How to Recommend a Worker to Your Hiring Manager

To say that the gig economy is a large community is, at this point, probably a little bit of an understatement. It was already on the rise over the last few years, and its growth rate has been absolutely supercharged by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that we’re still firmly in the middle of. As a result you may have friends, family members or even just past coworkers that you’d love to work with again – and the gig economy is a great opportunity to do just that. Surrounding yourself with good workers doesn’t just help build your network. Iff you make the right referrals it can also increase your own value to a hiring manager as well. If you want to recommend a worker, make sure it’s beneficial for both the company and your team.

With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about recommending a worker to your hiring manager in just the right way.

Assess if They’re a Good Fit

Before recommending a worker, make sure they have a solid understanding of not only the job. You should also check their understanding of the company and its larger culture. Hiring managers are looking for more than just warm bodies. They’re also looking for people they actually WANT to work with. Your recommendation won’t fit into this type of category if they don’t understand what they’re applying for to begin with.

Have them Apply

Next, have this friend, family member or past coworker apply to the job opening. Once they have, you can let your manager know about it to give them a heads up. Be prepared to give them a clear example of WHY this person would be a good addition to the team. This is especially important as competition will likely be fierce thanks to the gig economy’s popularity.

Be Ready to Vouch for Them

Essentially, what you’re trying to do is more than just recommend a worker. You’re also trying to convince your hiring manager that this past colleague would be a good fit. Keep in mind that at that point, you’re doing more than just vouching for this associate. At the same time, you’re also trying to show your hiring manager that your opinion is worth paying attention to. Sure, the stakes may be a little high in that regard – but the benefits could also be huge moving forward. 

The more convincing you are, the greater the chances that the hiring manager will agree – at which point you’ll once again get to work with people you enjoy and you’ll be taking meaningful steps towards expanding your network at the same time.

About the Author: Stephen Lilley earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. Over the last decade as a professional writer he has written more than 15,000 unique pieces of content in areas ranging from entertainment to technology to finance, real estate and more.