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Celebrate Excellence in Referral Hiring: The 2025 Referral Recruiting Award

The 2025 Referral Recruiting Award, organized by Will Group through its subsidiary Will of Partner, is officially open for entries starting today, October 28, 2023. This annual event is designed to honor companies that have excelled in implementing referral hiring strategies, showcasing the best practices that connect employee pride with organizational growth.

About the Referral Recruiting Award

Since its inception in 2017, the Referral Recruiting Award has aimed to recognize organizations that are dedicated to creating a workplace environment that employees are proud to recommend to their friends. This year's award represents the sixth installment of the event, which brings together employers focused on progressive referral hiring practices that contribute to company growth.

The award serves multiple purposes: beyond recognizing excellence, it provides companies with an opportunity for introspection regarding their referral hiring strategies. The application process encourages organizations to reflect on their practices, and learn from case studies presented by peers in this evolving hiring landscape. Further, we aspire to disseminate compelling stories of award-winning companies, helping others enrich their recruitment branding and enhance employee engagement.

Entry Details

To participate in the 2025 Referral Recruiting Award, companies can apply through the provided entry page. Here are the key details:

• - Entry Period: October 28, 2025, to November 28, 2025, at 5:00 PM
• - Eligibility: Open to any company implementing referral hiring, regardless of whether they use Refcome services.
• - Evaluation Criteria: Companies will be evaluated based on their innovative practices, such as engaging executives in building a culture supportive of referrals, creating enjoyable participation metrics for employees, ensuring alignment between referral goals and business strategy, and unique methods of expressing gratitude to referrers.

The award categories include:

• - Venture Category: For companies with 1,000 or fewer employees
• - Enterprise Category: For companies with over 1,000 employees

Winning companies will be featured in a dedicated showcase, accompanied by interviews that delve further into their creative efforts in referral hiring.

Submission Guidelines

Participants must agree to the following terms:

• - Inquiries related to evaluation criteria and results cannot be accommodated.
• - Personal information collected during entry will only be used for event-related communications.
• - Changes to the submission will not be accepted after the entry period concludes.
• - Winning companies will have their names and images shared across various promotional platforms.

Message from CEO Takumi Shimizu

"Success in referral hiring emerges when the individual aspirations of employees dovetail with the organizational goals of growth. Now that we are part of the Will Group, we have adopted the mission to bridge these individual and organizational aspirations. This award shines a light on incredible efforts that reflect this unity and contributes to shaping the future of Japan's recruitment landscape. We believe the passionate endeavors of participating companies will serve as a beacon for many others. We eagerly await your entries."

Understanding Referral Hiring

Referral hiring, a process where employees recommend friends or acquaintances for job openings, has been gaining traction in Japan—for instance, 81% of companies are reported to have implemented referral hiring strategies. The model is advantageous as it significantly reduces mismatches between employees and candidates, enhancing retention rates further.

In this regard, referral hiring transcends the traditional hiring methods, evolving into a participatory process where employees actively promote the merits of their workplace, paving the way for a thriving organizational culture.

About Refcome

Refcome, the cloud tool specializing in referral hiring, is dedicated to support organizations from system design through operational assistance. This initiative aims to tackle recruitment challenges by providing tailored support aimed at alleviating staffing shortages. More information can be found on the Refcome website.

Company Overview of Will of Partner

With a mission to connect individual and organizational aspirations, Will of Partner specializes in referral hiring solutions and has supported over 850 companies, ranging from startups to large enterprises. The expertise of seasoned consultants ensures that tailored recruitment strategies align with an organization's growth phase. For additional details, please visit the official website.