Two years ago, Heleen Veldhuyzen van Zanten spoke at our Referral Recruitment Event, sharing how she rebuilt the referral program at Topicus. Not as a one-off campaign or temporary tool, but as a sustainable hiring strategy deeply embedded in the organization’s culture. A strategy where employees weren’t just referrers, but co-creators of the team.

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The result?

In 2022, over 50% of all new hires came in through employee referrals. That year, nearly 90 new colleagues were brought in via the networks of existing employees. That’s impressive in any tight labor market, but more importantly, it reflects something deeper: employees felt ownership of the company’s growth. And that doesn’t happen on its own.

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What did they do?

Heleen started with something simple but powerful: a recognizable name: ‘Raad aan die Topicaan’ (roughly: Tip a future Topicaan). Not just a slogan, but a clear invitation to take part. Together with marketing, she developed a referral calendar filled with recurring campaigns and actions. This gave referral a consistent and visible presence throughout the organization, engaging, low-threshold, and fun.

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Crucially, the program wasn’t launched in isolation. On the contrary, it was built in collaboration with communication, finance, and the business itself. Heleen even set up an internal ambassador think tank to collect ideas directly from the teams.

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Rewards were tailored to fit the company’s culture: a hot air balloon ride, a fancy dinner, an Apple Watch. Not just financial incentives, but gestures of genuine appreciation. There was even a ‘charity pot’ that received €100 for every hire — and employees voted on where the money should go. The team with the most referrals? They got to celebrate together with a team outing. Referral became a shared mission.

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At events like TopiConf, employees were invited to bring a +1. That single action led to 15 potential candidates — 2 of whom were hired. And once new hires joined, they were welcomed warmly, with a “yellow carpet” onboarding and a coffee buddy system that ensured instant connection. Referral didn’t stop with a signed contract — it was woven through the entire employee journey.

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What did it deliver?

More than 50% of hires through referral is a strong number. But what matters more is what it reflects underneath: real engagement. Employees weren’t just broadcasting a message — they were carrying the story forward. They participated actively because they cared about who joined their company. Candidates turned out to be a better cultural fit and they stayed longer. Interestingly, the referring employees also tended to stay longer.

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Our take

What Topicus achieved confirms what I see time and again in my work as a referral specialist: referral doesn’t work because it’s another sourcing channel, it works when it becomes part of who you are as an organization. It’s not about broadcasting, it’s about connecting. Not about rewarding, but about recognizing.

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If you want people to move, they first need to feel involved. That’s where ambassadorship starts. And that doesn’t require a complex system, but a clear, consistent, culture-based approach. One that’s embedded across departments and built to last.

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You don’t flip a switch. You build a movement. One that starts from within or it simply won’t stick.

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