Human Resources

Employee Referral Program

Program Overview

As needed, Kent County may offer a paid incentive for the recruitment of direct new hires made as a result of employee referrals for job openings specified under the Kent County Employee Referral Program. Employee participation in the program is strictly voluntary.

Kent County reserves the right to modify and/or discontinue the program at any time.

Covered Job Openings

A job opening may be included in the program at the sole discretion of the Human Resources Director or County Administrator/Controller or designee.

If a job opening is included in the program, a paid incentive of $750 (minus applicable taxes and deductions) will be paid for a qualified referral. The incentive will be paid after the referred employee has completed six months of employment. Incentives will not be paid for the referral of temporary and/or seasonal employees; however temporary and seasonal employees, if otherwise eligible under the terms of the program, can receive the incentive for the referral of employees for job openings included in the program.

Referral Procedure

In order to be eligible to receive the employee referral incentive payment, the referring employee's name must be included on the newly hired employee's original employment application prior to final submittal. The Kent County Employment Application can be found at accesskent.com/jobs.

The hiring process will be fair and consistent with County policy and procedures, with no bias for or against applicants whose selection might make an employee eligible for the referral incentive.

Employees who refer applicants to work for Kent County should not offer unsolicited advocacy on behalf of the applicant (referral) by contacting the hiring department, hiring manager, Human Resources or anyone involved in the selection process of the referred individual. Employees who engage in unsolicited advocacy on behalf of their applicant will be disqualified from receiving the referral incentive.

Eligibility

All active Kent County employees (other than those listed below in the restrictions section) are eligible to participate in this program. Elected officials, judges and members of Kent County Boards, Commissions and Committees are not eligible to participate. Eligible job openings will be identified on the weekly job announcement communication. Final decisions regarding program eligibility and/or restrictions are in the sole discretion of the Human Resources Director or County Administrator/Controller or designee. The decision to offer a referral incentive for a job opening has no precedential value and does not affect whether a referral incentive will be offered for other job openings.

Employee Restrictions

An employee will not be eligible to participate in the Kent County Employee Referral Program if:

• The employee is a department director.
• The employee is assigned to the sourcing of talent, outreach and/or the recruitment process on a part-time or full-time basis.
• The employee is involved in the selection of the referred individual.
• The employee has retired from Kent County.
• The referring employee is no longer a Kent County employee (terminated status in Kent County's HR information system) at the time payment is due to be issued.
• The employee is a member of a bargaining unit that has not agreed to participate in this program.

Applicant Restrictions

A referral incentive will not be paid if:

• The Human Resources Director or County Administrator/Controller or designee has not included the job opening in the referral program.
• The applicant being referred is already a Kent County employee (promotions and transfers are ineligible).
• The referral is made after the final submittal of the employment application.
• The applicant being referred is a former regular or temporary Kent County employee.
• The applicant being referred is an immediate family member of the referring employee (i.e., spouse, child, parent, sister, brother, grandparent, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, parent-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, grandchild).
• The applicant being referred is a member of the referring employee's household.
• The applicant being referred is a former or existing vendor, contractor or temporary employee.
• The applicant being referred is also being referred by an employment agency.
• The job opening for which the applicant is being referred is a temporary or seasonal position.

Final decisions concerning program eligibility, restrictions, and administration are in the sole discretion of the Human Resources Director or County Administrator/Controller or designee.

Award Processing

• In order to be eligible to receive the referral incentive payment, the referring employee's name must be included on the employee's original employment application prior to final submittal.
• Only one Kent County employee will receive the referral incentive per eligible hire. If the referred employee identifies more than one employee referred them, the referred employee will identify the one employee who will receive the incentive, if otherwise eligible under this program.
• Referral incentive recipients must be actively employed by Kent County at the time that the incentive payment is due in order to be eligible to receive the incentive.
• Payment of a referral incentive will be granted after the referred employee has successfully completed six months of continuous employment at Kent County after filling the job opening for which the referral was made.
• Up to three referral incentive payments will be paid to any employee in any calendar year.
• Referral efforts under this program are strictly voluntary, may not involve significant time and must take place on the employee's own personal time.