From labour to love – online reference checking with RefNow & Yoti

profile picture Amy Colville 3 min read
Yoti and refnow logos presented together

When we set out to fix the broken identity system, it seemed like a digital identity solution had the potential to revolutionise so many different areas of our lives that it was hard to know where to start.

It was during a Spartan race in 2014 that our founders had the epiphany of using a digital identity solution to check who people were. But another obvious use for this is the way we sign contracts and do referencing, whether that be for jobs, houses or all sorts.

 

The labour of referencing

For most of us, chasing up references from previous employers can be long and laborious, but is often a necessary step in the interview process. It entails a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on behalf of the candidate, piecing together names, emails, contracts and references, when your time could be better spent reading the T&Cs or tying up loose ends at your previous job. And as a system, it is quite easily fiddled.

 

RefNow

This is why we are happy to see how well our technology is working for RefNow to enhance their online reference checking system. The London-based human resource technology company focuses on workflow solutions that allow prospective employers to seamlessly and reliably request online pre-employment reference checks for suitable candidates.

To use the system, an employer spends just 30 seconds adding the candidate’s name, email and phone number to the RefNow portal to create a reference request. The candidate then adds the contact details for their referees (on desktop or mobile) and the system takes care of contacting each referee to complete the online reference using their portal. Once the references have been completed, the employer can view an online report for the candidate which details the responses from each referee. It’s that simple.

 

Trust, time and speed

James Fall, Co-Founder of RefNow said “I’m very pleased about our partnership with Yoti – it will allow RefNow to increase the robustness of our referencing process by verifying the real identity of the candidates and referees who use our system.” 

“By adding the individuals real name as shown on their ID document, in addition to their verified work email address, Yoti will be helping to reduce referencing fraud, making opportunities in the job market fairer for everyone.”

We’re thrilled to be working with RefNow to improve the current employment referencing process. By using their system, companies can see a faster time-to-hire than traditional phone-based reference checking, in addition to reducing the amount of time spent chasing up candidates and referees. 

If you would like to know more about RefNow, you can visit their website here.