The G2 on Xref

Xref Pros and Cons: Top Advantages and Disadvantages

Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews

Generated from real user reviews

Users love the ease of use of Xref, finding it streamlines reference checks and saves valuable time. (47 mentions)

Users enjoy the speed of Xref, transforming days of reference checking into hours, enhancing efficiency drastically. (24 mentions)

Users find Xref's time-saving reference checks indispensable, streamlining the process and enhancing overall recruitment efficiency. (22 mentions)

Users commend Xref for its time-saving efficiency, transforming reference checks from days into mere hours. (22 mentions)

Users commend Xref's responsive and helpful customer support, enhancing their overall recruiting experience. (18 mentions)

Users commend the helpful customer support of Xref, noting its responsiveness and tailored assistance for diverse needs. (10 mentions)

Users find the reporting issues in Xref frustrating, particularly with confusion and slow loading during usage. (8 mentions)

Users express concerns about intrusive notifications, feeling overwhelmed by frequent reminders to candidates and references. (6 mentions)

Users find the unclear information in reports troubling, as important flags and formatting issues can lead to confusion. (6 mentions)

Users report inadequate feedback with misleading scores, complicating the assessment process for hiring managers. (5 mentions)

Users find the reference management confusing, due to naming issues and inconsistent formatting in downloads. (5 mentions)

Users find the limited customization options in Xref frustrating, leading to time-consuming manual adjustments for reporting. (4 mentions)

Users find the poor customization options limiting, especially in editing referees and survey metrics. (4 mentions)

Users are frustrated by emails frequently landing in junk/spam folders, causing delays in candidate responses. (3 mentions)

Users find Xref to be a costly option, especially for smaller organizations and those with infrequent hiring needs. (2 mentions)

Users find the inadequate reporting from Xref concerning, impacting their ability to verify and manage referee information efficiently. (2 mentions)

Top Pros or Advantages of Xref

1. Ease of Use

Users love the ease of use of Xref, finding it streamlines reference checks and saves valuable time.

See 47 mentions

See Related User Reviews

4.5/5

"Makes referencing so easy!"

What do you like about Xref?

It takes out all the admin when it comes to collecting references.

Sandra H.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Xref Review – Great Experience!"

What do you like about Xref?

I’ve had a really positive experience using Xref. The platform is very easy to use and streamlines our reference checking process significantly. What

2. Speed

Users enjoy the speed of Xref, transforming days of reference checking into hours, enhancing efficiency drastically.

See 24 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Very good and easy to use"

What do you like about Xref?

saves a lot of time and does all the hard work. Never had any issues.

Sandra H.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Xref Review – Great Experience!"

What do you like about Xref?

I’ve had a really positive experience using Xref. The platform is very easy to use and streamlines our reference checking process significantly. What

3. Reference Checks

Users find Xref's time-saving reference checks indispensable, streamlining the process and enhancing overall recruitment efficiency.

See 22 mentions

See Related User Reviews

4.5/5

"Makes referencing so easy!"

What do you like about Xref?

It takes out all the admin when it comes to collecting references.

Sandra H.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Xref Review – Great Experience!"

What do you like about Xref?

I’ve had a really positive experience using Xref. The platform is very easy to use and streamlines our reference checking process significantly. What

4. Time-saving

Users commend Xref for its time-saving efficiency, transforming reference checks from days into mere hours.

See 22 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Very good and easy to use"

What do you like about Xref?

saves a lot of time and does all the hard work. Never had any issues.

Sandra H.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Xref Review – Great Experience!"

What do you like about Xref?

I’ve had a really positive experience using Xref. The platform is very easy to use and streamlines our reference checking process significantly. What

5. Customer Support

Users commend Xref's responsive and helpful customer support, enhancing their overall recruiting experience.

See 18 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Bismah N.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Excellent Platform"

What do you like about Xref?

As a recruiter, Xref is extremely easy to use and very user-friendly. I have had to contact support and found that my issues were solved promptly.

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Xref Review"

What do you like about Xref?

Echo and the team were very responsive and supportive throughout the survey period.

6. Helpful

Users commend the helpful customer support of Xref, noting its responsiveness and tailored assistance for diverse needs.

See 10 mentions

See Related User Reviews

4.5/5

"Easiest Platform in the Market"

What do you like about Xref?

I like the AI summaries that are provided on each ref, I especially like that i get notified directly when references are completed.

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

3.0/5

"Custom 360 Feedback Survey"

What do you like about Xref?

Client partner (Louise) was very helpful and accomodating, supported timely action with requests, and a clear pathway for design, development and deli

Top Cons or Disadvantages of Xref

1. Reporting Issues

Users find the reporting issues in Xref frustrating, particularly with confusion and slow loading during usage.

See 8 mentions

See Related User Reviews

4.0/5

"Platform is easy to use. Loads slowly."

What do you dislike about Xref?

Slow loading in the platform. Each report downloads as a separate report.

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Saves precious time with a secure and convenient platform"

What do you dislike about Xref?

Once form is sent, it can't be edited...

2. Intrusive Notifications

Users express concerns about intrusive notifications, feeling overwhelmed by frequent reminders to candidates and references.

See 6 mentions

See Related User Reviews

4.5/5

"Easy to use, clear, quick results, minimal effort, automation"

What do you dislike about Xref?

I wish it could perhaps not send as many automated reminders out to the candidates and/or references, especially on the weekend, it feels slightly inv

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Direct usage"

What do you dislike about Xref?

notifications can be overwhelming to candidates

3. Unclear Information

Users find the unclear information in reports troubling, as important flags and formatting issues can lead to confusion.

See 6 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"It has been easy to use and quick to review references and details."

What do you dislike about Xref?

Sometimes the AI description being at the top of references is confusing. It also sometimes formats in different ways, e.g., there can be a blank page

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"A simplified, seamless way to obtain references!"

What do you dislike about Xref?

The only downside to XRef would be that you can't get the tone of the reference as you would with phone call reference

4. Inadequate Feedback

Users report inadequate feedback with misleading scores, complicating the assessment process for hiring managers.

See 5 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Sandra H.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Xref Review – Great Experience!"

What do you dislike about Xref?

One area that could use improvement is the scoring system. While the platform provides a numerical score based on referee responses, we’ve found that

Annie K.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Easy, Fast, Efficent, Reliable"

What do you dislike about Xref?

Not being able to access the referees contact details until they have filled it out

5. Reference Management

Users find the reference management confusing, due to naming issues and inconsistent formatting in downloads.

See 5 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"It has been easy to use and quick to review references and details."

What do you dislike about Xref?

Sometimes the AI description being at the top of references is confusing. It also sometimes formats in different ways, e.g., there can be a blank page

Sebastian L.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"User Friendly and Efficient!"

What do you dislike about Xref?

when downloading the references, it just downloads as Sydney Water, rather than having the candidate's name, this will help us is sending the referenc

6. Limited Customization

Users find the limited customization options in Xref frustrating, leading to time-consuming manual adjustments for reporting.

See 4 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

3.5/5

"Easy to use and saves time"

What do you dislike about Xref?

The configuration of questions makes it difficult to add or remove questions from existing surveys

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

3.0/5

"Custom 360 Feedback Survey"

What do you dislike about Xref?

The design of the custom report is messy, and this undermines the professionalism of the product due to inconsistent formatting that cannot easily be

7. Poor Customization

Users find the poor customization options limiting, especially in editing referees and survey metrics.

See 4 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

3.5/5

"Easy to use and saves time"

What do you dislike about Xref?

The configuration of questions makes it difficult to add or remove questions from existing surveys

Sebastian L.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"User Friendly and Efficient!"

What do you dislike about Xref?

when downloading the references, it just downloads as Sydney Water, rather than having the candidate's name, this will help us is sending the referenc

8. Email Management

Users are frustrated by emails frequently landing in junk/spam folders, causing delays in candidate responses.

See 3 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"I like X Ref, it's efficient!"

What do you dislike about Xref?

Sometimes, suspicious activity/ flags don't show up on the initial report. Instead I get an email from X-Ref end of day.. which is unreliable.

Samantha F.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Very good Reference Tool"

What do you dislike about Xref?

That the emails get sent to candidates and often go into their junk mail, meaning we have to follow up with the candidates and referees about going in

9. Expensive

Users find Xref to be a costly option, especially for smaller organizations and those with infrequent hiring needs.

See 2 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Ryan L.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Xref- review. Very positive experience"

What do you dislike about Xref?

Can be expensive tool with bulk recruitment

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Helpful tool for large organisations"

What do you dislike about Xref?

The pricing structure is on the higher side. This would be more noticible for those with less frequent hiring needs, like smaller organisations.

10. Inadequate Reporting

Users find the inadequate reporting from Xref concerning, impacting their ability to verify and manage referee information efficiently.

See 2 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"I like X Ref, it's efficient!"

What do you dislike about Xref?

Sometimes, suspicious activity/ flags don't show up on the initial report. Instead I get an email from X-Ref end of day.. which is unreliable.

Miranda R.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Talent Acquisition Lead"

What do you dislike about Xref?

The only thing we wish was possible is customising metrics and questions for pulse surveys along with exporting results and reports but apart from tha

Xref Reviews (482)

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Vanessa A.

10/30/2025

"User friendliness could be improved"

3/5

What do you like best about Xref?

I like the reminder emails that go to candidates and referees. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Xref?

When I click on the candidate the cancel button is on the right hand side. When I click on export and want to exit screen, the cancel button is now on the left hand side. It would be good to have consistency and have the cancel button on the same side of the screen irrespective of the page.

I've shared this feedback already. Would be good to review the survey questions when selecting the survey. It's difficult to view them on a different page and then make the selection on a different page, especially when templates have similar titles.

There's a bit of troubleshooting needed every now and then as referees see error messages when they click on the link to answer survey questions. would be nice to resolve this and make it seamless. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Lee Seymour of Xref

edit

Thanks so much for your feedback. Reviewing survey data during selection is on the roadmap. Depending on whether a Call To Action (CTA) button is required, we will shift the "Cancel" button slightly to the left so the CTA becomes more prominent. Rest assured that all feedback on user experience is discussed and prioritised. Please keep providing your thoughts via support or your account manager as we always action great ideas for improvement.

Verified User in Primary/Secondary Education

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

9/23/2025

"Easy to set and forget"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Xref?

The process of entering the information is very simple, and the system is extremely reliable.

Not having to manage the process when you can't get in touch with a referee - We all know how time consuming it can be to get hold of a busy person! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Xref?

That the completed references don't get sorted in the order they are completed (they are ordered by when they were sent out) which makes it more difficult to find slow returning references.

One other improvement would be to have the ability to give the referee a reminder on those occasions when they forget to complete.

It would also be good if the 'customisable wording' to the applicant and the referees could be saved by survey. For example we often use XRef for volunteers - and this requires different wording as the standard is obviously employee centric, and we have to go in and change both sections (note to candidate, and note to referee) every single time. It would be great if the Volunteer Survey could be saved with that different wording. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Lee Seymour of Xref

edit

Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback on your experience with Xref. We're thrilled to hear that you find the system simple to use and reliable, making it easier to manage the reference process. We appreciate your suggestions for improvements, such as sorting completed references and saving customisable wording for different types of surveys. Your insights are valuable to us as we strive to enhance our platform. We will definitely consider these suggestions for future updates. If you have any further feedback or need assistance, please feel free to reach out to us. Thank you for choosing Xref to streamline your reference checks!

Sandra H.

Talent Acquisition Lead

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

9/15/2025

"Xref Review – Great Experience!"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Xref?

I’ve had a really positive experience using Xref. The platform is very easy to use and streamlines our reference checking process significantly. What used to take days now takes just hours and the automated system ensures everything is compliant and trackable.

Candidates and referees have also responded well to it, often commenting on how simple and convenient it is to complete references.

Overall, it’s been a great tool for our recruitment workflow, and I’d definitely recommend it to other talent teams looking to save time and improve consistency in their hiring process. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Xref?

One area that could use improvement is the scoring system. While the platform provides a numerical score based on referee responses, we’ve found that it can be misleading for hiring managers. The score often appears to be based more on word count or response length rather than the actual quality of the feedback. This can create confusion, especially when a candidate receives a high score despite vague comments.

We’ve had to remind our team to look beyond the score and read the full responses to get a true sense of the referee’s feedback. A more nuanced or sentiment-based scoring system would be much more helpful in guiding hiring decisions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Xref solving and how is that benefiting you?

Xref has significantly improved our time management during the recruitment process. Reference checking used to be a manual, time-consuming task that often involved chasing referees and coordinating calls. With Xref, the process is automated, fast, and trackable, freeing up valuable time for our team to focus on more strategic parts of hiring.

It also helps ensure consistency and compliance, which gives us peace of mind and saves time on follow-ups or corrections. Overall, it’s made our workflow more efficient and reliable. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Staffing and Recruiting

10/30/2025

"Easy to use, clear, quick results, minimal effort, automation"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Xref?

It connects with the references for you. No worrying about managing your time, schedule and whatnot to meet their availability. No back and forth. Xref takes care of all that for you. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Xref?

I wish it could perhaps not send as many automated reminders out to the candidates and/or references, especially on the weekend, it feels slightly invasive and some find it tedious. I wish we could control the frequency of the reminders. Also, I wish we could perhaps have a minimum number of words for some responses. Yes or No answers from references is not very helpful, we need elaboration. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Lee Seymour of Xref

edit

Thanks so much for taking the time to complete this review. Although reminders help us achieve the best turnaround times, they are only sent 24, 36, and 48 hours following the request. If a candidate or referee simply clicks the link and agrees to provide the reference, the system will stop sending reminders and wait for them to complete the process. In this case, we change the status to 'Saved' and allow time for the feedback to be provided.

See how Xref improved

Natasha A.

Recruitment Advisor

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

9/15/2025

"Faster than completing references manually with more insights to ensure accurate and factual results"

5/5

What do you like best about Xref?

References are completed quicker

Customer service team has been able to assist understanding life cycle if needed

Xref continually notifies candidates and references until completion. This assists as people may forget it one day but see the next days notificaion Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Xref?

In previous update it was able to how specific pages on the main page. Now indicators say 'In progress', 'completed', requested. Personally I found the symbols of the last version easier to understand at a glance. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Lee Seymour of Xref

edit

Thank you for sharing your positive experience with Xref. We understand your preference for the symbols in the previous version and will take that into account for future updates. We're pleased that Xref's IP tracking has been beneficial in ensuring accurate references and reducing the need for manual follow-up.

Verified User in Non-Profit Organization Management

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

9/15/2025

"Xref -"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Xref?

We have found Xref to be very easy to implement and use, a huge time saver in our recruitment process. The platform streamlines reference checking, speeds up turnaround times and the overall experience more efficient for both our team and the referees, It has definitely helped us move candidates through the process faster and more confidence. Highly recommend for anyone looking to simplify and modernise their recruitment.

Their customer support has also been excellent, responsive, helpful and quick to resolve queries. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Xref?

Honestly, we can't think of anything to dislike, it has been a smooth and positive experience from start to finish. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Lee Seymour of Xref

edit

We're thrilled to hear that Xref has been a time-saving and efficient solution for your recruitment process. Thank you for recommending us and for your kind words about our customer support. We're here to help anytime!

Verified User in Staffing and Recruiting

12/1/2025

"I was skeptical at first, but Xref is convenient, time-saving, and adaptable to what I need."

5/5

What do you like best about Xref?

its easy to navigate through, and a thorough screening for candidate alerts etc. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Xref?

The only think I can say, and its really not a problem is that you dont get the opportunity to actually talk to the person on the other end. But this is a part of the time saving attributes, so i would't want to change that Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Shannon G.

Recruitment Consultant

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

9/17/2025

"XRef is fantastic- convenient and saving the team heaps of time on chasing up references"

5/5

What do you like best about Xref?

I like the ease of use on both sides- as an employer and as a candidate. I have had the opportunity to experience both and have been very impressed. I have also heard from reviewers that it was a good tool and convenient rather than playing phone tag. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Xref?

I cannot think of any at this stage- has been efficient and commercial in how we use it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

11/11/2020

"Quick simple easy"

4/5

What do you like best about Xref?

I appreciate being able to request all background checks at once. This feature makes the process much more efficient and saves time compared to handling each check separately. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Xref?

In my opinion, we might have included a few more reference surveys than necessary, but that's an aspect we can adjust if needed. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Josie Westerlund of Xref

edit

Thanks for your review!

We are happy to hear that you have been able to benefit from the simplicity that comes through using the Xref platform for online referencing.

thanks again for your review.

Kerry M.

Payroll and HR Officer

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

9/16/2025

"Using XRef has been very positive for our organisation"

5/5

What do you like best about Xref?

The referee checking process is a lot faster and not as time consuming as you are not wasting time phoning the referee when they weren't available Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Xref?

There is nothing I don't like about using XRef Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Response from Lee Seymour of Xref

edit

We're glad to hear that you find Xref helpful for volume recruitment and appreciate the speed of turnaround and AI summary for each candidate. We understand your concern about the reminders. We believe frequent reminder emails are highly effective in improving turnaround times, which helps organisations make quick, confident hiring decisions. However, each organisation can tailor their processes to suit them.