You can't discount the fact that hiring people is often an emotional game (i.e. finding the right fit for my team). An employee referral is naturally going to

You can't discount the fact that hiring people is often an emotional game (i.e. finding the right fit for my team). An employee referral is naturally going to be accepted by more of the decision makers in a company than a complete stranger who is starting from a position of lower trust. Though, at the end of the day, if referrals work better for a company then that is where the focus should be placed.