Referral Practices in Big Tech: When Do Software Engineers Recommend Unknown Candidates?

Software engineers at companies like Google, Facebook, Meta (formerly known as Facebook), and Apple often participate in referral programs. However, the extent to which they refer people they don't know personally can vary widely. Generally, these engineers prioritize referring candidates they know well to ensure a good fit for the team and company culture.

However, there are scenarios where engineers may refer individuals they don't know personally. For instance, if a candidate comes with a strong resume or is part of a larger professional network, an engineer might still choose to refer them. Additionally, if the engineer is aware of a candidate's skills and experience through mutual connections or professional platforms like LinkedIn, they might still make a referral.

Ultimately, while referrals can be a powerful tool for getting noticed in the hiring process, personal knowledge and trust often play a significant role in the decision to refer someone.

The Importance of Knowledge and Trust

“It’s not so much about whether I know them personally or not. It’s more about whether I know their professional work/capabilities well enough to make a meaningful referral.”

Engineers face a challenge with the referral form, which requires an assessment of technical capabilities and specific examples to back up those claims. Vague endorsements tend to be ineffective, and thus, engineers often decline to write recommendations unless they feel they can provide a substantive one.

“A referral won’t get you the job. It might get you past the resume screening process. People who are referred are more likely to get an offer, but not because they were referred. They were referred because the referrer thought they were more likely to get an offer.”

One engineer, who served as a Teaching Assistant (TA) in an algorithms class, referred several of his best students to Facebook, even though they weren't friends. The students took the class seriously and submitted high-quality work. Although these skills in a real-world scenario do not always guarantee a job, this engineer believed that they should, and he wanted to help.

Referring Students with Limited Experience

Login details: I’m referring these students, not because I know them personally, but because I trust their technical capabilities. I believe they deserve a chance and I want to make a difference in their lives. I recognize their talent, even if they failed the interview, I wanted them to know that they were the best.

One of the three students I referred got an offer, which is a 33% success rate. However, the engineer believes that Facebook made a mistake in the other cases, indicating that a higher rate of referrals from unknown candidates might have been justified.

“Some people at Google will refer you even if they don’t know anything about you. But on the referral form, they might say that they don’t know anything about you. That may or may not be better than the normal application process.”

This statement emphasizes that the quality of the referral still plays a crucial role, regardless of personal acquaintance. A strong referral can sometimes make a difference, even if the referrer claims to know nothing about the candidate.

Conclusion

The referral process in big tech companies is a multifaceted practice that considers both personal knowledge and professional capabilities. Successful referrals require a deep understanding of the candidate's technical prowess and their fit within the team and company culture. Despite the variance in the extent of personal knowledge, the core principle remains the same: the referral should help the candidate stand out in a competitive hiring process.