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ProboTalent®

Platform

Structured reference checks that actually get completed.

Validate candidate performance with structured, third-party feedback. References receive an email and SMS with a link to a guided survey, so you stop chasing references by phone and start collecting comparable, defensible input on every finalist.

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A reference check should confirm what your assessments and interviews already suggest: that a candidate has done the work, worked well with others, and is ready for the role. Too often it becomes the slowest, least consistent step in hiring — a recruiter playing phone tag with a former manager, taking informal notes, and ending up with feedback that can't be compared from one candidate to the next.

ProboTalent turns reference checking into structured, third-party validation of candidate performance. Instead of an open-ended conversation, each reference completes a guided survey built around the questions that matter for the role. References receive both an email and an SMS with a link to that survey, so requests reach people where they actually respond — and recruiters are freed from chasing references down.

Because the reference check is structured, the feedback comes back in a consistent, comparable form. Every candidate applying for the same job is validated against the same Reference Check structure, depending on how the job is configured — the same foundation of fair, structured, defensible hiring that runs through every ProboTalent evaluation.

Reference Checks collect structured feedback and ratings from individuals who have worked with the candidate, validating past job performance, work behaviors, and strengths relevant to the role. As with everything in ProboTalent, the reference check informs the recruiter's judgment — it doesn't make the decision. AI helps structure and route the process; humans read the feedback and decide who advances.

What you can configure

Required questions

Configure the questions every reference must answer, so each reference check captures the specific feedback and ratings that matter for the role. Because the question set is fixed for the job, responses come back in a consistent, comparable form across candidates.

Number and type of references

Set how many references a candidate must provide and what type they should be — former managers, peers, direct reports, or others who have worked with the candidate — so the validation matches the seniority and context of the role.

Email and SMS delivery

References receive an email and an SMS with a link to the structured survey, reaching them where they're most likely to respond. Configurable reminders nudge references who haven't completed the survey yet, without the recruiter chasing them by phone.

Corporate-email enforcement

Require references to use a corporate email address rather than a personal one, raising confidence that feedback comes from a genuine professional contact. Corporate-email enforcement is one of the platform's built-in reference-check controls.

Domain rules

Apply domain rules to govern which email domains references can use — supporting your verification standards and reducing the risk of self-referrals or low-confidence feedback.

Decline options

References can decline to participate. Giving contacts a clear, respectful way to opt out keeps the process professional and ensures the feedback you do receive comes from people who chose to provide it.

Reference Check sits in the Finalist Phase of the candidate journey, alongside the other steps that confirm a recruiter-advanced candidate before hire. Like the rest of the pipeline, it's configurable: recruiters decide the required questions, the number and type of references, the email-domain and corporate-email rules, and the reminder cadence that fits the role.

Because references complete a guided survey, the feedback is captured as structured data — not scattered across a recruiter's notes. That structure is what makes reference feedback usable in side-by-side candidate comparison and audit-ready reporting later in the process, and it's why reference checks in ProboTalent hold up as defensible, consistent validation rather than an informal phone call.

Reference checks, done with rigor

Structured
Guided surveys, not open-ended phone calls
Email + SMS
References reached where they respond
Configurable
Questions, reference count, and domain rules
Human-verified
Recruiters read the feedback and decide

Common questions

How do references receive the request?

Each reference the candidate provides receives both an email and an SMS containing a link to a structured survey. Reaching references through two channels improves the chance they respond — and configurable reminders follow up automatically, so recruiters don't have to chase references manually.

Can a reference decline to participate?

Yes. References can decline. Providing a clear, respectful way to opt out keeps the process professional and ensures the feedback collected comes from contacts who chose to provide it.

How does ProboTalent confirm a reference is a genuine professional contact?

Recruiters can enforce corporate-email use and apply domain rules that govern which email domains references may use. These configurable controls raise confidence that feedback is coming from real professional contacts rather than personal or self-referral addresses.

Does AI score the reference feedback?

No. AI never produces a score anywhere in ProboTalent — and that includes reference checks. The structured survey captures feedback and ratings from people who have worked with the candidate; recruiters and hiring managers read that feedback and use it as decision support. Humans make every advancement and hiring decision.

How is this different from Candidate Profile Enhancement?

A Reference Check is a job-specific validation step the platform uses to evaluate a candidate for a particular role, with the structure and rules the recruiter configures. Candidate Profile Enhancement is separate, candidate-owned content — endorsements, recommendations, and job confirmations a candidate displays on their profile. Profile content is never factored into assessment scores or used as a substitute for a Reference Check.

You can learn more on the Candidate Profile Enhancement page under Platform.

See structured reference checks in action.

Discover how ProboTalent collects consistent, comparable reference feedback on every finalist — with corporate-email enforcement, configurable questions, and human-verified decisions throughout.