Can you get employment references back the same day?
Often, yes. It depends on the referee, but how you ask makes a real difference to how fast they answer.
Are same day reference checks possible?
Yes, often. Same day reference checks depend on the referee, but sending the moment an offer is agreed, by email and text, with a form that works on a phone, gets many back within hours. Across 229 completed RefAssure references, the median was about 23 hours and half came back within 24 hours. The rest are chased automatically.
How to get a reference back today.
Send at the offer
Add the candidate the moment the placement is agreed. Every hour you wait is an hour the referee is not looking at it.
Get consent fast
Ask the candidate to sign the consent request while you are still on the phone. Referees are contacted straight after.
Add a mobile
With a referee mobile, the request goes by text as well as email on day 0. A text is harder to leave for later.
Give them a heads up
A quick call to tell the referee a request is coming. RefAssure handles the formal record, you handle the relationship.
What slows references down
Most delay is not the referee refusing. It is the request sitting unseen or being awkward to answer.
- Wrong or old email address. A bounced request can waste days if nobody notices. RefAssure flags most bounces within minutes so you can fix the address.
- Generic HR inboxes. A line manager answers faster than a shared mailbox. Ask the candidate for a named person.
- Long forms on a laptop. Referees use a unique secure link with no login, on any device, so they can reply from a phone between jobs.
- No follow up. 4 in 10 RefAssure references were completed after an automatic reminder. Without chasing, those would still be waiting.
- Referee replies by email. Some people just hit reply. RefAssure captures those replies and forwards them so they are not lost.
For logistics and industrial clients who book workers for tomorrow, set references off at registration rather than at booking. Then the reference is often back before the shift is even confirmed.
Be honest with clients about timing
No one can promise a referee will answer by 5pm. What you can promise is that the request went out as soon as the candidate signed consent, that it is being chased, and that you will tell them the moment it lands. Clients tend to accept a clear status far more readily than silence. The RefAssure dashboard shows live, pending and awaiting counts and each candidate's progress, so anyone on your team can answer the "is it back yet?" call.
If it is not back today, it keeps going.
5 emails and up to 2 texts over 12 days, stopping the moment the referee replies.
Fast reference questions
More in the full FAQs.
How long do employment references usually take?
Anything from minutes to a couple of weeks. With RefAssure the median is about 23 hours across 229 completed references, and half are back within 24 hours.
Can a worker start before references are back?
Sometimes, after a risk assessment and with the client's agreement, but not for roles where the rules require checks first. Our guide on temp worker references covers this.
Is there an instant reference check?
A reference needs a real person to answer, so nothing is truly instant. What you can make instant is the request: RefAssure sends it the moment consent is signed.
Does texting referees really help?
A text is seen quickly and links straight to the form. RefAssure sends one with the day 0 request and another on day 5 if you add a mobile.
What happens if a referee does not reply?
RefAssure sends 5 emails and up to 2 texts over 12 days, then tells you so you can add another referee. See chasing references.
Can I see where each referee is up to?
The chase status page shows each referee's timeline, with every email and text sent and when the reference was completed, so you can see exactly where each one stands.
Do I pay more for a fast reference?
No. Every reference uses one credit, from 99p down to 80p, with no VAT added. See pricing.
Related guides
Send it now, have it back sooner.
Your first reference is free. Two minutes to send, and RefAssure chases the rest.