Smarter Offboarding for Busy HR Teams: Why Reference Automation Matters

Are you looking to save money, reduce admin, and automate tasks or processes that don't directly lead to additional revenue for your company? If the answer is yes, read on!

We understand that offboarding in high-turnover or large organisations can be a hugely time-consuming task, which is why we created RefNow Respond, an automation tool that handles the hard work for you. 

In our blog, we’ll be exploring how automating employee references can streamline your HR offboarding process and reduce repetitive admin, all while saving your team valuable time.

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Why Your Offboarding Probably Needs an Upgrade

Traditional offboarding has far too long relied on manual reference requests, chasing emails, copying and pasting replies, and repeating the same process for every former employee. For small businesses, this might not be a problem, but for large companies and those with high staff turnover, this small task can quickly turn into a huge burden.

And yet, references still matter. As much as they can be a pain, they’re a reflection of your company’s professionalism. Slow or inconsistent reference responses are likely to frustrate everyone involved and, consequently, damage your company’s reputation. 

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Introducing RefNow Respond

Automating reference requests provides the perfect solution to the above issues by handling all your incoming reference checks for you, allowing you to save valuable resources and focus your time on more important tasks.

Here’s a quick look at how it works:

1. Upload or sync your current and former employees into the RefNow Respond system on a monthly basis.

2. When someone requests a reference, provide them with your customised RefNow Respond reference request form to complete.

3. The candidate will receive an email prompting them to approve consent for the reference to be sent.

4. Once the candidate gives their approval, a Reference PDF is automatically generated and sent immediately to the requester.

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Features of RefNow Respond

RefNow Respond is overflowing with useful features, including:

CSV data upload - With RefNow Verify, you can easily upload your employee data in CSV format, making it quick and simple to set up and get started.

Self-service requests - Employees can request their references through the RefNow Verify platform, saving time and effort.

Built-in employee consent - RefNow Verify includes built-in employee consent, ensuring that you have the necessary approvals for reference checks.

Instant report generation - Our platform generates reports on your reference checks in real time, giving you a clear overview of the process and results.

Customisable reference reports - You can customise the content and format of your reference reports to fit your specific needs.

Multi-team support RefNow - Verify supports multiple teams, with permission groups to control access and responsibilities.

Reporting - You can view and download reports on your reference checks, giving you a clear overview of the process and results.

Secure storage - Our platform securely stores your employee data and reference checks, protecting your business and complying with data protection regulations.

Tenant/mortgage references - RefNow Verify can handle tenant and mortgage references, making it easy for you to verify the qualifications and experience of your employees.

HRIS and ATS integrations - RefNow Verify integrates with a variety of HRIS and ATS systems, making it easy to manage and track your employee data.

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Benefits for Large Teams and High-Turnover Sectors

When you're managing hundreds of leavers a year, manual reference requests are simply not viable. RefNow Respond delivers instant ROI to your business by saving time and removing the need for HR teams to repeat the same task over and over.

Industries such as retail, healthcare, and hospitality — where staff turnover is often high — will see the most benefits from this service. They’ll gain back countless hours whilst improving the experience for both former employees and busy HR teams. It really is a simple way to streamline offboarding and focus on what truly matters.

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Safeguarding Employer Branding

You might be thinking: Is this really necessary? And the answer is yes — if you care about your employer reputation. 

The way you handle offboarding says just as much about your company as how you onboard. A slow or inconsistent reference process risks leaving your ex-employees with a lingering negative impression.

On the other hand, an effective, automated experience shows professionalism and respect. It reinforces your brand values and shows operational maturity. It also improves your chances of employees leaving with a positive final experience — something that can influence future hires, reviews, and even rehires.

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The Hidden Cost of Manual References

Manual references might not seem like the biggest task, but they add up over time. For each request, HR staff have to find the right contract, verify the employment details, chase people for approvals, and manually type out a response. Multiply that by hundreds of leavers a year, and you’ve got hours of admin that’s bringing no benefits to the growth of your company.

RefNow Respond handles all this work for you, automating the entire process from request to response. We ensure the right information is sent quickly and with minimal effort from your HR team.

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Built-in Compliance and Data Protection

Managing employee data also comes with important legal responsibilities. RefNow Respond ensures GDPR compliance by adding built-in consent directly into the reference process. Nothing is sent until the ex-employee gives permission and all reference data is securely stored and encrypted, helping protect your business from any potential breaches. This not only gives your HR team peace of mind but also helps you maintain trust with former employees.

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Final Thoughts

Whilst offboarding doesn’t directly drive revenue, when it’s done well, it protects your reputation, avoids legal issues, and saves your HR team valuable time. 

With RefNow Respond, you can easily remove repetitive admin and deliver a smooth experience for each and every departing employee. It’s a simple yet powerful way to improve your HR processes without increasing your workload.