Recruiting firm · Recruitment
Candidate reference check
Take references with the candidate's consent, ask every referee the same questions, and send the client a report someone has checked. The candidate names their referees through a shared link, and the report goes to the client only after the account manager approves it.
- Duration: 3 to 7 days
- How often: For every candidate who reaches the offer stage
- Steps: 8 steps
- AI agents: 1 AI agent
- Approvals: 1 approval
Free plan, no credit card needed.
What changes with this template
Without it
Referee details and consent are agreed on a phone call and never written down.
Every recruiter asks referees different questions.
A concern from a referee reaches the client before the candidate has been heard.
A report with an unchecked claim reaches the client.
With it
The candidate names referees and gives consent on the shared link.
Every reference call follows the same checklist and records the answers.
The candidate's response is recorded and goes into the report next to the concern.
An AI agent drafts the report, and it goes out only after the account manager approves it.
The template, step by step
Each step says who does it: someone on your team, an AI agent, or the client through a shared link. An approval keeps every later step locked until it is given.
- Done by your team
- Done by an AI agent
- Done by the client, through a shared link
Starts when
The client wants to make an offer, subject to references. The recruiter starts a run with the candidate, the role and the references the client needs.
- 1
Ask the candidate for referees
Day 1Recruiter · Team
Send the candidate the shared link with a message saying which references the client needs, such as their last two managers.
Checklist
- Candidate told which references are needed
- Shared link sent to the candidate
Fields to fill in
- Candidate name (required)
- Role and client (required)
- References the client needs (required)
- 2
Candidate names referees and gives consent
Days 1 to 2Candidate · Shared link
Through the shared link, the candidate names each referee with how they worked together and their contact details, and gives consent to contact them.
Checklist
- Referees told to expect a call
- Contact details checked
Fields to fill in
- Referees, relationship and contact details (required)
- Consent to contact these referees (required)
- Referees to contact only after an offer
- 3
Take the references
Hidden from the shared linkDays 2 to 5Recruiter · Team
Call each referee, confirm who they are and how they worked with the candidate, ask the same questions each time and record the answers. If a referee does not respond, mark the run blocked and note who.
Checklist
- Referee identity and relationship checked
- Dates and job title confirmed
- Same questions asked of every referee
Fields to fill in
- Referees reached (required)
- Answers per referee (required)
- 4
Talk any concern through with the candidate
Day 5Recruiter · Team
If a reference raises a concern or does not match what the candidate told you, discuss it with the candidate and record their response.
Checklist
- Answers compared with the screening notes
- Candidate heard on every concern
Fields to fill in
- Concerns raised
- Candidate's response
- 5
Draft the reference report
Day 5Reference summariser · AI agent
The reference summariser turns the recorded answers into a report per referee in your standard format, adds the candidate's response to any concern, and flags where answers do not match.
Fields to fill in
- Draft reference report (required)
Checked by: The account manager checks the report against the recorded answers and approves it in step 6.
- 6
Check and approve the report
Hidden from the shared linkDay 6Account manager · Team
Compare the report with the recorded answers, remove anything a referee did not say or the client does not need, and approve it.
Checklist
- Report matches the recorded answers
- Mismatches explained
- No personal details beyond what the client needs
Approval: The report goes to the client only after the account manager approves it.
- 7
Send the report to the client
Day 6Account manager · Team
Send the approved report to the hiring manager only, and tell the candidate their references are complete.
Checklist
- Report sent to the hiring manager
- Candidate told the references are complete
Fields to fill in
- Date sent (required)
- 8
Record the client's decision
Week 2Account manager · Team
Record whether the client goes ahead with the offer, and tell the candidate the outcome.
Checklist
- Decision confirmed with the hiring manager
- Candidate told the outcome
Fields to fill in
- Client decision (required)
- Reason, if the offer does not go ahead
Done when
The client has the approved reference report and has decided on the offer, with the candidate's consent and every referee's answers on the run.
Make it yours. Rename steps, change owners and add checklist items, fields or approvals. The template is a starting point for the way your team works.
The AI agents in this template
An agent only works on its own steps, and a person on your team checks what it did. Anything an agent writes to a connected app waits for approval unless you allow it.
Reference summariser
Turns the referees' recorded answers into a reference report in your standard format.
What it does
- Reads the referee answers and the candidate's response on the run
- Writes a section per referee in the format from its step instructions
- Flags dates, job titles or answers that do not match
- Completes its step, so the account manager can check it
Checked by: The account manager checks the report against the recorded answers and approves it in step 6.
Questions this template answers
Confirm who each referee is, ask every referee the same questions, and record the answers the same day. Step 3 gives the recruiter a fixed checklist for each call and records the answers on the run.
Ask the candidate to name their referees and give consent in writing before you call anyone. In step 2 the candidate names their referees and ticks consent through the shared link, and can list who to contact only after an offer.
Talk the concern through with the candidate before the client sees it, and record both sides. Step 4 records the concern and the candidate's response, and the report drafted in step 5 includes both.
Approve every report against the recorded answers before it is sent. Step 6 is an approval gate: the report stays with the account manager until they approve it, and only then does step 7 send it.
Let AI turn the recorded answers into your report format, and have a person check it against the notes. The reference summariser drafts the report in step 5 and flags answers that do not match, and the account manager corrects and approves it in step 6.
Keep the consent, the answers and the approval of each check in one place. The run records the candidate's consent in step 2, the referee answers in step 3 and the account manager's approval in step 6, each with a name and time.
Run this workflow in OKiDO
Set up the steps, owners and approvals once, then start a run for every new case.