Context — Referral Program Strategy Inputs and Gap Protocol
The Gap Protocol
Read this before every build. A gap is any required piece of content that the source material does not provide. Gaps are flagged — never filled.
When you identify a gap: Record it, stop the build, present to the advisor, wait for resolution, proceed only after every gap is RESOLVED.
What you must never do:
- Fill a gap from the golden example
- Fill a gap by assuming the client's organizational norms
- Fill a gap from a referral program built for a different client or search
- Assume a referral bonus is appropriate without client confirmation
- Fill a gap without advisor sign-off
Why this matters: A referral program communicates on behalf of the client organization. An unauthorized incentive, an unapproved communication, or a referral ask sent to the wrong audience creates organizational problems the practitioner must then manage. The referral program must be fully aligned with the client before deployment.
Gap Report Format
REFERRAL PROGRAM: [Role title] — [Client]
DATE: [YYYY-MM-DD]
SOURCE MATERIAL: [What was provided]
GAPS IDENTIFIED:
1. [Gap name]
Required for: [Which component needs this]
What's missing: [Specifically what information is absent]
Resolution needed: [What the advisor needs to find out]
Status: OPEN
RESOLUTION LOG:
[Gap 1] — Resolved [date] by [method]: [What was determined]Required Inputs by Component
Audience Identification
| Input | Required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Which internal groups will be asked for referrals (staff, board, leadership, specific departments) | Yes | Extraction interview + kickoff meeting |
| Which external groups, if any (industry contacts, partner organizations, alumni networks) | Conditional | Extraction interview |
| Whether different audiences get different communications | Yes | Extraction interview |
| Whether any audience should NOT be asked (confidentiality constraints, organizational politics) | Yes | Extraction interview |
| Sequencing — who gets asked first, second, third | Yes | Extraction interview |
Gap trigger: Audience not defined → STOP. A referral ask without a defined audience either goes to the wrong people or doesn't go at all. The practitioner and client must agree on who gets asked and in what order.
Gap trigger: Confidentiality constraints not confirmed → flag. Some searches are confidential until a public announcement is made. Asking for referrals before the search is public creates a leak risk. The referral program's launch timing must be coordinated with the communication cascade.
Incentive Structure
| Input | Required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Whether a referral bonus will be offered | Yes | Extraction interview + client approval |
| Bonus amount and payment conditions (when it's paid, what triggers payment) | Conditional | Client approval — must have explicit authorization, not assumed |
| Which audiences are eligible for the bonus (staff yes, board no — or other configuration) | Conditional | Client approval |
| Whether non-monetary recognition is used instead of or alongside a bonus | Recommended | Extraction interview |
| Budget approval for the referral program | Yes | Client — typically board or executive approval for senior roles |
Gap trigger: Bonus assumed without client approval → STOP. A referral bonus is a financial commitment from the organization. The practitioner recommends; the client authorizes. Never deploy a bonus communication without explicit written approval from whoever controls that budget.
Gap trigger: Payment conditions unclear → flag. "We'll give them a bonus" is not sufficient. When is it paid — at referral, at hire, after a retention period? What happens if the referrer leaves the organization before the bonus is paid? These details must be confirmed before the communication goes out.
Communications
| Input | Required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Communication content for each audience (what the ask says, how the role is described, what referrers should do) | Yes | Extraction interview — must reflect practitioner's actual language |
| Communication channel for each audience (email, in-person announcement, meeting, Slack, etc.) | Yes | Extraction interview |
| Who sends each communication (practitioner, CEO, HR director, board chair) | Yes | Extraction interview |
| Whether a position profile or job ad is shared with referrers | Yes | Extraction interview |
| Confidentiality language (if the search hasn't been publicly announced) | Conditional | Extraction interview |
| Social media announcement content and coordination with marketing/communications | Conditional | Extraction interview |
Gap trigger: Communication content not drafted or captured → flag. "We'll send an email asking for referrals" is not sufficient. The content, tone, and specificity of the ask determine the quality of referrals received. A vague ask produces vague referrals.
Gap trigger: Social media coordination not confirmed → flag. If the referral program includes a public or semi-public announcement, the client's marketing/communications team must be involved. The practitioner does not post on the client's social media without coordination and approval.
Referral Management
| Input | Required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| How referrals are submitted (email to practitioner, form, phone call, direct introduction) | Yes | Extraction interview |
| How referrals are acknowledged (to the referrer — confirmation that the referral was received) | Yes | Extraction interview |
| How referrals are routed into the recruiting process (same screening pipeline or separate?) | Yes | Extraction interview |
| How referrers are updated on their referral's status (and what they're told vs. not told) | Yes | Extraction interview |
| What happens when a referred candidate is not qualified | Yes | Extraction interview |
Gap trigger: No acknowledgment process for referrers → flag. A person who refers a candidate and hears nothing back will not refer again. Acknowledgment is the minimum — it confirms receipt and sets expectations for what the referrer will hear going forward.
Gap trigger: Referrer status updates not defined → flag. Referrers want to know what happened. But they can't know everything — candidate confidentiality limits what's shareable. The practitioner must define what referrers are told (and not told) at each stage.
Timing and Coordination
| Input | Required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| When the referral program launches relative to the search timeline | Yes | Extraction interview + communication cascade |
| Whether the referral ask is a one-time communication or a recurring campaign | Yes | Extraction interview |
| How long the referral program runs (until role is filled, fixed period, ongoing) | Yes | Extraction interview |
| Coordination with the communication cascade (the referral ask cannot precede the search announcement if confidentiality is a constraint) | Yes | Extraction interview |
Source Material Types
Extraction Interview (Primary Source)
Provides: audience identification, incentive recommendations, communication approach, referral management methodology, timing coordination, what's worked and failed in prior programs.
Prior Referral Communications (Supplementary Source)
Provides: language patterns, format, channel preferences. Does not provide: validated audience, approved incentives, current organizational context.
Position Profile (Required Supplement)
The position profile is a required input — referral communications must accurately describe the role. Referrers are being asked to match people they know to a set of requirements. The quality of that match depends on how well the role is communicated.
Reference Data (Required Supplement)
Every name, organization name, and role title must match reference data.
What the Golden Example Provides
Use it for structural format, audience segmentation patterns, communication tone, and referral management protocol design. Do not use it for audience-specific content, incentive structures, or communication language.