A method for identifying a source of a job referral, the method including identifying a URL that the job applicant uses to access a web page with functionality to enable the job applicant to apply for the first job, identifying a first job message record using the URL, obtaining an original job message record for an original job message using the first job message record, determining a first sender of the original job message from the original job message record, determining that a second job message was sent to the job applicant for a second job at the company by a second sender, wherein the second job message was sent to the job applicant before the first job message and wherein the second job message was sent to the job applicant within a look-back period, and identifying the second sender as the source of the referral for the first job.