Will the manager find out?+
Not from us. We don’t contact the manager, their company, or anyone you tell us is part of your hiring process, and we don’t tell anyone the request exists. We can’t promise that nobody will ever guess, or that someone won’t mention it on their own.
How do you know someone really reported to the manager?+
We compare dates, titles, and team history, and ask the person to describe the reporting line. If that isn’t enough, we may ask them for a redacted document showing where and when they worked. If it’s still unclear, we leave them out or say so in the brief.
Why former direct reports?+
They’ve seen the manager through launches, reorgs, bad weeks, and promotion cycles, not one polished interview. And the manager didn’t pick them. We also note how recent each person’s experience is and how close their job was to yours.
What if you can’t find enough people?+
If we can’t confirm and interview at least two former direct reports, or can’t write the brief without too much risk of identifying someone, you don’t pay.
How long does it take?+
We aim for 5 to 7 business days. If your deadline is sooner, tell us. We’ll say honestly whether we can make it before we start.
Is this a background check?+
No. It’s only about what it was like to report to one person. It isn’t an employment, credit, or consumer report.
Who can use ReverseRef?+
Candidates looking into their own late-stage interview or offer for a technology role. We need a public job posting and your LinkedIn profile, and we may ask for proof of where you are in the process. We don’t work for employers or managers, and we won’t help anyone find out who said what. (ReverseRef isn’t affiliated with LinkedIn.)
Where is ReverseRef available?+
Technology roles in the United States and Canada, for now. United Kingdom requests are on hold while we finish a privacy-law review. Join the update list if you’d like to hear when that changes.
How do the interviews work?+
Each one is a live, audio-only call with a ReverseRef interviewer. You aren’t on the call and cameras stay off. We don’t record it or make an automated transcript, and no AI voice, chatbot, or meeting bot joins.
Who funds ReverseRef?+
It’s self-funded and run by its founder, and candidates pay for it. Employers and managers connected to a case can’t buy access to the service, a brief, or anything about the people we interview. If ownership, funding, or the business model changes in a meaningful way, we’ll say so publicly.
Can the people you interview change what they said?+
Yes. They can ask to see what we’ve written from their interview at any time, and before the brief goes out they can correct it, cut it down, or pull it. We don’t reuse an interview for another case unless they agree again for that case. We can’t take back a copy you already have.
Do the people you interview get anything?+
Participants who complete an interview get a $100 credit toward a future review. They can use it or give it away, it never expires, and it’s the same whatever they say and whether or not their interview makes it into the brief.
What about NDAs or non-disparagement agreements?+
We ask what it was like to work for someone, not about company secrets. Participants are still responsible for their own agreements, and we can’t promise that talking to us is risk-free under any particular one.