Reference checks on WhatsApp
Meet RecruitAI
Stop chasing referees by phone. RecruitAI collects a structured, confidential employment reference over WhatsApp and sends it back to your consultant, usually within hours instead of days.
Acme Recruitment
Under 2 hours
Median time from request to completed reference
88%
Of completed references came back within 24 hours
10
Consultants requesting references in the first month
From our first live deployment at a South African recruitment agency, September 2026.
How It Works
Your consultant sends one message. RecruitAI handles the back-and-forth with the referee.
Request it on WhatsApp
A consultant sends the candidate's name and the referee's name and number to your RecruitAI number. Or request it from your applicant tracking system through our API.
The referee hears from you
The referee gets a pre-approved WhatsApp message in your agency’s name, with consent and POPIA wording, and three buttons: Yes, No, or Call or email me.
A guided interview
One question at a time, with buttons for yes/no answers and voice notes welcome. The referee checks a summary of their answers and confirms before anything is sent.
The reference lands in your chat
The consultant who asked receives the completed reference on WhatsApp as a PDF and an editable Word document, ready for the client file.
Built for How Recruiters Work
A reference your client can trust, without the phone tag that eats a consultant's day.
Answers in the Referee’s Words
Answers are recorded as the referee gave them, not rewritten by AI. The referee reviews the summary and can correct anything before they confirm.
Your Agency, Your Form
Referees hear from your agency by name, and the questions follow your own reference form. We set up the flow, message and report format with you.
Call or Email Handover
Some referees would rather speak to a person. RecruitAI asks how to reach them and passes the request, with their number or email, straight to your consultant.
Voice Notes Welcome
Referees can type or talk. Voice notes are transcribed, so a busy manager can answer between meetings in whatever way suits them.
Ready-to-file Documents
Each completed reference arrives as a branded PDF and an editable Word document. Consultants can ask the number for anything still waiting for them.
Works With Your ATS
Request references, track their progress, and download the finished documents over an API, so references can start from the system your team already uses.
Consent Built In
Referees agree before a single question is asked, and can decline or pick it up later. Only your registered consultant numbers can request references.
Pay for Completed References
You pay when a reference is completed. Requests that go unanswered or are declined cost you nothing.
A Full Reference, Not a Tick Box
Our standard questionnaire asks 18 questions and captures the referee's contact details, so your consultant can verify the reference if they need to.
Already have a reference form your clients know? We set RecruitAI up to ask your questions in your order, and to produce the report in your format.
- Where the referee and candidate worked together, job title and dates
- Who the candidate reported to, and the referee’s role at the time
- Three greatest strengths and key area for development
- Attention to detail, attendance and sick leave
- Teamwork, communication, deadlines and pressure
- An example of initiative
- Any disciplinary action, and the reason for leaving
- Would they re-employ the candidate?
Questions Recruiters Ask
- How long does it take a referee?
- Most references take 8 to 10 minutes. Referees can stop and come back to the chat later, and pick up where they left off.
- Which roles does it suit best?
- High-volume hiring, where referees are easier to reach on WhatsApp than by phone: domestic, care, admin, retail, hospitality and graduate roles. For senior hires you may still want a phone call, and RecruitAI hands over to your team when a referee asks for one.
- What does the referee see?
- A WhatsApp message from your agency’s name explaining who listed them and why, with Yes, No, and Call or email me buttons. Nothing to install and no links to click.
- What if a referee doesn’t reply?
- The request stays open, so the referee can answer whenever they get to it. You are not charged for references that are never completed.
Try RecruitAI With Your Team
We're opening RecruitAI to a small number of agencies. Tell us about your team and the roles you place, and we'll set up a trial on your own references.
Rather talk it through? Contact us.