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Talent referral scheme guidlines

1. Purpose 

To reward and recognise an employee that contribute to attracting and building the talent within the organisation by
referring suitable candidates for eligible vacant positions.

2. Scope

The program applies to all Independence Australia Group (IAG) employees.

3. Definitions

“Employee” shall mean any person who holds a current contract of employment with the Organisation and shall include full time, part time, casual and fixed term contracted employees.

“Organisation” shall mean all Independence Australia Group (IAG).

“Scheme” shall mean Talent Referral Scheme

“TRS” shall mean Talent Referral Scheme

“Independence Australia Group” shall include any associated entities and subsidiaries of Independence Australia Group

4. Delegation of Responsibility & Authority

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5. Requirements for Eligible Referrals

a)  A referred candidate must not have worked for the Organisation within the previous 18 months.

b)  The referral will not be accepted if a candidate has submitted an expression of interest or application directly to IAG or the candidate has been referred by an Agent. For clarification, the intent of this sub clause is to avoid claiming credit for non-genuine referral and “name dropping.”

c)  Where a candidate is referred by more than one employee, the employee that submitted the first Candidate Referral form will be entitled to the referral payment only.

d)  Where a candidate is referred for more than one vacant position, the referral payment will be awarded dependant on the position which the candidate has accepted (i.e., only one Scheme payment will be considered).

e)  To ensure candidate suitability is assessed against the requirements of the role and that they are selected on merit, all placements must be undertaken in accordance with IAG’s Recruitment Policy and Procedure.

6. Payment Conditions

a)  Not all vacant positions will qualify for a “referral payment.” The “referral payment” will only be paid to eligible open position(s) as advertised by the People Experience Department and approved by the authorised hiring manager.

b)  Eligible vacant positions will be marked and identified with the wording “IAG Talent Referral Incentive applies” in the internal and or external advertisement.

c)  The initial payment (Part A) will only be made once the candidate has accepted and signed their employment contract and has completed the prescribed length of service as detailed in clause 7.

d)  The second payment, Part B, will only be made if the candidate has completed the prescribed length of service as detailed in clause 7.

e)  To be eligible to receive any referral payments both the candidate that was referred and the employee that made the referral must be employed at the time any payment is due.

7. Payment Schedule

a) A referral that eventuates in the successful placement will be entitled to an incentive payment in line with the below schedules.

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b) The payment will be paid to the employee with their pay in in addition to their normal pay but less applicable taxes.

c) Regarding Casual referrals. To be eligible for a Part B payment, the referred casual employee must average a minimum of 28 hours of work per fortnight over the first 6 months.

8. Exempt Employees

The following employees are not eligible to participate in the scheme.

i. Employees working in the People Experience and Payroll departments.

ii. Any Director

iii. Any employee holding an Executive Management, Executive General Management, and National Management position.

9. Claiming Payment

a) To claim a referral incentive an Employee must.

i. Refer a candidate for an open advertised position that is approved and eligible for an incentive payment.

ii. Complete the approved Candidate Referral form and email it to the People Experience department at [email protected].

b) The People Experience department will be responsible for communicating approval to the Payroll department and confirming in writing the referral payment to the employee.

10. Clarification & Intent of Program

a) To ensure the integrity and transparency of the scheme where the procedures and policies are not followed this will disqualify the vacant position providing a referral payment.

b) Conduct such as, but not limited to fraud, theft, deceptive or misleading conduct, from any parties or employees that stand to gain a favour or benefit either directly or indirectly from the scheme may have the matter refereed to the Police and / or disciplinary action including termination of employment.

c) If the content of this document requires clarification the decision of the National People Experience Manager will be final.

11. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

a) Who is an eligible employee?

The TRS is open to all Independence Australia Group staff, excluding positions listed in clause 8, “Exempt Employees”.

b) What will the TRS do for Independence Australia?

The TRS is an opportunity for us, as employees to use our experience of working at Independence Australia to find other great people to be part of the IA family to build a capable organisation that is inclusive and celebrates diversity.

c) How many applicants can I recommend?

There is no limit to the number of candidates that you can refer. You can also recommend friends to any level of role, however, please note that an employee who regularly recommends inappropriate candidates may be excluded from participating in this program.

d) Are referral payments taxable?

Yes, all referral payments are treated as compensation and area a type of bonus or incentive payment which is subject to tax.

e) If I resign before I earn my payment, but the employee is still employed for the appropriate amount of time, do I still get my money?                                                                                                                             

No, payments will not be paid to current employees that are eligible to receive payments whether that’s Part A or Part B at the time they fall due.

f) Can a manager claim a referral incentive for a hire in their own team?

Yes, provided they are not the hiring manager making the decision to hire.

g) Who do I contact for more information about TRS?

For more information, you can contact the People Experience team.