Completing a reference
What to expect when you are asked to provide a reference through PreHire.
You have been asked to give a reference
When someone you worked with applies for a new role, their prospective employer may ask you to verify their employment through PreHire. You will receive an email with a secure link.
What happens
The process has three steps and takes about 3 minutes.
1. Landing page
You see who is asking, who the candidate is, and what role they applied for. You can choose to Start, say I'm not the right person, or Decline.
2. Verification
You are asked:
- Did the candidate work at [employer]? (Yes / No / I can't confirm)
- Their job title (pre-filled, editable)
- Employment dates (pre-filled, editable)
- Your job title
- Your relationship (select from a list)
Every piece of information you provide is recorded alongside what the candidate stated. We never present it as an accusation.
3. Insight (only if you confirm employment)
If you confirm the candidate worked there, you will be asked competency questions (ratings 1–5) about the candidate, plus optional free-text sections:
- Key strengths
- Areas for development
- Would you re-employ them? (Yes / No / With reservations)
- Anything else
Your answers are recorded as your opinion, attributed to you, and shared with the employer.
If you do not answer straight away
We send up to three reminders — by default 2 days, 4 days and 7 days after the first email, though the employer can change those. The subject line begins Reminder, and it is the same link: nothing has gone wrong and you have not missed a deadline.
The reminders stop the moment you answer. They also stop if you decline or say you are not the right person — you will not be written to about that reference again.
After you complete
You will see a confirmation page. Your answers are kept for 3 months from when the check closes, then deleted.
Declining
If you decline or say you are not the right person, we record the decision, stop sending you reminders, and will not contact you again about this check. Your details are kept for 30 days, then deleted.