When business needs staff they need good quality people and they usually need them fast.

So what are the best methods for finding good people quickly?

Referrals are the fastest method to recruit.

For example the research by Dr John Sullivan in 2006 found that offer acceptance was 14.5% higher, meaning the recruitment process was completed without further searching. Having an offer rejected extends the time it take to fill a role.

There is currently no Australian research available however in the US the CareerXRoads 8th Sources of Hire report for 2009 found that Internal Transfers and Promotions constitute 38.8% of all the positions a company fills. Referrals (employee, alumni, vendor, etc.) make up 27.3% of all external hires and are arguably the number one external source. Employee referrals make up between 80-90% of the hires attributed to this category and is growing annually. The report also found that employers made 1 hire for every 11.2 referrals.