Free tool for employees
A general picture of how employee referral bonuses tend to work, from submitting a referral to payment.
Takes about 3 minutes
This is general information. Every employer’s scheme is different, and some pay no bonus at all. Check your own company’s referral policy. It is not legal, tax or financial advice.
The employee enters the candidate in the employer's own referral system or portal. Some schemes only count referrals made before the candidate applies.
The recruiter and hiring team assess the candidate in the usual way. A referral can help the application get read; it does not guarantee an interview.
If the candidate is hired, they accept the offer. Many schemes only start counting from here, and some exclude certain roles or levels.
The candidate joins. Some employers pay part of any bonus at this point, others wait.
Many schemes require the new hire to stay for a set time (sometimes called a probation or qualifying period) before the bonus is earned.
The bonus is usually paid through payroll, often in a later pay run. It may be taxable, so check with your employer or an adviser.
On Doorstep you earn your own company’s bonus, if it has one. We don’t pay referrers.
Tools on this site were last updated on 17 Oct 2026. They give general information, not advice for your situation.