Seamless Hiring: A Quick Guide to Integrating reference.do with Your ATS

In the race to hire top talent, every second counts. Yet, one of the most critical stages—reference checking—often remains a manual, time-consuming bottleneck. Phone tag with references, inconsistent questions, and subjective feedback can slow down your entire hiring pipeline. What if you could transform this crucial step into an efficient, data-driven, and fully automated part of your workflow?

The solution lies in integrating automated reference checks directly into your Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This guide will show you how reference.do's powerful API makes this integration simple, turning your hiring process into a seamless, automated machine.

Why Integrate Reference Checks into Your ATS?

Before diving into the "how," let's cover the "why." Connecting your reference checking software directly to your ATS isn't just a convenience; it's a strategic move that delivers tangible benefits.

• Unified Workflow: Stop toggling between your ATS, email, and spreadsheets. Trigger checks, monitor progress, and review reports all from a single platform—your ATS.
• Accelerated Time-to-Hire: Automatically initiate a reference check the moment a candidate moves to the right stage in your pipeline. No delays, no manual triggers, just pure hiring automation.
• Consistent and Unbiased Screening: By using predefined question templates, you ensure every candidate undergoes the same fair and consistent candidate screening process, which is key to reducing unconscious bias.
• Centralized Data: Keep a complete, auditable record of every candidate interaction, from their initial application to their final reference report, all within their ATS profile.

The reference.do Advantage: Built for Integration

reference.do was designed from the ground up as an API-first platform. This means we're not just another tool to add to your stack; we're a service designed to connect flawlessly with the systems you already use.

Our simple REST background verification API allows you to programmatically request, collect, and analyze candidate references. We do the heavy lifting of contacting references and gathering feedback, then deliver a structured, comprehensive report directly back to you.

The output is clean, predictable JSON, making it easy for your ATS to parse and display key insights.

{
  "checkId": "ref_chk_1a2b3c4d5e",
  "candidate": {
    "name": "Alex Doe",
    "email": "alex.doe@example.com",
    "position": "Senior Software Engineer"
  },
  "status": "completed",
  "summary": {
    "overallRating": 4.5,
    "keyStrengths": ["Technical Proficiency", "Team Collaboration", "Problem Solving"],
    "areasForDevelopment": ["Public Speaking"],
    "recommendation": "Strongly Recommend"
  },
  "references": [
    {
      "name": "Jane Smith",
      "relationship": "Former Manager",
      "responses": [
        {
          "question": "Describe Alex's ability to work in a team.",
          "answer": "Excellent team player, always willing to help others and share knowledge."
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "completedAt": "2023-10-29T14:30:00Z"
}

This data-driven approach allows you to quickly assess a candidate's strengths and make hiring decisions with confidence.

A Quick Guide to Integrating reference.do with Your ATS

Integrating our automated reference checks is a straightforward process. Here’s a high-level overview of the steps involved.

Step 1: Get Your API Key

First things first, you'll need an API key to authenticate your requests. You can get yours by signing up on reference.do. Keep this key secure; it's your unique identifier.

Step 2: Configure the Trigger in Your ATS

Decide when you want the reference check to begin. Most modern ATS platforms allow you to configure webhooks or automated actions based on pipeline stage changes. A common trigger is moving a candidate from the "Final Interview" stage to a new "Reference Check" stage.

Step 3: Make the API Call to Initiate a Check

When your trigger condition is met, your ATS will make a POST request to the reference.do API endpoint. You'll include the candidate's details in the request body.

You can use our optimized default questions or, as mentioned in our FAQs, specify a custom question template ID to tailor the screening for a specific role.

// Example of initiating a check via the API
fetch('https://api.reference.do/v1/checks', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    candidate: {
      name: "Alex Doe",
      email: "alex.doe@example.com",
      position: "Senior Software Engineer"
    },
    // Optional: Use a custom question set for this role
    templateId: "tpl_eng_senior_123" 
  })
});

Step 4: Receive the Results via Webhook

Once you initiate the check, reference.do takes over. We contact the candidate to collect their references' contact information and then send out your questions.

To get the results back into your ATS automatically, you can configure a webhook. When the reference check status changes to completed, reference.do will send the full JSON report (like the example above) to your specified webhook URL. Your system can then parse this data and populate it directly into the candidate's profile in your ATS.

Security and Customization are Built-In

We know that handling candidate data requires the utmost care.

• Full Customization: As our FAQs state, you have complete control to create custom question templates via the API, ensuring you ask what matters most for each role.
• Security & Compliance: We prioritize data security. All information is encrypted in transit and at rest, and our platform is designed to be compliant with major regulations like GDPR and CCPA.

Start Automating Your Hiring Today

By integrating reference.do with your ATS, you can eliminate one of the most significant bottlenecks in the hiring process. You'll make faster, more informed decisions, provide a better experience for your candidates and recruiting team, and free up valuable time to focus on what matters most: finding the perfect fit for your team.

Ready to simplify your hiring automation? Explore the reference.do documentation and get your API key to start building a seamless hiring workflow today.