> [...] it also makes for some real awkwardness. I've referred people who failed the interview process which I found shocking because I know they're qualified.

> [...] it also makes for some real awkwardness. I've referred people who failed the interview process which I found shocking because I know they're qualified. And also I have to try to explain to a friend why they didn't get hired. This is a real issue, but one that can be overcome in my experience. I've referred several people to my employer. I always make it a point to have an "off the record" conversation prior to doing it formally, where I explicitly say why I'm referring the person, why, what attributes/skills I can vouch for, and to what degree. I've done this for people ranging from "a good friend that I've known for decades" to "a guy I literally met at a gas station that mentioned he wanted to find a remote position". Likewise, in the case of friends, I make it clear up front what is actually in my power and what's not. > Another pitfall of referrals is a lot of people grow and change in their careers and their network probably remembers them in a specific light. I've been referred for jobs where they wanted me to do what I was doing 5 years ago because that's what my colleague remembers of me. This just seems like poor performance by the recruiting team. Still... I'd rather get an interview for a job I don't want than not get that interview at all. There's always the possibility that we can come to terms. > I also tend to think it will enforce more homogeny if you have friends referring friends. Not necessarily and Old Boys Club, but something similar. It gives a lot more influence in the hiring process to engineers. That can (and often does) lead to what you're talking about, but it also means that you have more ability to change things. You can explicitly refer people that are different from the rest of the company in whatever ways you feel are important.