Your References: What We Need and How to Submit Them
References are a required part of your onboarding. Here is what we need, who counts, and how to get them submitted.
What are the requirements?
We need at least two references covering the last two years of your experience. That can be from education, your most recent professional work, or a mix of both. Ideally, at least one should be from your most recent work with children.
There are a few rules on who can provide a reference:
- References from schools must come from a member of the senior leadership team.
- References from other workplaces must come from a line manager, direct employer, or HR team.
- References must come from a professional email address. If your referee does not have one, they will need to provide a phone number so we can verify the reference verbally.
- Character references cannot be a family member. They can be a friend you have known for at least two years who works in a professional setting.
Your two references must cover up to the last two years and match the dates on your CV. If that is not possible, your recruiter will support you and work through it with you.
How to submit your references
While you are still onboarding, go to your Home page and find the References section under Identity Verification and Documents. From there you can add multiple references. The app will guide you through what is needed and may suggest which references to include based on the information in your profile.
What if you have not worked with children or have not been working recently?
That is fine. If you have not worked with children in a professional capacity, you can provide a character reference from someone who can speak to your suitability to work with children. If you haven't been working recently, the same will apply.
Who counts as a character reference?
A character reference should be someone who knows you well on a personal level - a family friend, a close friend, or a course leader from your education. They need to have known you for at least two years and will be vouching for your character.
Ideally, they will have a professional email address. If they do not, they will need to provide a phone number so we can give them a quick call to verify the reference verbally.
What if a referee does not have a professional email address?
If your reference is from a professional workplace, it must come from a management-level email address.
We understand that some overseas workplaces do not use professional email addresses. In that case, provide a phone number for your referee and we will verify it verbally.
What if we cannot reach your referee?
We recommend letting your referees know in advance that a reference request is on its way - it means they are expecting it and can respond promptly.
If the reference is from your most recent work with children or from a significant recent role, we may need it as a non-negotiable. In that case, it is worth identifying an alternative contact from that same employer if your original referee is unreachable.
You can check whether your references have been submitted in the References section of your onboarding.
What if you have made an error on a reference?
If you have entered incorrect details for a reference, you can simply edit their details in the references section, or add a new reference with the correct details, and update your recruiter.
How to upload your references
Take a look at our Uploading your Documents article for step by step guidance.
Still have questions?
We recommend reaching out to your assigned recruiter directly. You can find their details at the bottom of your onboarding page. If you haven't yet got an assigned recruiter, you can email us at support@zeneducate.com or message us through the Help section in the app.