Send and track reference checks

The platform supports three ways of capturing reference checks. The automated path is the fastest: send the referee a unique form link and they fill it in directly. You can also email or phone references manually if that suits the situation better.

The three methods

• Automated. Send the referee an email with a link to a structured form. They submit their responses; the platform stores the answers against the candidate.
• Manual email. You write the email yourself (or paste from a template) and send. When the referee replies, you log their response on the platform manually.
• Manual phone. You phone the referee and capture the conversation as notes on the platform.

Send an automated reference check

1. Open the candidate’s detail page.
2. In the References section, click to add a new reference check.
3. Pick Automated.
4. Fill in the referee’s details: name, role/relationship, email, phone (optional).
5. Pick the email template (a default is shipped; you can customise org templates).
6. Click to send.

The platform generates a unique 24-character token and a one-use form URL. The referee receives an email like:

“Hi [Referee], [Candidate] has applied for [Role] at [Org]. Would you mind answering a few questions about your time working with them? It takes about 5 minutes. Submit here: [link].”

When the referee submits the form, the platform stores their answers and notifies you.

Capture a manual email reference check

Pick Manual Email instead. The platform doesn’t send anything; you write and send the email yourself, then come back to the record once the referee has replied. Click to capture their response: subject, body, any notes.

Useful when:

• The referee has a specific concern about email links from third-party platforms
• You want to write a more personal request than the templated one
• The referee is a current senior contact and the relationship is closer than a standard reference check

Capture a manual phone reference check

Pick Manual Phone. The platform marks the reference as completed immediately (since you’ve done the call), and you capture phone notes:

• Who you spoke to
• When
• A summary of what they said
• Any notes for the file

Locking once submitted

When a reference check has a response captured (either automated form submitted, or manual email/phone response logged), the record is locked. You can still read it, but you can’t edit the response. This protects the integrity of the record so it can be used in a hiring decision audit later.

If you genuinely need to correct an error, delete the record and create a new one with the right detail.

Tracking pending references

Each reference check shows:

• Status: Pending, Received, Completed
• Sent at: when the platform sent the email
• Received at: when the referee submitted (for automated)
• Locked: once the response is final

The candidate’s detail page lists all reference checks together so you can see at a glance whether you’re still waiting on someone before you extend an offer.

Following up

The platform doesn’t auto-nag referees who haven’t responded. If a reference check is still Pending a few days after sending, either:

• Email the referee directly to follow up
• Call them
• Delete the request and try a different referee

Reference checks are most effective when you contact the referee yourself first to give them a heads up that the email is coming. A 30-second phone call beforehand makes the response much more likely.