PepsiCo gives referrals new fizz
17 November 2015
PepsiCo gives referrals new fizz
Thu, 19 Nov 2015 | By DeeDee Doke
Employees’ professional networks are the target referrals, PepsiCo’s Dan Fitzpatrick, talent acquisition manager, told attendees at a recent knowledge-sharing event hosted by The FIRM [Forum for In-House Recruitment Managers]. “We’re not talking friends and family,” he said. The company has made “a very concerted decision to stay away from” that traditional ERP focus, he emphasised.
In 2013, 15% of PepsiCo UK’s external hires were employee referrals, in contrast to an industry benchmark of 30%, Fitzpatrick said. The number of candidates successfully referred has now risen to 20%.
Vacancies across the company are shared with employees via a weekly Career Possibilities email.
With the global pilot launched by PepsiCo’s UK team, the programme has also rolled out to the company’s operations in Ireland, the Nordic countries, Romania and Turkey to date. Other countries and regions set to launch the initiative in 2015 are the Benelux, France, Germany and Iberia.
Jen Silvester, PepsiCo talent adviser Europe, told Recruiter that the aim was to have the initiative “up and running” across Europe by the end of next year.
The programme has leveraged the company’s popular food and drink brands in each market to witty effect for the internal campaign, encouraging employees to refer their professional contacts. Artwork is aligned to each specific geography. “We’ve had fun with our brands,” Fitzpatrick said.
In countries in which incentive bonuses are awarded to employees who successfully refer a candidate, bonus amounts vary by market but range up to £1.5k tax-free. All employees who successfully refer candidates receive a ‘thank you’ card personally signed by the head of their company division.
Senior-level directors and internal recruiters are not eligible for cash bonuses. GRAHAM SIMONS
FROM DECEMBER 2015'S RECRUITER MAGAZINE
A revitalised employee referral programme (ERP) launched by food and beverage giant PepsiCo UK has proved to be the company’s second most effective method of attracting talent, and saved £590m over two years.Employees’ professional networks are the target referrals, PepsiCo’s Dan Fitzpatrick, talent acquisition manager, told attendees at a recent knowledge-sharing event hosted by The FIRM [Forum for In-House Recruitment Managers]. “We’re not talking friends and family,” he said. The company has made “a very concerted decision to stay away from” that traditional ERP focus, he emphasised.
In 2013, 15% of PepsiCo UK’s external hires were employee referrals, in contrast to an industry benchmark of 30%, Fitzpatrick said. The number of candidates successfully referred has now risen to 20%.
Vacancies across the company are shared with employees via a weekly Career Possibilities email.
With the global pilot launched by PepsiCo’s UK team, the programme has also rolled out to the company’s operations in Ireland, the Nordic countries, Romania and Turkey to date. Other countries and regions set to launch the initiative in 2015 are the Benelux, France, Germany and Iberia.
Jen Silvester, PepsiCo talent adviser Europe, told Recruiter that the aim was to have the initiative “up and running” across Europe by the end of next year.
The programme has leveraged the company’s popular food and drink brands in each market to witty effect for the internal campaign, encouraging employees to refer their professional contacts. Artwork is aligned to each specific geography. “We’ve had fun with our brands,” Fitzpatrick said.
In countries in which incentive bonuses are awarded to employees who successfully refer a candidate, bonus amounts vary by market but range up to £1.5k tax-free. All employees who successfully refer candidates receive a ‘thank you’ card personally signed by the head of their company division.
Senior-level directors and internal recruiters are not eligible for cash bonuses. GRAHAM SIMONS
