How to Set Up References: Creating and Configuring Reference Check Packages

To set up references, you will first need to create a package with References toggled on. You can find out how to do this [here](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/0576f8aa-how-to-create-a-new-check-package-in-zinc). ![zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-1.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/public-fini-assets/zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-1.png) ## Select a package Once you have a package, you will then need to select the specific package you want to use which will open up the package editor. ## Select type(s) of reference to check With the package editor now open, you can now select what reference type you would like to use for the package. For more information on the reference types we offer, click [here](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/9e78e89d-what-reference-types-are-offered-at-zinc) for more information. - Each reference type we offer can be set to - Number of references - Number of years (with the maximum being 7 years) - **Or** Number of references **and** Number of years With Zinc, you can select multiple referencing requirements depending on your needs so feel free to select more than one to suit your organisation. ## If needed, customise questionnaire After selecting the types of references you want to use, you can then customise questions if needed if you have selected professional or regulatory references by clicking on **Customise questions**. Here, you will see our default verification questions which will be prompted to the referee to answer. These can be edited to suit your needs. You can also see the Additional Questions section which you can completely customise depending on your needs. - You can find out more on setting up questionnaires [here](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/9059b91d-customising-reference-questionnaires-for-tailored-reference-checks). Once you are happy with the questionnaire, hit **Save questions** in the top right corner of this page and if you want to see a sneak peek, click **Preview referee questions** to see it in action. ![zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-4.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/public-fini-assets/zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-4.png) ## Add preferences Finally, you can set some preferences at the bottom of the package editor for your references. ![zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-5.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/public-fini-assets/zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-5.png) - **Flag personal emails**: only available for HR and regulatory references, this feature helps deter candidates from provided personal email addresses in these reference types. Anytime a personal email is used, the reference will be marked as **consider** on the report and you can ask the candidate to provide an alternative if you need to ![zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-6.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/public-fini-assets/zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-6.png) ![zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-7.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/public-fini-assets/zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-7.png) - **Accept one less referee response than your criteria**: Reference checks can take some time to complete but to make it even faster, we offer this feature where the reference check will be marked as complete when either 1 reference less or 1 year less than your criteria are completed. We will still try to collect all submitted references but it just speeds up the process for you. This option is not available if the requirement is equal to 1 (year or reference) ![zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-8.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/public-fini-assets/zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-8.png) - **Require character references for non-employment periods**: If you want character references for non-employment periods, you can select this option. Here, candidates must provide a character reference for each period of non-employment **(Travelling, Seeking employment, Other)**. Academic periods are covered by **academic references** automatically and don't require an additional character reference. ![require character references package editor](https://zinc-fini-resource-storage.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Require+character+reference+package+editor.png) - **Values to look for**: Looking for a specific quality to be highlighted based on how the referee answers? You can enter this value here and the provided reference will be scanned for this value and highlighted on the candidate's report ![zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-9.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/public-fini-assets/zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-9.png) ## Save package Once you've selected any preferences, click **Save check package** to save your new reference package. ![zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-10.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/public-fini-assets/zincwork_hc_images/how-do-i-set-up-references-10.png) Congratulations! You are all set up for References now based on your requirements and ready to [request those checks](https://help.zincwork.com/hc/hm54ky7yrc/article/b1feb366-how-to-make-a-new-request-within-zinc-and-resend-candidate-links).