we need to send the referral acknowledgement form to an employee?
You will need to check the requisition in Cornerstone to see if the employee was referred.
What documentation is needed to process the payment?
The Employee Referral Acceptance Form in Cornerstone must be completed and the email confirmation attached to the HRFE transaction.
How do I submit in the system?
Use a lump-sum position number to add a job and include in the comments: “Employee Referral Incentive Payment, earn code ERP”.
We sent the referral acknowledgement form to the referring employee but they did not respond? What should we do next?
Contact the employee’s unit HR and copy the employee. Communicate that without the acknowledgement form completed in Cornerstone the payment cannot be issued.