# Xref Reviews **Vendor:** Xref **Category:** [Reference Check Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/reference-check) **Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 482 ## About Xref Simplify your talent journey and make confident, people-focused decisions with Xref. Xref is a best-in-class, global solution that services HR professionals across all industries. Since 2010, Xref has been trusted by businesses all over the world to empower great people decisions. Our vision is to bring data-informed feedback to the talent lifecycle. Catering for the niche needs of the HR industry, Xref automates reference, pulse and exit surveys, for data-driven, actionable insights. Accessible from any device, and with multi-language capabilities, Xref integrates with multiple leading HR tools and ATS platforms to offer seamless, end-to-end workflows to recruit, retain and remember your talent with ease. Popular features: Templates and custom surveys - Using a template, you can create a survey request in 30 seconds. By using our library of best-practice survey questions, you can reduce unconscious bias. Or create your own customised survey for any role. Talent Pool - Candidates, referees and departing employees can opt-in to to a talent pool to be hired by your organisation. On average, our customers have a 60% opt-in rate. The talent pool automatically collates skills, competencies and preferred roles to reduce recruitment spend and make filling your next open role easier. Suspicious activity detection- Xref's unique algorithm monitors for unusual activity during a reference and raises a red flag if anything suspicious is detected, like a fraudulent reference, helping give you confidence in your hires. ## Xref Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users value the **ease of use** of Xref, enjoying efficient background check requests and a user-friendly dashboard. (47 reviews) - Users value the **speed** of Xref, enjoying quick background checks that enhance efficiency and reduce workload. (25 reviews) - Users value the **time-saving reference check automation** of Xref, simplifying the hiring process without scheduling hassles. (22 reviews) - Users appreciate the **time-saving efficiency** of Xref, greatly enhancing the background check and reference process. (22 reviews) - Users praise Xref's **responsive customer support** , highlighting helpful consultants and quick assistance for both organizations and candidates. (15 reviews) - Simple (10 reviews) - Efficiency (9 reviews) - Users commend the **helpful customer support** of Xref, noting its responsiveness and tailored assistance for diverse needs. (8 reviews) - Notifications (8 reviews) - Positive Experience (8 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users express concerns about **reporting issues** , including clunky transitions and missed submission steps affecting referee details. (9 reviews) - Users experience **unclear information** with Xref, leading to missed submissions and questionable report reliability. (7 reviews) - Users find the **intrusive notifications** disruptive, leading to frustration and missed submissions from referees and candidates. (6 reviews) - Users face challenges with **reference sorting** and lack of reminders, impacting their overall experience with Xref. (5 reviews) - Users experience **inadequate feedback** from Xref, as scoring can misrepresent the quality of referee responses. (4 reviews) - Users find the **limited customization** options in Xref frustrating, leading to time-consuming manual adjustments for reporting. (4 reviews) - Notification Issues (4 reviews) - Users find the **poor customization** options limiting, especially in editing referees and survey metrics. (4 reviews) - Survey Functionality (4 reviews) - Assessment Issues (3 reviews) ## Xref Reviews ### 1. A simplified, seamless way to obtain references! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Education Management | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 22, 2025 **What do you like best about Xref?** The most helpful thing about XRef is that it is candidate driven. It gives the power to the candidate to be responsible for their references and also aware of the process **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 **What problems is Xref solving and how is that benefiting you?** The time it takes to obtain a reference. People are more likely to login even in the evenings when they have a moment to complete a reference rather than playing phone tag for days **Official Response from Lee Seymour:** > We're glad to hear that you appreciate the candidate-driven aspect of Xref and the convenience it offers for obtaining references. To get the most out of our data, please ensure you are utilizing the Sentiment Score and AI Summaries on the reference reports. These features will guide you toward a more programmatic and objective tone of voice when assessing candidates. It's important to remember that when references are conducted via telephone, the most overtly positive ones can sometimes be fraudulent. Xref tracks a far greater number of data points and surfaces unusual activity and benchmark insights, enabling you to make a more informed and data-driven hiring decision. If you still feel the need to make a quick call to the referee, all their contact information is readily available on the report for you to do so. ### 2. User friendliness could be improved **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Vanessa A. **Reviewed Date:** October 30, 2025 **What do you like best about Xref?** I like the reminder emails that go to candidates and referees. **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. **What problems is Xref solving and how is that benefiting you?** Less time taken to get reference checks done. **Official Response from Lee Seymour:** > 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. ### 3. Easy to set and forget **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Primary/Secondary Education | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 23, 2025 **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! **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. **What problems is Xref solving and how is that benefiting you?** Reduces the amount of time we spend conducting standard checks as we don't need to collect the referee details and don't need to chase up referees. It also allows anyone in the team to see where a reference process is at and so we don't need to enter data into a shared sheet. **Official Response from Lee Seymour:** > 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! ### 4. Xref Review – Great Experience! **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Sandra H. | Talent Acquisition Lead, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 15, 2025 **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. **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. **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. ### 5. Easy to use, clear, quick results, minimal effort, automation **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Staffing and Recruiting **Reviewed Date:** October 30, 2025 **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. **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. **What problems is Xref solving and how is that benefiting you?** Automation is helping us manage or time better, work smarter, not harder. Take some of the busy-work off our hands. **Official Response from Lee Seymour:** > 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. ### 6. Faster than completing references manually with more insights to ensure accurate and factual results **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Natasha A. | Recruitment Advisor, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 15, 2025 **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 **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. **What problems is Xref solving and how is that benefiting you?** IP tracking ensures accurate references one less thing to personally follow up on Less 'phone chasey' with references means we can actually do our job recruiting candiates **Official Response from Lee Seymour:** > 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. ### 7. Xref - **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Non-Profit Organization Management | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 15, 2025 **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. **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. **What problems is Xref solving and how is that benefiting you?** Inconsistent reference quality. Manual ref checking was time consuming, chasing referees across business hours. Faster recruitment decisions, less admin for hiring managers. Strong customer support when we need it. **Official Response from Lee Seymour:** > 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! ### 8. I was skeptical at first, but Xref is convenient, time-saving, and adaptable to what I need. **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Staffing and Recruiting **Reviewed Date:** December 01, 2025 **What do you like best about Xref?** its easy to navigate through, and a thorough screening for candidate alerts etc. **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 **What problems is Xref solving and how is that benefiting you?** We used to have a lot of back and forth with phone tag when trying to call references. Xref has improved the timeframe of getting references done significantly ### 9. XRef is fantastic- convenient and saving the team heaps of time on chasing up references **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Shannon G. | Recruitment Consultant, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** September 17, 2025 **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. **What do you dislike about Xref?** I cannot think of any at this stage- has been efficient and commercial in how we use it. **What problems is Xref solving and how is that benefiting you?** Saving lots of time and keeping hiring processes moving seamlessly. ### 10. Quick simple easy **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 11, 2020 **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. **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. **What problems is Xref solving and how is that benefiting you?** Previously, we had to rely on multiple providers for various services, which was inconvenient. Now, our team can simply log into a single platform and request all the necessary checks in one place. **Official Response from Josie Westerlund:** > 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. ## Xref Discussions - [How is it possible to see if an employee has received and read an Xref invite?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/38814-how-is-it-possible-to-see-if-an-employee-has-received-and-read-an-xref-invite) - 2 comments, 1 upvote - [What is the best way to change a reference email that the "new hire" has submitted, in case they need support with that.](https://www.g2.com/discussions/34057-what-is-the-best-way-to-change-a-reference-email-that-the-new-hire-has-submitted-in-case-they-need-support-with-that) - 2 comments, 1 upvote - [Is it possible to understand the reason for why referee's decline an XRef request?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-it-possible-to-understand-the-reason-for-why-referee-s-decline-an-xref-request) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [I have a hesitation to submit references requests on Friday due to weekend approaching](https://www.g2.com/discussions/i-have-a-hesitation-to-submit-references-requests-on-friday-due-to-weekend-approaching) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [How does Xref compare to other online reference check companies?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-does-xref-compare-to-other-online-reference-check-companies) - 1 comment, 1 upvote ## Xref Pricing - **Starter**: $840.00 Ideal for organisations with up to 75 employees and a typical employee turnover rate. - **Growth**: $1,680.00 Ideal for organisations with up to 150 employees and a typical employee turnover rate - **Plus**: $3,480.00 Ideal for organisations with up to 300 employees and have a typical employee turnover rate - **Premium**: $5,820.00 Ideal for organisations with up to 500 employees and have a typical employee turnover rate - **Enterprise**: Contact Us Ideal for organisations with more than 500 employees and a typical employee turnover rate [View full pricing details](https://www.g2.com/products/xref-xref/pricing) ## Xref Integrations - [Ashby](https://www.g2.com/products/ashby-ashby/reviews) - [Avature](https://www.g2.com/products/avature/reviews) - [Bullhorn](https://www.g2.com/products/bullhorn/reviews) - [Checkr](https://www.g2.com/products/checkr/reviews) - [CVCheck](https://www.g2.com/products/cvcheck/reviews) - [First Advantage](https://www.g2.com/products/first-advantage/reviews) - [Greenhouse](https://www.g2.com/products/greenhouse/reviews) - [JobAdder](https://www.g2.com/products/jobadder/reviews) - [Lever](https://www.g2.com/products/lever/reviews) - [LinkedIn Talent Hub](https://www.g2.com/products/linkedin-talent-hub/reviews) - [MyRecruitment+](https://www.g2.com/products/myrecruitment/reviews) - [Open API Documentation for Confluence](https://www.g2.com/products/open-api-documentation-for-confluence/reviews) - [PageUp](https://www.g2.com/products/pageup/reviews) - [SmartRecruiters](https://www.g2.com/products/smartrecruiters/reviews) - [SnapHire](https://www.g2.com/products/snaphire/reviews) - [Springboard](https://www.g2.com/products/springboard/reviews) - [TAS](https://www.g2.com/products/tas/reviews) - [Ucheck](https://www.g2.com/products/ucheck/reviews) - [Workday](https://www.g2.com/products/workday-workday/reviews) - [Workday Recruiting](https://www.g2.com/products/workday-recruiting/reviews) - [Zapier](https://www.g2.com/products/zapier/reviews) ## Xref Features **Platform Content** - Templates - Automated - Reports **Performance reviews** - customizable forms - 360 reviews **Generative AI** - AI Text Generation - AI Text Summarization **Generative AI** - AI Text Generation - AI Text Summarization **Platform Basics** - Performance Benchmarking - Reporting & Dashboards - Interoperability **Platform Basics** - Optimization - Interoperability - Performance **Feedback** - requesting feedback - continuous feedback **Platform Content** - Employee Pulse Surveys - Survey Customization - Goal and Challenge Creation - Science-based templates **Platform Additional Functionality** - Integrations - Identity verification - Fraud detection - Custom branding **Data** - Dashboard and Reporting - Historical Analysis **Platform Additional Functionality** - Employee Segmenting - Goal and Challenge Creation - Peer Recognition - Social Feedback Portal **Platform Data** - Visualization - Security and Compliance - Alerts and Notifications - GDPR Compliant **Platform** - Customization - Integration APIs - Internationalization - User, Role, and Access Management - Performance - Mobility - Reporting - Dashboards ## Top Xref Alternatives - [HiPeople](https://www.g2.com/products/hipeople/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (439 reviews) - [UKG Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/ukg-pro/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (2,126 reviews) - [Qualtrics Employee Experience](https://www.g2.com/products/qualtrics-employee-experience/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (445 reviews)