Frequently asked questions
Common questions about using PreHire.
General
What is a reference check?
A reference check is a verification of a candidate's employment claims. We check the referee's identity, the employer's records, the email domain, and compare the candidate's stated dates with the referee's answers.
How long does it take?
Most checks complete within a few days, once the candidate has consented and the referees have responded. The check has a closing date of 14 days from consent.
Can I use PreHire outside the UK?
PreHire is designed for UK employers. The employer record check uses Companies House data, which covers UK-registered companies.
Technical
What happens if a referee does not respond?
We send up to three chase emails (at 48 hours, 96 hours and 168 hours after the invitation). If the referee still has not responded by the closing date, the report ships with a "No response" result for that referee.
Can I cancel a check?
Yes, from the check detail page. Cancellation requires two presses to confirm. The credit is returned only if no referee was contacted.
What if the candidate's email was wrong?
The candidate email is entered when raising the check. If it was mistyped, the check will sit at "Awaiting consent" and the credit will be returned when the consent link expires (14 days). You can then raise a new check with the correct address.
Data
How long do you keep my data?
Reports are kept for 12 months. Working data (candidate and referee personal information) is kept for 3 months, then deleted. Declined referee data is kept for 30 days.
How do I request data erasure or correction?
Email privacy@prehire.ai.
What data do you collect?
For candidates: name, email, role, referee details. For referees: name, email, employer, job title, relationship, answers. We do not collect dates of birth, addresses, ID documents, criminal or health data.
Legal
ICO registration
PreHire is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) before processing any real personal data. The lawful basis for processing candidate data is explicit consent. For referees, the basis is legitimate interest with a transparency notice.