That saying "phone a friend" may just be appropriate in this case. If you're looking for a job, sometimes asking a friend for help can be quite advantageous especially when it comes to employee referrals.

Getting your friend to help you out with an employee referral can be beneficial. Business News Daily has it that a survey done by Future Workplace and Beyond has figured out that 71% of HR professionals revealed that referrals are important. Employee referrals have become essential when it comes to job searching. These HR sources have explained that they are the best resource when it comes to finding the best candidates for the job roles.

Referrals are great sources for companies to gather talent that are not actively looking for another job but are willing to take a look at your company because somebody encouraged them to do so - somebody they know and respect.

Most companies and employers prefer referred job candidates. A pre-qualified candidate means it's a reliable applicant because "... The referrer does not want to tarnish his or her reputation within the company with an unsuccessful hire," says Laura Kerekes, Chief Knowledge Officer of ThinkHR. In addition, these candidates are described to be hard workers who want to prove their value and meet the standards that their referral has already set.

Rich Milgram, CEO of Beyond, has it that only 7% of job applicants take advantage of employee referrals when it comes to job searches. Milgram says that quality referrals and a strong application will be able to provide job-seekers an edge in the hiring process. These experts also explained that even though you're not looking for a job, it's still a great idea to constantly explore and expand your network.

Tap your friends and peers, expand your network for your own career growth.