What are reference requests?
The reference request feature is an add-on that can be added to any current subscription. The feature offers a way for recruiters to gather desired information about candidates quickly, and if they so wish, in an automated manner.
The reference requests allow the creation of a workflow for:
asking referee contacts from candidates
creating reference forms
requesting references from provided referees
With References enabled to your instance, a new References menu will appear under your settings. Teamdash already offers 3 default Reference Forms you are free to use and edit. You can create unlimited new reference forms as well.
The article below follows the steps for a full workflow to gather references. First, you can read on how to ask and save referee contacts from candidates.
Secondly, you can see the tutorial on how to use and edit questions about the candidates.
And thirdly, you can see options on how to send out the questionnaires to collect feedback.
The reference checks can be done manually and automatically. This gives you the flexibility to collect information on candidate profiles in a unified way, no matter if it's gathered automatically via forms or collected from a phone call.
Gathering referees
You have two options to gather referees.
Asking the candidate for referees
You can send the candidate a message containing a [referee_entry_form] merge tag.
The resulting message will contain a link where candidates can enter their referee contacts. The Candidate can set the reference type for a professional or a personal testimonial.
2. Adding a referee contact manually
From the Candidate profile, the References tab allows recruiters to add referee contacts manually. The recruiter can open the same submission form as above, and manually fill in the contact details.
Reference forms
References are gathered from referees via forms. Teamdash offers three different types of reference forms by default.
The default forms are based on reference request templates created by ACAS, a UK organization for improving employment relations.
Adding a new reference form
Add a custom reference form under References -> Add reference form.
The tool looks familiar to our Forms builder but the answers will be visible under the References tab on the Candidate profile only. In addition, the reference forms support merge tags in labels to provide a more personalized experience.
Gathering references
Once you have gathered referee contacts from candidates, you are set to send out reference requests. This can be done by:
automatically with automated stage actions
The automated request can be conditioned whether to use a Personal or a Professional Reference Request Form.
The trigger for this action is after candidate has submitted referees. You can set the delay in minutes, hours, and days.
manually by opening the Candidate Profile -> References tab
Ask for references from all provided contacts
Ask for references personally from a provided referee
Both options send out a message containing the merge tag called [reference_form_url].
Below the text message body, Teamdash offers saved Reference Forms and you can select the Form you wish to send out.
Reference requests can be saved as Message Templates. Teamdash offers a new message template type called "Ask reference to submit evaluation”. The template can be used when sending out requests or adding them as automated messages.
The new template type supports merge tags like:
[recipient_full_name] - full name of the referee
[candidate_full_name] - full name of the candidate who provided the referee contacts and who is applying for a job.
Filling out a reference form
Once the referee opens the link in the e-mail, they will see the form you selected:
The Form Submission will be visible under the References tab on the candidate profile:
Submitting references manually
For referees who don’t have an e-mail address or have been spoken to over the phone, you can enter a reference manually via the “Submit reference” button in the References tab.
A modal opens asking you to choose a form you wish to fill out for that referee, and the same form appears as the referee would see if they had received an e-mail.
You can fill out this form and save the reference. It will show up in the References tab, with a small additional marker from whom this reference was submitted.
Read more
Teamdash Blog offers further insights to the Reference checks functionality, read more from the blog post here.
The post gives you an overview of how to make reference checks work for your company. It also contains a list of 6 great questions to ask when performing a reference check and Teamdash‘s reference check guidelines that we follow when hiring a new team member.
If you wish to get a quote for the Reference requests and checks feature, contact us via [email protected] or the chat.