Referral Didn’t Attach Troubleshoot Workday Greenhouse Workable SuccessFactors

You followed the referral instructions perfectly. Your referrer clicked the link, you applied, and you even saw the “thanks for applying” screen. Then a week later, you hear: “I don’t see you in my referrals.”

That moment is frustrating, but it’s also common. Most referral “failures” aren’t bad luck, they’re predictable outcomes of how applicant tracking systems (ATS) record candidates, reconcile duplicates, and lock attribution at specific steps.

This guide gives you a practical, cross-ATS decision tree for Workday, Greenhouse, Workable, and SAP SuccessFactors, plus compliance-safe escalation scripts you can copy and send to recruiting. You’ll walk away knowing what to check, what to say, and how to avoid breaking any policies.

Quick note: If you already applied and you’re trying to figure out whether a referral can still attach, this deeper explainer is worth bookmarking: Already Applied Can a Referral Still Attach Workday Greenhouse

The cross-ATS decision tree to diagnose referral attribution

Think of referral attribution like a baton handoff. The baton can only pass at certain points, and if the runner switches lanes (new email, new profile, new device), the system may treat you as a new person or lock the baton to the first record it saw.

Use this decision tree in order. Do not skip steps.

Step 1: Confirm what “didn’t attach” actually means

Before you troubleshoot, clarify the symptom. People use “didn’t attach” to describe different situations:

• Referrer cannot see you in their referral dashboard, but you applied.

• Recruiter sees you as an applicant, but there’s no referral source.

• Your application is linked to the wrong req, so the referrer gets no credit.

• You show as “employee referral” somewhere, but the referrer still doesn’t get credit (common when there are multiple referral paths).

Action:

• Ask your referrer for the exact wording they see, for example “No pending referrals” vs “You’re not listed.”

• Ask which job req they referred you to, and whether they used a referral portal, a link, or an internal tool.

Takeaway: You’re diagnosing the system state, not debating feelings. Get the precise symptom.

Step 2: Check the three most common causes (works across all ATS)

These three account for the majority of attribution problems:

1. Identity mismatch

   • You applied with a different email than the one in the referral invite.

   • You used “Sign in with Google/LinkedIn” once, and email/password another time.

   • You have multiple candidate profiles from past applications.

2. Timing and locking rules

   • Some systems lock the “source” at application creation.

   • Some lock it at first profile creation.

   • Some lock it at the first time you enter the pipeline.

3. Job mismatch

   • Your referrer referred you to Req A, you applied to Req B.

   • You applied to a similar role in a different location team.

Action checklist (5 minutes):

• Confirm the email on the referral invite and the email used to apply match exactly.

• Confirm you applied through the referral link (not by searching the job board separately).

• Confirm the req ID or exact job title and location match the referrer’s referral.

Takeaway: If email, timing, or req don’t line up, attribution breaks even when everything “looks right.”

Step 3: Identify your ATS using the career site clues

If you don’t know which ATS a company uses, you can often tell from the application URL or login experience:

• Workday: URLs often contain myworkdayjobs.com or you create a Workday candidate account.

• Greenhouse: URLs often include greenhouse.io or “Greenhouse Recruiting” pages.

• Workable: URLs often include workable.com or a Workable-branded application form.

• SuccessFactors: Often shows SAP SuccessFactors branding, or URLs with successfactors patterns.

Now route to the right branch below.

Takeaway: Each ATS has different “lock points” and duplicate behaviors. Knowing the ATS saves hours.

Workday vs SuccessFactors troubleshooting for duplicates and merges

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

Workday and SuccessFactors tend to be the hardest for candidates because they frequently involve candidate accounts, multiple profiles, and source fields that are admin-controlled.

Workday: the most common failure modes

Pattern A: Duplicate candidate profiles

Workday can treat you as different people if you:

• applied years ago with an old email,

• used a different email for the referral,

• created multiple accounts due to password resets, or

• applied through a third-party job board once.

What it looks like:

• You can log in and see an application, but the recruiter sees a different profile.

• Your referrer insists they referred you, but their dashboard shows nothing.

What to do (candidate-safe steps):

1. Search your inbox for older Workday confirmation emails from the same company.

2. List every email you might have used (school, personal, old personal).

3. Identify which email is tied to the application you want considered.

4. Prepare a merge request (script below) asking recruiting ops to merge candidate profiles and confirm the referral source.

Pattern B: You applied before the referral event

Many Workday setups lock source when the application is created. If you applied first, then your referrer submitted the referral, the system may not attach it automatically.

What to do:

• Ask the recruiter whether they can update the source to “Employee Referral” or attach the referral in their workflows. Some companies can, some can’t.

Pattern C: The referral was created against a different req

Workday reqs are often separate per location, level, or business unit.

What to do:

• Ask your referrer to re-check the exact req ID. If they can refer again to the correct req, do that, but do not submit multiple applications unless recruiting asks.

Takeaway: In Workday, “referral didn’t attach” often means “duplicate identity” or “source locked early.” Your goal is to get the right profile merged and the right req mapped.

SuccessFactors: similar problems, different knobs

SuccessFactors varies widely by company configuration, but three themes come up repeatedly.

Pattern A: Multiple candidate records

SuccessFactors can create separate records due to:

• different emails,

• different name formats (legal name vs nickname),

• country/region profiles,

• previous applications imported from another system.

What to do:

1. Gather your identifiers: full name, emails used, phone, and any candidate ID shown in emails.

2. Ask recruiting operations to merge duplicate candidate profiles and validate the referral attribution.

Pattern B: Source field not editable by recruiters

Some companies restrict “source” edits to HRIS or recruiting ops for audit reasons.

What to do:

• Request a compliance-safe review: you’re not demanding an edit, you’re asking them to confirm whether attribution can be corrected and what proof they need.

Pattern C: Referral credit policy uses “first touch”

Some internal policies award credit to whoever referred you first, or only if the referral exists before application creation.

What to do:

• Ask for the policy in writing, or ask your referrer to check internal documentation.

Takeaway: With SuccessFactors, assume referral edits require ops approval. Your best path is a clear merge request with identifiers and timestamps.

Greenhouse vs Workable troubleshooting for credit and timing

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels

Greenhouse and Workable often feel easier because the application flow is simpler. The catch is that they can be strict about when and how the referral is recorded.

Greenhouse: who gets credit and when it locks

Greenhouse commonly tracks source and referrer, but credit depends on company rules and the path taken.

Pattern A: You didn’t apply through the referral link

If you search the role on your own and apply directly, your candidate profile may be created without the referral context.

Fix attempt:

• Ask recruiting if they can add a referrer after application creation. Some companies allow it through admin actions, others lock it for compliance.

Pattern B: Multiple submissions or multiple roles

Greenhouse often treats each job application separately, but the candidate profile is shared.

What happens:

• The referral might attach to one job submission, while you care about another.

What to do:

1. Identify which job your referrer referred you to.

2. Ask recruiting to confirm whether the referrer is attached to the correct job submission.

Pattern C: Another employee referred you first

This is awkward, but it happens. If another referral exists earlier, the company policy may assign credit to the first referrer.

What to do:

• Keep it neutral. Ask recruiting which referral timestamp they have on file and what the policy is.

Takeaway: With Greenhouse, the root issue is often the application path. The cleanest fix is a recruiter-side update, but you should ask in a policy-friendly way.

Workable: straightforward, but still prone to duplicates

Workable is usually simpler, but attribution issues still show up.

Pattern A: Candidate exists already

If you applied previously, Workable may treat you as an existing candidate and attach your new application to the old record, which may have a different source.

What to do:

• Ask recruiting to check whether you exist as a prior candidate under another email, and whether they can merge or update the referrer field.

Pattern B: Referral created in a separate internal system

Some companies run referrals in an internal HR tool, then recruiters manually mark referrals in Workable.

What to do:

• Ask your referrer what tool they used. If it wasn’t Workable-native, the issue may be a manual step.

Pattern C: You applied via a job board repost

If the role is syndicated, your application might enter Workable with the job board as source.

What to do:

• Ask recruiting if they received your application via the job board feed. If so, they may not be able to change source, but they can still note the referrer for internal tracking.

Takeaway: In Workable, attribution problems are usually duplicates or job board sources. Your goal is to get the recruiter to confirm the original source and whether edits are allowed.

Compliance-safe escalation scripts that actually work

The biggest mistake candidates make is asking recruiting to “change the source to referral” without context. Some teams can do it, others are blocked by policy, audit controls, or fairness rules.

Your best approach is:

1. provide facts, 2) ask what’s possible within policy, 3) offer proof, 4) keep your referrer out of awkward back-and-forth.

Below are scripts you can copy. Replace the bracketed fields.

Script 1: Initial recruiter note (works for any ATS)

Subject: Referral attribution question for my application

Hi [Recruiter Name],

I applied to [Job Title, Req ID if available] on [date]. An employee, [Referrer Full Name], submitted a referral for me on [date] using [referral link / internal referral portal].

Could you please confirm whether my application is showing as an employee referral in your system? If it’s not attached, I’d appreciate guidance on whether it can be updated within your policy, or whether there’s a specific step I should redo.

To help, here are the details I used on my application:

• Name: [Full Name]

• Email: [Email]

• Phone: [Phone]

Thanks for your help, [Your Name]

Why this is safe: You’re not demanding a change. You’re asking for confirmation and policy-compliant options.

Takeaway: Lead with timestamps and identifiers. Make it easy to locate your record.

Script 2: Duplicate profile merge request (Workday or SuccessFactors)

Subject: Possible duplicate candidate profiles, referral not showing

Hi [Recruiting Ops or Recruiter Name],

I’m seeing signs that I may have more than one candidate profile on file, which might be preventing my referral from attaching.

I applied to [Job Title, Req ID] using:

• Current email: [Email]

• Other emails I may have used previously: [Email 2], [Email 3]

• Name variations: [Legal Name], [Preferred Name]

Could you check for duplicate candidate profiles and merge them if appropriate? If a merge is possible, can you also confirm whether the employee referral from [Referrer Name] can be reflected on the correct application record per your policy?

Thank you, [Your Name]

Takeaway: In profile-heavy systems, asking for a merge is often the fastest path to fixing attribution.

Script 3: “Add referrer after applying” request (Greenhouse or Workable)

Subject: Can my referrer be added to my existing application?

Hi [Recruiter Name],

I applied to [Job Title] on [date]. I was referred by [Referrer Name, Employee ID if you have it], but it looks like the referral may not have carried over to my submission.

Is it possible in your system to add or associate a referrer to an existing application? If not, I understand, and I’m happy to follow whatever process you prefer.

My application details:

• Name: [Full Name]

• Email: [Email]

Thanks, [Your Name]

Takeaway: You’re asking about capability, not pressuring them to break controls.

Script 4: If recruiting is unresponsive (gentle escalation)

Subject: Quick follow-up on referral attribution question

Hi [Recruiter Name],

Following up on my note below. I’m mainly trying to confirm whether my application for [Job Title, Req ID] is recorded as an employee referral, and whether any action is needed from me.

If you’re not the right person to help, could you point me to recruiting operations or the team that manages candidate records?

Thanks again, [Your Name]

Takeaway: Escalate by asking for the right owner, not by criticizing.

Two real-world scenarios and what to do next

Scenario 1: Workday duplicate, referral disappears

You applied with your personal email. Two years ago you applied with a school email. Your referrer used your personal email in the referral tool. Workday now has two profiles, and recruiting is reviewing the old one.

Next steps:

1. Send Script 2 with both emails.

2. Ask the recruiter to confirm which profile is attached to the active application.

3. Once merged, ask them to confirm whether the referral source is visible on the merged record.

Scenario 2: Greenhouse link ignored, applied directly

Your referrer sends a referral link. You open it on your phone, then later apply from your laptop by searching the job page. Greenhouse creates the application from the direct flow, without the referral context.

Next steps:

1. Send Script 3.

2. Offer the referrer’s name and the date you received the link.

3. Ask whether you should withdraw and reapply through the link, but only do this if the recruiter explicitly instructs you.

Takeaway: In both scenarios, you win by being specific, calm, and easy to help.

If you want to reduce referral headaches altogether, build a simple habit: apply once, apply cleanly, and document your referral details (referrer name, date, email used, req ID). When attribution fails, you’ll have everything recruiting ops needs to fix it quickly.

If you’re still deciding where referrals are most likely to help, read: Evaluate Company Referral Programs Effectively Before You Apply

All images in this article are from Pexels: Photo 1 by cottonbro studio on Pexels. Photo 2 by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels. Thank you to these talented photographers for making their work freely available.