Xref Review: Overview, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2025

Reference checking shouldn’t take up your whole week.

But if you’re hiring at scale or just tired of chasing referees, you know how broken and manual this process usually feels.

Let’s be real—the daily pain for most recruiters is lost time and stalled offers while waiting for references. That delay leads to frustrated hiring managers and even losing great candidates.

This is where Xref stands out, going beyond simple automation to deliver a platform that not only speeds up referencing but adds deep analytics, fraud detection, and ready-to-use feedback surveys—making every step more efficient and insightful.

In this review, I’ll share how Xref offers peace of mind with faster, safer hiring, and how those benefits actually play out when you’re evaluating solutions.

You’ll find in this Xref review a detailed look at its features, pricing, analytics, integration strengths, unique Talent Pool, and how it compares to other HR tech you might be considering.

You’ll walk away with the insights and context to pick the features you need to take your hiring and retention to another level.

Let’s dive into the analysis.

Xref Overview

Xref has focused on improving talent acquisition since its 2009 founding. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, their core mission is bringing data-driven trust and efficiency to your hiring.

I find their platform serves a broad market, from small businesses to complex global enterprises. What sets them apart is going beyond just simple reference checking, giving your team a more complete, contextual picture of every candidate.

Their recent acquisition by SEEK in late 2024 was a significant strategic move, signaling strong market validation. You’ll see through this Xref review how this enhances their data and integration capabilities.

Unlike competitors hyper-focused on screening, Xref acts as a more integrated talent intelligence platform. To me, this approach feels built for HR teams who need meaningful context, not just an isolated pass/fail check.

They work with a diverse mix of organizations globally, particularly in sectors like technology, healthcare, and professional services where ensuring compliance and quality of hire are absolutely mission-critical.

Xref’s current strategy is clearly focused on building out their comprehensive “employer intelligence” suite. This directly addresses the modern market’s need for useful solutions that support the entire talent journey, from a candidate’s initial contact to valuable exit feedback.

Now let’s examine their core capabilities.

Xref Features

Hiring still feel like a never-ending paper chase?

Xref features offer an integrated platform designed to streamline your talent acquisition and management process. Here are the five main Xref features that help solve common HR pain points.

1. Automated Reference Checking

Tired of endless phone tag for references?

Manual reference checks can eat up valuable recruiter time and delay your hiring decisions. This often leads to missed opportunities with top talent.

Xref’s automated reference checking sends requests in under 30 seconds, and I’ve seen results typically returned within 24 hours. The bulk reference checking feature is a true time-saver, helping you move candidates through the pipeline much faster. This feature significantly reduces the time you spend on manual follow-ups.

This means you can speed up your hiring process, reduce unconscious bias, and spend more time engaging with candidates.

2. Trust Marketplace (Background & ID Checks)

Need to verify candidates beyond just references?

Managing multiple background check vendors can be a logistical nightmare, slowing down your due diligence process. This can leave compliance gaps.

The Trust Marketplace gives you access to global background and ID checking vendors all from one platform. From my testing, the ability to request various checks alongside references really streamlines the entire verification process. This feature makes it simpler to ensure compliance.

So, you get a comprehensive view of your candidates and can make more confident hiring decisions with less administrative hassle.

3. Pulse Surveys

Struggling to keep a pulse on employee engagement?

Getting regular, actionable feedback from your team can be tough, often leading to low engagement and higher attrition. This directly impacts retention.

Xref Pulse Surveys offer a quick, anonymous way to gather feedback on critical areas like diversity and leadership. What I love about this approach is how unlimited surveys are available across all plans, giving you continuous insights. This feature helps you understand what truly drives your employees.

This means you can identify potential issues early, improve your organizational performance, and proactively work towards reducing employee turnover.

4. Exit Surveys

Losing valuable insights when employees leave?

Departing employees hold crucial feedback, but collecting it effectively can be challenging, leading to missed opportunities for improvement. This impacts corporate learning.

Xref Exit Surveys provide pre-made templates and a user-friendly interface to gather feedback from those moving on. Here’s what I found: the insights gained from these surveys help you understand true reasons for departure, which is invaluable. This feature ensures you capture critical information from their exit.

This means you can transform departures into learning opportunities, making data-driven improvements to your workplace culture and retention strategies.

5. Talent Pool

Building a pipeline of pre-vetted candidates still a manual chore?

Finding quality candidates for future roles can be time-consuming and expensive, especially without an organized talent pipeline. This burdens your recruitment budget.

Xref’s automated Talent Pool allows candidates and referees to opt-in for future opportunities, with an impressive average 60% opt-in rate. This is where Xref shines, as it automatically collates skills and preferences, making it easier to fill roles. This feature creates a ready pool of pre-vetted individuals.

This means you can significantly reduce future recruitment spend and fill open positions more efficiently with a readily available pipeline of talent.

You’ll actually appreciate how these Xref features work together to create a comprehensive talent intelligence system, supporting your team from hiring to retention.

Xref Pricing

What’s the actual cost of streamlining your hiring?

Xref pricing provides clear, annual plans based on employee turnover, helping you budget precisely for automated reference checking and talent management solutions.

Plan	Price & Features
Starter	$840.00 per year • Up to 75 employees, 25 turnovers • Automated talent pooling • Multi-language support • Unlimited users, essential support
Growth	$1,680.00 per year • Up to 150 employees, 50 turnovers • Automated talent pooling • Multi-language support • Unlimited users, essential support
Plus	$3,480.00 per year • Up to 300 employees, 100 turnovers • Custom questions, report sharing • Priority support • All Growth plan features
Premium	$5,820.00 per year • Up to 500 employees, 200 turnovers • Bulk upload tool • Integration support • All Plus plan features
Enterprise	Custom pricing • For 500+ employees, higher turnover • Tailored features & pricing • Dedicated Account Manager • Custom solution

1. Value Assessment

Solid value for your HR budget.

Xref’s tiered pricing model ties directly to your organizational size and turnover, which I found offers excellent value. Their plans focus on efficiency gains, with predictable costs for rapid reference checks, talent pooling, and automated surveys. This structure helps you avoid unexpected per-check fees, and the flat annual rate simplifies budgeting.

This means your budget stays predictable, allowing you to scale your hiring operations without financial surprises.

2. Trial/Demo Options

Try before you buy, free.

Xref provides a free trial that doesn’t require a credit card, which is a big plus. This lets you thoroughly test the platform’s features, like automated reference checking and pulse surveys, without any financial commitment. From my analysis, the trial helps you validate the efficiency gains for your team before investing.

This helps you evaluate the system’s fit for your processes and team before committing to the full pricing.

3. Plan Comparison

Matching your needs to plans.

The Starter and Growth plans are great for SMBs focusing on core reference checking and talent pooling. For larger organizations, the Plus and Premium tiers add essential features like custom questions and integration support. What impressed me is how the turnover caps clearly define usage tiers, guiding your choice.

This helps you match pricing to actual usage requirements, ensuring you only pay for what your business truly needs.

My Take: Xref’s pricing strategy offers clear, scalable options based on employee turnover, making it easy for businesses to find a plan that fits their specific recruitment volume and budget.

The overall Xref pricing reflects straightforward value designed for modern HR efficiency.

Xref Reviews

What do real users actually think?

To help you understand Xref’s real-world impact, I’ve analyzed numerous Xref reviews and user experiences to give you a balanced view of what customers truly feel about the platform.

1. Overall User Satisfaction

Most users are highly satisfied.

Xref maintains impressive ratings, with 4.6/5 stars on G2 and 4.8 stars on Google, consistently recognized as top-rated. From my review analysis, users frequently praise its significant time-saving capabilities, often highlighting how it transforms a traditionally manual process into an efficient automated one.

This indicates you can expect a highly positive experience focused on efficiency gains.

2. Common Praise Points

Users love the speed and security.

Customers consistently praise Xref’s ease of use and automated process, noting how it speeds up reference checks within 18-24 hours. What impressed me about the user feedback is how specific customers get about the robust security and fraud detection features, which provide immense confidence in the results.

This means you can rely on quick, trustworthy data for faster hiring decisions.

3. Frequent Complaints

Some users miss the personal touch.

While largely positive, some Xref reviews mention the automated process can feel impersonal compared to direct phone calls. What stands out in customer feedback is how automated reminders can occasionally annoy referees, even though they are crucial for timely responses.

These minor issues are generally seen as trade-offs for the significant efficiency benefits.

Overall, Xref reviews reveal high user satisfaction driven by efficiency and security, with minor concerns about personalization.

Best Xref Alternatives

Seeking the perfect HR tech solution?

The best Xref alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different business situations and priorities in reference and background checking.

1. iCIMS SkillSurvey Reference

Already invested in the iCIMS ecosystem?

iCIMS SkillSurvey Reference excels if you’re heavily using the iCIMS Talent Cloud and need deep, immediate insights directly from references. From my competitive analysis, SkillSurvey offers robust, insight-focused reference checks, making it a powerful alternative for integrated talent acquisition.

Choose iCIMS SkillSurvey if seamless integration with their broader HR suite is your main priority.

2. Checkr

Prioritizing robust, AI-powered background screening?

Checkr is a specialized choice when your most critical need is comprehensive, AI-driven background and criminal checks. What I found comparing options is that Checkr provides highly streamlined background check services, though it doesn’t offer Xref’s broader talent lifecycle features.

Consider this alternative when your focus is primarily on fast, reliable, and thorough background checks.

3. HireRight

Does your organization have complex global screening needs?

HireRight is ideal for organizations requiring an extensive array of specialized background and drug screening services on a global scale. Alternative-wise, your situation calls for HireRight if extensive global reach and specialized checks are non-negotiable.

Choose HireRight for complex international screening, especially when specific niche checks are required over Xref’s marketplace.

4. GoodHire

Are you a small business needing cost-effective background checks?

GoodHire appeals to small businesses primarily seeking straightforward and reasonably priced background checks without the broader suite of employee feedback tools. From my competitive analysis, GoodHire offers cost-effective, easy background checks appealing to lower-volume needs, unlike Xref’s more comprehensive platform.

Consider this alternative if budget-friendly, simple background checks are your priority as a small business.

The best Xref alternatives depend on your specific hiring priorities and budget rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

Xref Setup

Worried about a lengthy, disruptive software rollout?

Xref implementation is refreshingly straightforward, designed for quick setup and minimal disruption. This Xref review aims to set realistic expectations for your deployment process.

1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

Getting started is genuinely simple here.

Xref is designed for ease of use with no programming needed. Users report seamless ATS integrations and fast implementation times. From my implementation analysis, you can expect a rapid deployment, often within days, rather than weeks or months.

You’ll appreciate that Xref minimizes the need for extensive project planning or technical expertise for basic setup.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

Minimal technical hurdles to overcome.

Xref is cloud-based, accessible from any device, and compatible with various HR and ATS platforms. What I found about deployment is that it integrates well with existing systems, requiring little from your IT team beyond initial connection points.

Plan for straightforward API connections; you won’t need major hardware upgrades or complex network reconfigurations for Xref.

3. Training & Change Management

User adoption is remarkably easy.

The intuitive nature of Xref means the learning curve is exceptionally low; 96% of US customers find it easy to learn. From my analysis, your team will quickly grasp the system with minimal formal training sessions, leading to fast user adoption.

Expect high user acceptance, as the platform streamlines a common process without requiring radical changes to workflow.

4. Support & Success Factors

Excellent support enhances the deployment experience.

Xref consistently receives high marks for quick, thorough, and helpful customer support, with a 9.4/10 G2 satisfaction score. What I found about deployment is that strong vendor support significantly boosts confidence and speeds up any troubleshooting during implementation.

Leverage their responsive support and dedicated project managers to ensure a smooth transition and maximize your ROI.

Overall, Xref setup emphasizes simplicity and quick time-to-value, making it a highly attractive option for businesses prioritizing efficient, low-friction deployments.

Bottom Line

Xref delivers undeniable value.

This Xref review synthesizes my comprehensive analysis to provide a clear recommendation, highlighting who benefits most from its features and why it stands out.

1. Who This Works Best For

HR teams seeking streamlined, data-driven hiring.

Xref is an ideal fit for HR professionals, talent acquisition teams, and recruiters in organizations of all sizes. What I found about target users is that businesses needing to automate high-volume reference checks and improve hiring efficiency will find it invaluable.

You’ll see significant time savings and better hiring decisions, particularly in industries prioritizing trust and compliance.

2. Overall Strengths

Automation and insights redefine reference checking.

The software succeeds by automating reference checks, providing fraud detection, and delivering comprehensive data-driven insights through its reports. From my comprehensive analysis, its ability to deliver 60% more data than traditional methods significantly enhances recruitment decision-making and efficiency.

These strengths translate into faster hiring processes, reduced recruitment costs, and increased confidence in your candidate selections.

3. Key Limitations

Automated processes can feel less personal.

While highly efficient, some users may find the lack of direct verbal interaction with referees less personal compared to traditional phone calls. Based on this review, the automated reminder system can occasionally annoy referees if not managed appropriately, impacting their experience.

I’d say these limitations are minor trade-offs for the massive time savings and security benefits you gain from the automated process.

4. Final Recommendation

Xref earns a solid recommendation.

You should choose Xref if your organization values efficiency, security, and data-driven insights in its talent acquisition and employee feedback processes. From my analysis, this solution works best for those prioritizing automation and comprehensive employer intelligence over purely basic background checks.

My confidence level is high for organizations looking for a holistic, integrated solution to streamline their HR functions.

This Xref review demonstrates strong value for organizations prioritizing efficiency and data in their HR processes, guiding you to make a confident decision.