Entries have opened for Referral Recruiting Award 2026, which recognizes companies promoting referral recruiting. The award has changed to a six-division format this year, covering referral recruiting initiatives and results in general.
Referral Recruiting Award, an award program for referral recruiting organized by Willof Partner, is open to all companies working on referral recruiting, including companies using Will Group’s comprehensive support service Refcome. This year, the previous two divisions based on company size have changed to six divisions based on the nature of the initiatives. The divisions, covering design, results, communications, culture, rising stars and innovation, recognize a diverse range of contributions.
Entries for Referral Recruiting Award 2026 will be accepted from 1 October to 31 December 2026 at 17:00. Eligible initiatives and results are those related to referral recruiting during the period from 1 January to 31 December 2026, and use of Refcome is not required. Applications will be submitted through an entry form, and notification of the results is scheduled for mid-February 2027 or later.
The six award divisions are the Design Award, Results Award, Communications Award, Culture Award, Rising Star Award and Innovation Award. Each division recognizes outstanding initiatives in areas such as incentive design, selection processes, communications measures, the establishment of organizational culture, initial results and new possibilities beyond conventional frameworks. Applicants may select multiple divisions, and may be recommended for recognition in a different division during the judging process.
The initiatives of winning companies will be widely publicized online. The companies are also expected to cooperate with photo shoots and interviews at a later date and to be featured on the dedicated website and in press releases. The aim is to share practical examples of referral recruiting with companies nationwide, and opportunities to speak at webinars will also be provided.
President and Representative Director Shimizu Takumi (清水巧) explained that the reason for changing to a six-division format was to “shine a light not only on results but also on the journey,” while reflecting on the process by which referral recruiting has become established as a system. He encouraged companies to enter and expressed the hope that the award would serve as a guidepost for companies taking their next step.