RefNow vs Xref Engage

RefNow automates employment reference checks for hiring teams, from collecting referee details to delivering reports. Candidates provide referee details, and referees respond through a secure, mobile-friendly questionnaire. The platform tracks requests and automation attempts in real time, sends reminders, and uses algorithms to identify potentially fraudulent references. RefNow says its LinkedIn and YOTI partnerships help verify reference authenticity and provide additional candidate insights. Teams can download PDF reports and manage users with permission groups. The service also offers Right to Work checks and Basic, Standard, and Enhanced DBS checks. The maker lists more than 65 ATS and HRIS integrations and an Open API for custom connections. RefNow Respond automates incoming references for former employees after candidate consent, then generates and sends a PDF report to the requester. One reference credit covers up to 10 references from one candidate; bulk discounts and subscriptions are available, but no plan price is listed. RefNow is available on the web and through an API, and is based in London, England.

Xref Engage provides employee engagement, Leadership 360, onboarding and pulse surveys for collecting, analysing and sharing organisational feedback. Users can select expert-designed templates or create their own questionnaires. Employees complete surveys on desktop or mobile, and surveys are available globally. Anonymous and repeat surveys, automated reminders, industry benchmarking, eNPS tracking and demographic filtering are supported. Data Studio lets teams explore metrics and download or share reports. Xref’s workplace psychology team can advise on survey curation. Xref says the platform is ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified, encrypts data with TLS 1.2 in transit and AES 256 at rest, and conducts annual independent penetration tests. Customers can choose AWS storage regions in Sydney, Frankfurt, Toronto or North Virginia. Engage requires an active Xref Enterprise subscription and costs extra. Pricing starts at $70/mo (annual), with a free trial offered.