GDPR-aligned baseline
Platform design treats EU GDPR as the global minimum for how personal data is handled.
Employment reference checks for SMBs
Reference checks that
run themselves.
Structured referee forms, fraud signals, and one clear report. Built for teams with or without an HR function.
Get the app on iOS or Android
First 4 reference checks free · Plans from $29/mo AUD · No sales call
Compliance built in
Privacy and process you can defend.
Reference checks leave a lasting hiring record. HiveRef puts named privacy standards, question guardrails, and an audit trail in the product, not in the fine print.
Australian Privacy Principles
Where Australian law applies, processing reflects APP expectations for transparency and purpose.
Question guardrails
Risky wording is flagged before a check is sent, with coaching toward safer alternatives.
Full audit trail
Key steps, notices, and acknowledgements are timestamped so you can show what happened.
Humans decide
No automated hire or no-hire verdict. Reviewers remain accountable for the hiring call.
2–3 minAverage referee completion
4 freeChecks to start, no card needed
ZeroSales calls required
GlobalSame workflow wherever you hire
Available on the App Store and Google Play
Run reference checks from your phone or tablet.
Create checks, track referee responses, and manage your plan on the go. Same HiveRef workspace as the web, built for hiring on iOS and Android.
How it works
Set up once. No chasing required.
A straight line from role to structured reference. Automated reminders run in the background so you never have to follow up manually.
1
Set up in seconds
Enter the role and candidate details. Paste the job description and the platform builds a tailored, compliance-checked questionnaire instantly. No templates to wrestle with, no questions to write from scratch.
2
Invite and forget
Send secure links to candidates or referees with one click. Automated reminders handle every follow-up in the background. You will not send a single chase email.
3
Responses come to you
Referees complete a short, mobile-friendly form in 2 to 3 minutes. Structured answers come back in a consistent format, ready to compare side by side. No transcribing, no interpreting free text.
4
Decide with confidence
A complete report is waiting with an AI-assisted summary, fraud and integrity signals, and a timestamped audit trail. Export to PDF, share with your team, and make the call.
Platform capabilities
Everything your hiring process needs.
Built for teams that don't have a recruiting department. No setup theatre, no vendor manager required.
Referees finish in minutes, not days
Short mobile-first form with automated reminders. No more voicemail loops or email chains. Completion status is live on your dashboard.
SpeedQuestions matched to the role, instantly
Paste a job description and get a tailored questionnaire in seconds. Edit before sending, or pull from a template library.
AI-assistedIntegrity signals that flag what needs a second look
IP address, submission timing, email type, and network context: context for your judgment, not automated accusations.
Fraud detectionCandidates supply their own referees securely
Invite candidates to add referees through a secure, time-limited link. Bulk CSV intake for volume hiring.
Self-serviceCompliance guardrails on every question
An AI scan flags risky question wording before the check goes out, with coaching on safer alternatives.
ComplianceFull audit trail, no extra effort
Every action is timestamped and logged. Employer acknowledgement of compliance notices is on record automatically.
AuditabilityFor leadership and risk owners
What executives look for in a reference platform.
Twelve concrete answers on compliance, auditability, fraud signals, and hiring speed. Built for how boards and People leaders evaluate vendors.
Compliance and risk
Special-category flags, question guardrails, masked AI processing, audit trails, and controlled report access.
ComplianceSpeed and commercial outcomes
Faster offers, integrity signals, one board-ready report, and ROI you can defend when a hire is questioned.
OutcomesThe output
A report you can actually act on.
Not a forwarded email. Not scribbled notes. A structured document with an AI summary, integrity signals, and a full audit trail.
AI-assisted summary
Themes distilled across all referee responses. Always read alongside the full answers and your own judgment.
Integrity signals
IP patterns, timing, email type, and network context flagged inline so you can verify before you decide.
PDF export and shareable links
Export a point-in-time PDF for your records, or share via a time-limited link on higher plans.
Sample report
Summary
Evidence at a glance: themes distilled from referee responses. Always read alongside full answers, fraud-checked integrity signals, and your own judgment.
The candidate was a TPD Claims Assessor from March 2022 to June 2025. Three referees (a direct manager, a peer, and a former manager) describe the same way of working: the candidate reads the policy definition first, confirms the occupation and duties, then tests the medical evidence against those words instead of accepting a treating-letter headline. Specific examples include mapping 'unable to work' language to an any-occupation clause, catching date and waiting-period mismatches, and setting out conflicting IME versus treating opinions so a decline could be defended. Decision letters matched the recommendation, and files were written so another assessor could pick them up without a handover. Ratings for attention to detail, SLA, escalation, and recommendation sit between 8 and 10. All three would rehire the candidate for a similar retail TPD role. Development notes are limited and consistent: issue information requests earlier when medical evidence is incomplete, and give a short induction if the new desk is group-scheme rather than retail. No referee raised a conduct or hiring-blocker concern. Review the shared-network IP signal and the special-category leave mention before you decide or share this report.
Consistency notes: Dates, reporting lines, and the assessment method align across manager, former manager, and peer.
Confidence notes: High confidence: three completed referees, two managers plus a peer, overlapping tenure, and long written answers with specific file examples.
Per-question insights
How would you rate their attention to detail?
Ratings 8 to 9. Comments focus on policy wording, medical inconsistencies, and review-ready letters.
How would you rate their SLA and KPI performance?
Ratings 9 to 10. Top-quartile aged claims and no missed statutory deadlines recalled.
What were this candidate's main strengths in the role? Please give specific examples.
Shared themes: review-ready files, SLA under volume, and letters that match the recommendation. One referee also noted a return to full caseload after leave.
Strengths
- Effective liability assessment grounded in policy terms and medical evidence
- Consistent SLA and KPI performance, ranked among top performers
- Strong medical report interpretation with proactive cross-checking
Development notes
- Issue information requests earlier when medical evidence is incomplete, rather than holding the file.
- Short induction on group-scheme rules if the new role is not retail TPD.
Concerns
- Two referees submitted from the same network IP. Confirm they are independent colleagues, not a shared household completing both forms.
Real teams, real outcomes
What SMBs say after switching.
From accounting firms to recruitment agencies. Teams hiring without a dedicated HR department.
★★★★★
"We used to chase referees manually and it slowed everything down. Now candidates just enter their own referees and it's done. We've cut hours out of every hire."
Time savedOffice Manager, Smith & Associates Accounting (AU)★★★★★
"The fraud flags picked up something we would have completely missed. That alone justified using the platform."
Fraud detectionOps Manager, Pioneer Building Co. (USA)★★★★★
"Signed up and sent our first reference check in under 5 minutes. No setup, no training, just worked straight away."
Instant setupFounder, Blue Sky Solutions (NZ)★★★★★
"We just paste the job description, and the system gives us relevant questions instantly. Saves us from reusing generic templates."
AI questionsOffice Manager, Prestige Retail Group (NZ)★★★★★
"The report is clean and easy to read. We don't have to interpret messy notes anymore, it's all there, ready to make a decision."
Report qualityManager, Cornerstone Facilities Group (IE)★★★★★
"Everything is tracked. If we ever need to go back and review a hire, we've got a full record of what was said and when."
Audit trailDirector, Summit Business Consulting (SG)FAQ
Common questions.
Is HiveRef a background check provider?
No. HiveRef handles structured employment reference checks with a clear audit trail. It is not a criminal record or credit screening tool.
Do I need an HR team to use HiveRef?
Not at all. HiveRef is built for small businesses, lean teams, and anyone who hires without a dedicated people function.
What happens if I exceed my plan's checks?
You are never blocked mid-hire. Extra candidate checks are $4.00 each on every plan so your workflow keeps moving.
How do referees complete the reference?
Referees receive a secure email link that opens on any device. The form is short, mobile-friendly, and typically takes 2 to 3 minutes.
Can candidates add their own referees?
Yes. HiveRef supports candidate self-service: you can let candidates enter their own referee details when that suits your workflow.
Is HiveRef aligned with privacy law?
Yes. HiveRef uses GDPR-aligned data protection as its global baseline, designed to reflect core privacy principles used across Europe, North America, South America, the South Pacific, and Asia, and reflects Australian Privacy Principles where Australian law applies. Built-in compliance guardrails flag risky question wording before a check goes out.
Run your first reference check today.
Four free checks. No credit card. No sales call. Set up in minutes.
Or get HiveRef on iOS or Android
Questions first? Contact us with no obligation.
HiveRef on iOS and Android