Confidential job reference checks

Have you checked your references lately?

Former employers are often happy to share their thoughts on a past employee, but they may not say what you think they will. We make actual phone calls to your former bosses and HR, discreetly, and give you their word-for-word commentary.

Check my references See a sample report

4.9 star rating on Trustpilot Calls begin within 48 hours From $89 per reference

Reference check report · Excerpts

What former employers told our callers

3 red flags

References called3 former employers

MethodLive phone calls

Who’s askingNever disclosed

Us: Can you verify their dates and title?

“We do not have this person anywhere in our records.”

Record not found

Us: Is she eligible for re-hire?

“Yes, she’s eligible, but we wouldn’t re-hire her.”

Would not rehire

Us: How would you rate his overall performance?

“Inadequate would be a positive word for him!”

Negative reference

One answer like this can quietly cost you an offer.Find out before your next interview does.

More real examples →

Actual responses from past reference checks. Names withheld.

As seen on

CNN
ABC News
Fortune
The Wall Street Journal
InformationWeek
MSNBC

Over53%

of the former bosses & HR we call do not honor their company’s reference policy.

50%

of our clients have a bad reference that can kill a new job offer.

48hrs

until our staff starts calling your references.

7,400+

satisfied clients since 1984.

Why check your references

The #1 reason a qualified applicant doesn’t get the job

is a bad reference from a former employer. If you’re concerned a previous boss is badmouthing you, don’t leave your career and your financial future up to chance.

Confidentiality

Because we also work with recruiters, attorneys and direct-hire companies, your references are not told who is asking about your employment history. We never misrepresent who we are.

Persistence

Calls begin within 48 hours of your order. We call and leave a minimum of four messages; most prospective employers give up after two or three.

Peace of mind

If you suspect an old boss is slandering you and costing you offers, a documented reference check can confirm it and give you the ability to do something about it.

How it works

We make it simple.

Three steps, start to finish. You never have to make an awkward phone call yourself.

1
Enter your reference information
After you place your order, we’ll ask for a few details about each reference: name, title, company and how you worked together.
Takes a few minutes
2
We make the phone calls
Within 48 hours, our staff begins contacting your former employer, discreetly, the same way a prospective employer would. We leave at least four messages before we stop trying.
Calls begin within 48 hours
3
Detailed report, delivered
We email you when your report is ready. Read your reference’s word-for-word commentary through the secure client login, so you know exactly what a hiring manager hears.
Average 10 working days

Start your reference check

See a sample report

Pricing

One flat price per reference.

Pick the option that matches your job title. No subscriptions, no hidden fees.

Educator

Teacher report with questions customized for education

$89per reference

Live phone call to your former employer
Word-for-word, documented report
Caller never reveals who’s asking
Calls begin within 48 hours

Choose Educator

Most common

Professional

Most job titles, with a 15-point performance evaluation

$89per reference

Live phone call to your former employer
Word-for-word, documented report
Caller never reveals who’s asking
Calls begin within 48 hours

Choose Professional

Executive

Adds talent-mentoring and last-salary questions

$109per reference

Live phone call to your former employer
Word-for-word, documented report
Caller never reveals who’s asking
Calls begin within 48 hours

Choose Executive

Rush service +$30 per reference Outside the U.S. +$30 per reference Secure checkout by Stripe

Bad reference examples

What former employers actually say.

Every quote below is a real response from a reference check we performed. Any one of them can end a job offer.

Re-hire

“I wouldn’t re-hire him. He was disorganized and dishonest.”

Would not rehire

Strengths

“I cannot think of any strengths, only weaknesses.”

Negative

Decision making

“He couldn’t make a decision if his life depended on it!”

Negative

Company policy

“Hold on, let me get the legal file to see what I am allowed to say.”

Policy breach risk

Reason for leaving

“I am not allowed to say anything about this person as they were fired.”

Discloses termination

Anyone else?

“Yes, you can speak with my boss… he’s sure to tell you more than I did.”

Escalates

See all bad reference examples

Client stories

Careers back on track

Prior to losing my job, I had no idea that your service even existed. In fact, the mere thought of verifying the quality of my own references never even crossed my mind. Thank goodness, a friend referred me to your firm. The research your company did uncovered one bad reference – the reason I wasn’t receiving any job offers. This information allowed me to strategically avoid this individual and successfully land the next position I interviewed for.

J.M.V.P. Marketing

This reference told me that they would only say great things about me, and to use them. Your service provided me with the information that I hoped I would not get. My reference was not helpful and did not say anything great about me. It may be company policy, but it is not being truthful to tell me something different. Your service was a great help to me.

J.A.Texas

Working with (the Allison & Taylor consultant) was GREAT! She spoke to me and was very understanding when it came to my concerns about my employment record. She was helpful and so were the reports. I can feel safe that my former employer isn’t destroying my character or employment history. Thank you.

S.S.Florida

Found a bad reference?

Make it stop with a Cease & Desist letter.

A customized letter, prepared after your consultation with the attorney and sent by certified mail to your former employer. A month later, we run a follow-up reference check to see how they responded.

Documented 99.7% success rate

A $1,200 value$425Retainer to start. Follow-up reference check included.How it works

Since1984Reference checks

An Allison & Taylor company

The nation’s leading provider of job reference checking.

Allison & Taylor has decades of experience in professional reference checking, cease and desist letters and detailed employment verifications you can trust.

Our reference checking services have been nationally recognized on CBSNews.com, NETSHARE.com, Forbes Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, NationJob.com, Glamour Magazine, New Woman Magazine, Worth Magazine, The Detroit News and The St. Petersburg Times, to name a few.

Board member of Workplace Fairness Rochester, Michigan

About us

Questions

Good questions, straight answers.

Will my former employer know I asked for this?

No. Because we also work with recruiters, attorneys and direct-hire companies, your references are not told who is requesting information about your employment history. They respond the way they would to any prospective employer.

How quickly do you start?

Our staff begins attempts to contact your references by phone within 48 hours of receiving your reference details. Need it faster? Add rush service for $30 per reference and calls start immediately on receipt of your order.

What if my reference won’t talk or doesn’t call back?

That’s an answer too. We call and leave a minimum of four messages, over up to five contact attempts. Most prospective employers give up after two or three. If a reference doesn’t respond, follows a no-comment policy or sends us to a third-party verification service, that is exactly what a prospective employer experiences, and your report documents it. See our refund policy for details.

What do I need to give you?

After you pay, you’ll enter each reference’s name, title, company and contact details, plus a little context like your dates of employment and why you left. You can attach your resume too; it helps us ask the right questions.

How do I get my report?

We email you when your report is ready, and you read it through the secure client login. Average turnaround is 10 working days, since it depends on how quickly your references respond.

What if a reference is badmouthing me?

A documented reference check confirms it. From there, our Cease & Desist letter service puts your former employer on notice, and we run a follow-up check a month later to make sure it stopped.

Can you check references outside the U.S.?

Yes. Each reference located outside the United States is $30 extra. Please call us at (800) 890-5645 to confirm availability before ordering.

Secure your next opportunity

Know what they’ll say before they say it.

Don’t let a past employer hold back your next offer. Make sure your references reflect your true value.

Check my references See real bad references