A little less admin. A lot more context.01 / THE OUTCOME
Northgate RecruitmentSample report
Employment references
Thandi Nkosi
Financial accountant
2 referee responses received·Ready to review
MN
Maya NaidooLine manager
JA
James AdamsTeam lead
How did Thandi handle pressure?
Maya Naidoo
“She flagged problems early and kept our month-end close on schedule.”
James Adams
“She stayed calm and helped the team prioritise the work that mattered.”
One observation to review
Both referees used the same network.
This can happen when colleagues answer from the same office. Review the context with the other information in the report; the signal alone does not establish who completed a response.
Agree on the questions for each role. Use the same version throughout a check, with relevant follow-ups when needed.
Context for hiring managers.
Read responses side by side and consider the observations behind a check. The report supports a conversation and your team's judgement.
A record HR can follow.
Keep consent, requests, original feedback and phone references in the same process. Export a report for the hiring file.
Your questions
Start from the standard employment reference, or build your own.
A reference form builder with the question types a real check needs, and a starter template that covers role, dates, performance and re-employment. Show a question only when an earlier answer calls for it, weight the ones that matter, and publish when you are ready.
Versioned. Editing a published template creates the next version. A check in flight never changes underneath a reference.
Conditional. "Explain if no" and similar follow-ups appear only when they apply.
Comparable. Employment dates are checked against what the candidate claimed.
Short textLong textRatingSingle choiceMultiple choiceYes or noDateDate range
Standard employment referencev2 · draft
SectionWorking relationship
Single choiceIn what capacity did you work together?
Date rangeEmployment datescompared to the candidate’s claim
Rating 1 to 5Reliability and attendance
Yes or noWould you re-employ them?explain if no
Publish version 28 questions · 2 conditional
Trust, with context
Clear about the data. Careful with the conclusions.
Consent is requested before the reference process begins. Your team can review the original answers and the observations behind each check.
Network and device signals help you ask better follow-up questions. LinkedIn can confirm an identity connection; it does not verify employment history or guarantee an answer.
HR starts the check, the candidate gives consent and nominates referees, and the completed report goes to your hiring manager. Your team remains responsible for the decision.
Can departments ask different questions?
Yes. Create templates for different roles or departments. Each response keeps the version of the questions it answered.
Who can see a check?
Members of your workspace can see its checks, with an owner assigned to each request. Candidates and referees only see their own invitation workflow. Share the exported report with the people who need it.
Can candidates complete a work style assessment?
Yes, on Scaling Team and Enterprise. Candidates answer 28 short statements in about six minutes and your hiring team sees a work style profile to guide interview and onboarding conversations. It is a development aid, not a selection instrument.
Can we connect our HRIS?
Connectors are not currently available. Tell us about your system and the process you want to support so we can discuss a possible integration.