Stop chasing references. Let YourClouds help do it for you.
We don’t just tell you a reference is outstanding.
We help get it completed.
01The problem
Traditional recruitment software often makes the process look something like this:
The software has done its job.
But your recruitment team hasn’t.
Someone still needs to chase Reference 2.
They send another email. Then another. They contact the candidate. They call the referee. Eventually the reference arrives. Then it may still need to be verified.
YourClouds brings the different parts of the reference process together.
Manages reference requests, responses, documents, reminders, status, workflows and the audit trail.
Helps monitor outstanding references, communicate with candidates and referees, send reminders, identify missing information, compare information and progress routine actions.
Where telephone verification forms part of the process, YourClouds can manage the verification workflow using AI-powered calling, human verification or a combination of both, depending on the configured process and circumstances.
Software manages it.
AI helps progress it.
Telephone verification helps verify it.
02How it works
1
The candidate provides details of their employment history and relevant referees as part of their recruitment journey.
Information can include:
The reference process is connected to the candidate’s wider recruitment record.
2
The referee receives a digital reference request.
Reference forms can be configured around:
Use a YourClouds reference template or configure questions around your organisation’s requirements.
3
Referees can provide the requested information digitally.
Depending on your configured process, questions might include:
The completed reference is returned directly into the candidate’s recruitment record.
4
This is where the difference begins.
If the referee doesn’t respond, the reference doesn’t simply sit in the system marked:
OUTSTANDING
YourClouds can monitor:
The workflow can then determine what happens next.
5
Instead of your recruitment team repeatedly checking outstanding references, YourClouds can manage configured follow-up workflows.
For example:
Different organisations can configure different escalation rules.
6
Where appropriate, YourClouds can contact referees by telephone as part of the reference process.
Telephone contact can be undertaken using AI-powered calling, human intervention or a combination of both, depending on the workflow and circumstances.
The purpose may include establishing whether:
The outcome can be recorded within the candidate’s reference workflow.
7
Obtaining a reference is one thing. Verifying it is another.
YourClouds can manage telephone verification after a reference has been received.
Depending on the configured workflow, telephone verification can be completed through:
An AI-powered telephone agent can contact the referee, follow the configured verification process, ask appropriate questions and record the outcome.
A member of the verification team can undertake the call where human involvement is appropriate or required.
AI can manage routine verification and escalate the call or case for human review where necessary.
This gives organisations the ability to combine automation with human intervention rather than requiring every verification to follow the same process.
8
Telephone verification can follow a structured set of questions.
Depending on your organisation and the role, these could include:
Different questions can be configured for different organisations, sectors and roles.
9
A reference shouldn’t exist in isolation.
YourClouds can help compare information received from the referee with information declared by the candidate.
For example:
Or:
YourClouds can highlight the difference. Your organisation decides what it means.
03In YourClouds
YourClouds can help identify differences between:
Reference checking becomes more powerful when connected with employment-history checking.
YourClouds can bring together:
This creates a more structured view of the candidate’s employment history.
These processes shouldn’t operate separately.
For example, if references confirm:
Employer A: January 2021 – June 2022
and
Employer B: September 2022 – Present
YourClouds can identify:
July 2022 – August 2022
EMPLOYMENT GAP — REVIEW REQUIRED
The candidate can then be asked to provide an explanation and, where appropriate, supporting information.
Different organisations need different information.
Your reference forms and verification workflows can be configured around your requirements.
This can include:
Employment dates. Position held. Reason for leaving. Re-employment information.
Additional questions can be configured according to:
Where appropriate, relevant questions can be incorporated into the configured reference process.
YourClouds provides the workflow and automation. Your organisation determines its recruitment requirements and makes the recruitment decisions.
YourClouds can configure this within the recruitment workflow.
For example:
Instead of manually chasing every reference, your recruitment team can see its status.
For example:
Your team can concentrate on exceptions rather than repeatedly checking every candidate.
Depending on your configured process, YourClouds can maintain records of:
This provides a clearer record of what happened and when.
YourClouds can use conversational AI as part of the telephone verification workflow.
An AI-powered telephone agent can follow a structured process, interact with the referee and capture the outcome.
For example:
The resulting information can then form part of the verification record.
Where the conversation requires additional attention, the workflow can escalate the case for review.
AI doesn’t mean removing people from the process entirely.
A workflow can escalate for human involvement where appropriate.
For example:
This creates a scalable verification process without requiring every reference to be handled manually.
Telephone contact doesn’t always result in an immediate conversation.
YourClouds can record contact attempts.
For example:
Your recruitment team can see the activity taking place rather than simply seeing an unexplained outstanding status.
Where contact information appears incorrect, the issue can be recorded and the workflow can trigger the appropriate next action.
That might include:
Not every referee will provide a reference.
Where a referee declines, the outcome can be recorded.
Your configured workflow can then trigger the next appropriate action.
For example:
The audit trail retains what happened.
AI should not automatically make a recruitment suitability decision.
Where a reference or telephone verification produces information requiring attention, the case can be flagged to an authorised person within your organisation.
YourClouds can help children’s residential providers manage:
YourClouds can help manage high volumes of references across:
Schools, academy trusts and education providers can use YourClouds to manage reference checking as part of a structured safer-recruitment workflow.
For Multi-Academy Trusts, reference processes can be configured across multiple schools while retaining appropriate central and local oversight.
Explore Safer Recruitment for Schools & Education
Healthcare organisations can manage reference workflows across clinical, care, support, management and operational roles.
Central recruitment teams can manage higher reference volumes while local managers retain visibility of candidate progress.
Explore Safer Recruitment for HealthcareReference checking shouldn’t sit outside the recruitment system.
With YourClouds, it can connect with:
04Pricing
Reference checking is only one part of safer recruitment.
YourClouds can help manage the wider onboarding process for:
£199 + VAT
per candidate entering onboarding
The managed onboarding service can include:
DBS application fees, Right to Work verification fees and other applicable third-party charges are additional.
Think about who currently does this work.
Now multiply that across every candidate you recruit.
The objective isn’t to remove professional judgement from recruitment.
It’s to use that judgement where it matters.
Instead of your recruitment team asking:
“Has Reference 2 come back yet?”
YourClouds can help them concentrate on:
“The employment dates don’t match. This needs reviewing.”
That’s where their time is more valuable.
Issue digital reference requests through the recruitment workflow.
Automatically progress outstanding references through configured reminders and follow-up.
Use conversational AI for appropriate telephone follow-up and verification workflows.
Verify references through configurable telephone workflows using AI, human involvement or a combination of both.
Escalate cases requiring additional attention.
Compare reference information with information declared by the candidate.
Help highlight information requiring review.
Connect confirmed employment dates with employment-gap checking.
Configure reference and verification questions around different roles and organisations.
Maintain a record of requests, communications, calls, responses, verification and activity.
Make reference verification part of the wider recruitment and onboarding journey.
05Questions
Employment reference checking involves obtaining information from an appropriate referee about a candidate’s previous employment or other relevant history.
The information required and how it should be assessed depends on the role, sector, organisation and applicable requirements.
Reference requests can be triggered as part of the configured recruitment workflow.
The system can issue digital requests and track their progress.
Yes.
YourClouds can use automated communications, AI-assisted follow-up, telephone contact and escalation workflows to help progress outstanding references.
Yes.
Telephone verification can form part of the configured reference workflow.
It can be either.
Depending on the configured workflow and circumstances, telephone verification can be undertaken using AI-powered calling, human verification or a combination of both.
Cases can also be escalated for human review where appropriate.
Yes.
AI-powered telephone agents can be used within configured workflows to contact referees, ask appropriate verification questions and capture responses.
No.
AI can help collect, compare and organise information and flag potential discrepancies.
Recruitment decisions remain with the recruiting organisation.
Yes.
Reference forms and telephone-verification questions can be configured around your organisation, sector and different roles.
Yes.
Different positions can have different reference requirements, questions, workflows and escalation rules.
Yes.
Information declared by the candidate can be compared with information obtained through references and verification, helping identify discrepancies requiring review.
Employment history and verified reference information can be used as part of the wider employment-gap checking process.
Contact attempts can be recorded and the workflow can determine whether to retry, use another contact method or escalate the case.
The workflow can flag or escalate the interaction for human review or further action where appropriate.
Reference requests, chasing, telephone follow-up and telephone verification can form part of the managed onboarding service.
The managed onboarding fee is £199 + VAT per candidate entering onboarding.
Automated reference requests.
Intelligent chasing.
AI-powered telephone calls.
Telephone verification.
Intelligent escalation.
Employment-history comparison.
One connected recruitment record.
Or use Reference Checking as part of YourClouds Managed Safer Recruitment & Onboarding
£199 + VAT per candidate entering onboarding
Recruitment and reference requirements vary according to the role, sector, organisation and applicable legislation, regulation and guidance. YourClouds supports the recruitment process; recruitment decisions remain with the recruiting organisation.
