Creating a reference check

Before you start

You need a credit balance of at least one. You can check your balance on the dashboard. If you have zero credits, you'll see a prompt to buy credits.

You also need the candidate's full name, email address and role or job title.

Raising a check

1. Go to your dashboard and click Raise a check.
2. Enter the candidate's full name, email and role or job title.
3. Choose how many references you need (default 2, maximum 10).
4. Add an optional Your reference — a job or candidate ID of your own, for your own records.
5. Optionally add a message to the candidate (up to 1,000 characters).
6. Select a question set for the competency questions the referees will see (only shown if you have more than one set).
7. Choose who provides the referees: the candidate (default) or you.
8. Optionally open Reminder schedule and change when we remind a referee who has not answered.
9. Confirm — the check uses one credit and the candidate is emailed for consent.

Reminder schedule

We send up to three reminders to a referee who has not answered. Reminder schedule on the raise form is collapsed by default and holds three fields — Reminder 1, Reminder 2 and Reminder 3 — each set to how long after the referee is asked we write again.

The default is 2 days, 4 days and 7 days. Each one can be set anywhere from 12 hours to 14 days, in half-day steps, and the schedule you choose is stored on that check: changing it here does not move a check you have already raised.

A reminder due on or after the closing date is not sent, so a referee added late in the fortnight may get two, one or none. The check detail screen shows the schedule that check is actually running, and Send a reminder now on a referee card writes to them straight away.

What happens next

The candidate receives an email asking them to consent. Nothing is sent to any referee until the candidate gives their consent.

Closing date

Once the candidate consents, the check has a closing date of 14 days. All referees need to respond by then. If the closing date passes with fewer than the required number of responses, the report still ships — you get the credit back only if zero referees responded.