5WPR’s $1,000 anonymous bounty for employee referrals

(image via clipart)

5WPR CEO Ronn Torossian emailed me today touting his new program offering a thousand bucks to anyone–anonymously–who refers new employees to his firm. The release below isn’t on the wire yet, though he told us he emailed the offer to 6,000 agency people already.

All 5W materials boast its “fast growing agency” O’Dwyer’s distinction and they do seem pretty busy. Last week the firm announced client win shopping mall developer Urban Retail Properties, and over the summer Lifestyles condoms. Torossian–now an eligible bachelor–is pretty busy planning his annual blowout at Sundance too. Dogg wagged, we wonder why these releases never include quotes from the clients.

PRNewser heard from the principal of a New York boutique, requesting anonymity, characterized the program as “slimy” and wondered, “what price is the loss of friendship?”

The traditional cut for headhunters is 20% of the yearly salary. This is quite a bargain if 5W can snag a few new AEs:

5W PUBLIC RELATIONS ANNOUNCES CONFIDENTIAL ANONYMOUS BONUS REFERRAL PROGRAM

— $1000 BOUNTY FOR ANY PR FIRM EMPLOYEE WHO REFERS A FRIEND TO 5W PR —

New York, NY – October 5, 2007 – 5W Public Relations announced today a novel confidential anonymous bonus referral program. The firm will pay $1000 to anyone who works at any PR agency in the U.S. and refers a friend 5W ends up hiring. Their identity will be protected and they can receive a fee even while employed at another firm.

“Today’s job market is tighter than ever before, so we want to pay employees of other PR firms who know that their colleagues may not be happily employed. We wont let their agencies know they are referring their colleagues to 5W, and we are happy to pay them $1000. We don’t believe this has been done before, and want to continue to hire away from other PR agencies,” said Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5W Public Relations.