We used to spend hours chasing down references by phone and email. More than once we lost a good candidate because their old manager didn’t respond in time. Earlier this year we tried an automated reference check add‑on through theconsultnow.com. We created our own digital questionnaire, sent it out with one click, and the system collected and summarised responses for us. It even flagged potential concerns so we could address them before making an offer. Our recruiters estimate they saved about 10 hours per hire and candidates liked the convenience and privacy. Anyone else automated reference checks? Would love to hear your experiences.