How to Set Up Referrals in Odoo
Some of the best hires come through recommendations from your own people, because employees know who would fit. Odoo Referrals turns that into a proper program with rewards and tracking. Setting it up well is what gets employees actually referring. Continuing this series of practical Odoo how-to guides, here is Referrals.
Connect it to your open positions
Referrals works alongside recruitment, so start by having your open job positions set up. Employees then refer people to real, current openings. This connection is the foundation: it means referrals go to jobs you are genuinely hiring for and flow into the same recruitment pipeline as other candidates.
Set up your rewards
The engine of a referral program is the incentive. Set up the rewards employees earn for successful referrals, whatever fits your business. Making the rewards clear and worthwhile is what motivates people to take part. A referral program without meaningful rewards tends to be quietly ignored, so this is worth getting right.
Make referring easy
The easier it is to refer someone, the more people do it. Set up the process so an employee can recommend a candidate quickly, ideally sharing an opening with their network in a few clicks. Low friction is essential; if referring is a hassle, even willing employees will not bother, and the program stalls.
Keep it engaging
Odoo Referrals adds some light, game-like elements to keep the program lively and visible. Lean into this to keep referrals top of mind, so employees remember the program exists when they meet someone who would be a great fit. A program people forget about produces nothing, so a bit of visibility and fun genuinely helps.
Track referrals fairly
Set up tracking so it is clear who referred whom and what stage each referral has reached. This matters for paying rewards correctly and for keeping the program trusted. When employees see that referrals are tracked fairly and rewards are paid as promised, they keep participating; when it feels murky, they stop.
Practical tips
- Connect referrals to your real open positions.
- Set up clear, worthwhile rewards to motivate participation.
- Make referring quick and easy, ideally a few clicks.
- Keep the program visible and engaging so people remember it.
- Track referrals fairly so rewards are paid correctly.
My take
Referrals taps one of the best hiring sources you have, your own employees and their networks, and gives it structure, incentives and tracking. Connecting it to real openings, offering worthwhile rewards, keeping referring easy and tracking fairly are what make it work. Set up well, it quietly improves your hiring while making employees feel part of building the team, which is a nice bonus.
Next in this series: how to set up Maintenance.
Based on the official Odoo 19 Referrals documentation. Want your team helping you hire? Get in touch.