Automated reference checks for UK hiring teams

Stop chasing.Start hiring.

RefAssure chases every referee by email and text, flags every bounce, and files a verified report. First reference free.

Start free Watch it work
Most references back within a day. No chasing from the office.
23 hrs median turnaround5 emails and up to 2 texts per refereeFirst reference free no cardFrom 80p no monthly feeUnlimited team membersUK data hosting

Most referees don't say no. They just forget. RefAssure remembers for you, politely, until the reference is in.

23 hrsmedian time from request to a completed reference
50%of references come back within 24 hours
40%arrive only after an automatic reminder

From 229 completed references on the RefAssure platform, October 2026.

Watch a reference chase itself.

0Day 0 · 09:12

You add Priya and her referee.

Two minutes. Choose a template, press send, get back to your day.

Gareth gets an email and a text.

A branded request with a secure link. No account, no password, any phone.

Day 2. No reply, so a polite nudge.

Sent for you. Most referees mean to reply and simply forget.

Day 5. “Your candidate is waiting to start.”

Another email, and a second text if you added a mobile number.

He opens it on the train home.

Ratings, yes or no, a few lines of comment. Done in a few minutes.

Signed, timestamped, filed.

A PDF with the full audit trail lands in your account. You never chased once.

Your dashboardSent
PN
Priya NatarajanSenior Care Assistant · referee Gareth Lloyd
ConsentSentChasingComplete
Report ready · your time: 2 minutes

Every reference, in one calm place.

Live status for every candidate, every referee and every reminder. This is the real RefAssure dashboard.

RefAssure dashboard showing live candidates, pending references, credits and recent activity

See where every reference is

Consent, sent, chasing or complete, at a glance for every candidate.

Your whole team, one account

Add every recruiter or manager at no extra cost. Credits are shared.

Reports ready to file

A signed, timestamped PDF the moment a referee submits.

Nothing stalls in silence.

Most tools send an email and hope. RefAssure watches every reference and tells you the moment one is at risk.

Bounced requests are flagged within minutes.

Wrong address, full inbox or a dead domain. You can add a new referee before the start date slips.

Request to l.carter@stannes.example bounced09:13
New referee added, request resent09:20

Candidate typo? Caught.

If the consent email bounces you know straight away. Fix it and resend in one click.

Replied by email instead? Saved.

Replies outside the form are captured against the candidate and forwarded to you.

An audit trail inspectors can follow.

Every consent, request, reminder and response is timestamped, ready for CQC, Ofsted or a client audit.

Consent09:10
Sent09:12
Day 209:00
Day 509:00
Complete18:42

Give your week back.

An illustrative week for a recruiter with eight references to collect. Flip the switch.

Mon

Interview, warehouse lead
Chase referee for Priya
Client call
Chase referee for Tom

Tue

Chase three referees
Placement paperwork
No reply from Gareth, call again

Wed

Interview, support worker
Find out why an email bounced
Chase referee for Amara

Thu

Chase remaining referees
Client visit
Type up a phone reference

Fri

Start date pushed back
Chase referees, again
Interview, driver
Time spent chasing this week6 hrs
  Drop your reference form here
our-reference-form.pdf
Did the applicant work for your organisation?Yes / No
Start and leaving datesDate range
What were their main duties?Paragraph
How would you rate their quality of work?1 to 10
Any disciplinary warnings in the last 12 months?Yes / No
Would you re-employ the applicant?Yes / No
+ the rest of your questions, in your order

Already have a form? Upload it.

Upload the reference form you already use and RefAssure turns it into a ready-to-send template in about 20 seconds.

  • Your questions, your wording, your order
  • PDF or Word, built straight into your account
  • No form yet? Use our free employment reference template
Get the free template

Built for teams where references really matter.

Pay per reference. Nothing monthly.

£4550 references · 90p each
102550100250

Your first reference is free. No card, no contract, no VAT added, and credits never expire.

Start free
  • 5 emails and up to 2 texts per referee, over 12 days
  • Bounce, consent and reply alerts
  • Signed PDF with full audit trail
  • Your own templates, or upload your form
  • Unlimited team members
  • UK data hosting

Questions, answered.

More in the full FAQs.

How long do reference checks take?

With RefAssure the median time from sending a request to a completed reference is about 23 hours, and half come back within a day. A manual reference check often takes a week or more because referees forget to reply. RefAssure reminds them automatically until they do.

How much does a reference check cost?

Your first reference is free. After that a reference costs 99p on the 10 pack, falling to 80p each on the 250 pack. There is no monthly fee, no contract and no VAT added, and credits never expire. See pricing.

How do you do a reference check?

Add the candidate and their referees, pick a template and press send. The candidate gives consent online, then each referee gets a secure link by email and text. RefAssure chases them until they reply and files a PDF report with a full audit trail. See how it works.

What do reference checks ask?

Usually dates of employment, job title, duties, reason for leaving, ratings for performance and reliability, any disciplinary or safeguarding concerns, and whether the referee would re-employ. You choose the questions, or upload the form you already use.

Can I use my own reference form?

Yes. Upload it as a PDF or Word file and RefAssure turns it into a template on your account in about 20 seconds. You check it, then use it like any other template.

Is RefAssure GDPR compliant?

Data is hosted in the UK, candidates consent before any referee is contacted, and referees answer through a unique secure link. Every action is logged with a timestamp. RefAssure is operated by RAD-EQUIP LIMITED, a UK registered company.

Never chase a referee again.

Your first reference is free. Two minutes to send, and RefAssure does the rest.

Start free See pricing