Talent Ambassadors

EMPLOYEES REFER FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO WORK FOR CAMBRIA.

By Angela Johnson

It only makes sense that satisfied employees would encourage their friends and family to apply for open positions where they work. That means when it comes to attracting new talent, current employees are some of the best company advocates. In fact, employees from across Cambria country—from operations to sales and business services—help those in search of opportunities find careers at Cambria.

There have been some impressive levels of referrals with a handful of Cambria employees having made nearly half a dozen successful referrals each. As a benefit, they are incentivized to do so by Cambria’s Employee Referral Program (ERP) that launched in 2019. The ERP is a great way to tap into a top source of talent—our employees—and to build diversity, identify candidates for hard-to-fill positions, decrease the cost to hire, and decrease turnover.

In the summer of 2022, Reilly Schulz, a Creighton University student and participant in Cambria’s internship program, presented a capstone project with research that demonstrated how referred candidates are higher quality hires who perform better on the job. Referrals also make the hiring process more efficient and increase employee retention. In fact, a Gallup study (May 3, 2022) found that having close work friendships can boost employee satisfaction by 50 percent, and those employees are seven times more likely to fully engage in their work. Referred employees make life on the job more fun because people get to work with those they already know and enjoy.

Formulation Utility Operator Javier Lopez has referred five employees, all friends of his, for positions at the Slab Manufacturing Facility where he says he likes working because the communication within his department is great. “We all work as a team and help each other out wherever possible,” says Lopez who is also a participant in Cambria’s English language program—which is yet another opportunity for friends who come to work for Cambria.

Cambria understands the merits of its ERP and in 2022 updated the monetary award to employees for referrals to $2,000 (gross) for salaried positions and $1,000 (gross) for hourly positions. So not only is the ERP a great way to build strong teams, it is also a good way for employees to earn extra money. For important information about the Employee Referral Program eligibility and process, ask your manager or visit The Source. ✦

Jennifer Rico, a Soft Line Operator, was referred for a role at Cambria's Slab Manufacuring Facility in Le Sueur, MN, by Soft Line Lead Gavin Green.