Candidate screening + reference checks — done for you

Trust your gut. Verify the rest.

Q: How is candidate consent handled?

Explicit authorization before any outreach; disclosures and records kept organized; dispute rights and adverse-action support included. Employers remain responsible for using counsel-approved notices.

Q: How do you contact references?

By email. Each reference gets a short, structured questionnaire and automatic reminders — no phone tag for you or them. We turn their answers into the verdict and the questions to ask next.

Q: What if a candidate refuses?

Your call — you can require completion to advance, like any background check. Refusal never shows as a score; the report just doesn't run.

Q: Does this replace a background check?

No — it runs before one, in the interview phase. Background checks still happen at the offer stage.

Q: How much does it cost?

Free for your first check, then $2.99 each. Bulk packages available.

Screen every applicant. Reference-check the finalists.

Upload your applicants — we grade them free, then run reference checks on your finalists and hand back a clear green / amber / red verdict, usually within 24 hours.

Screen your applicants — free → See how it works

● First check free · no card · 60 seconds to start

app.mylynda.ai / candidate / 0419 REF-019-A

Candidate report Sarah Mitchell Office Administrator · 4 yrs experience

Proceed Clear to advance 0 / 100

LinkedIn — Verified Employment & reference cross-check

Timeline0
Tenure0
Reference signal0
Role validation0

Ask before round two

Her last role scoped narrower than this one — how has she handled a wider remit?
One reference mentioned she runs ahead of process. Where does that help, and where does it bite?

● A real report · green verdict

Trusted by owner-operators

The problem

No one calls references.

Calling three references for one candidate is an afternoon nobody has — so it doesn't happen. You hire on a resume and a gut feeling, then find out who someone really is 60 days in.

$10K–$20K What a wrong hire costs a small business in training, lost productivity, and re-recruiting. ≈30% of first-year pay · U.S. Dept. of Labor

~20 hours The screening, scheduling, and reference chasing one hire takes — time most owners don't have. Industry estimate · per hire

It takes hours you don't have

Three references per candidate means an afternoon of voicemail and phone tag — so most owners skip it.

Background checks come too late

They clear after the offer — when you're already committed, or starting over.

Red flags surface too late

Short tenures, gaps, and reference mismatches show up after training starts — not before.

How it works

Screen everyone. Check the finalists.

Add your applicants

Drop in resumes or a CSV. We parse, rank, and letter-grade every one — free, in minutes.

Pick your finalists

Compare on tenure, gaps, and fit, then choose who's worth a real reference check.

We run the reference checks

Your finalist authorizes it; we email their references, chase the replies, and return a verdict, score, flags, and round-two questions.

app.mylynda.ai / role / office-admin 24 applicants

Candidates · color-coded green / amber / red

Sarah Mitchell6 yrs · no gapsProceed

Priya Shah4 yrs · 1 gapProceed

Dwayne Foster3 yrs · short tenuresCaution

Marcus Lee2 yrs · 2 gapsCaution

Leon Pratt1 yr · frequent movesPass

LinkedIn cross-check

We check the references are real — the way you would.

Before we trust a reference's answers, we scan their LinkedIn to confirm they're a real person who actually worked with the candidate, in the role they claim. So the feedback you act on comes from the right people — not a friend doing a favor.

The verdict

One stamp you can act on between appointments.

Every completed report ends in a single word, a number, and a clear next move. No dashboards to interpret.

Verdict — 04/2026 GREEN Clear to advance

References line up and the timeline holds. Bring them in for the next round.

Verdict — 04/2026 AMBER Hold. Ask these questions.

Something needs a closer look. We hand you the exact questions to resolve before you commit.

Verdict — 04/2026 RED Do not advance.

Serious concerns surfaced in the references or the record. Better to know now than 60 days in.

Why MyLynda

Built for the way small businesses actually hire.

Background checks were built for Fortune 500 HR. Reference-checking apps were built for tech recruiters. Neither was built for a real estate broker hiring her next office admin on a Tuesday.

	MyLynda	Background checks	Doing it yourself
Speed to insight	Target under 24 hours	3–7 days	Days of phone tag
Reference collection	Automated, structured	Not included	Hours per finalist
Used during interviews	Designed for it	Used after offer	Sometimes
Hiring signal	Tenure + reference signal	Mostly verifies facts	Hard to spot patterns
Compliance workflow	Consent-based support	Yes	You're on your own

Consent-based and compliance-ready. Explicit candidate authorization, FCRA-aligned disclosures, dispute and adverse-action support, and a full activity record on every candidate — organized from the start. Employers stay responsible for following applicable hiring laws and using counsel-approved notices.

Pricing

Screen broadly. Pay only when the deeper check matters.

Screening and organizing candidates is free. You pay just $2.99 for a reference check on a finalist — and your first check is free.

ScreeningAlways

Free

Organize unlimited candidates
Resume and work-history structuring
Shortlist by tenure and completeness
No card to start

Screen your applicants — free →

Most used

Reference checkTarget <24h

$2.99/ check

First check free
Structured outreach to 3 references
Green / amber / red verdict + score
Round-two interview questions
No subscription, no minimums, no tiers

Screen your applicants — free →

BulkFor pools

Custom

Packages for larger candidate pools
Volume pricing for large candidate pools
Same verdict, same turnaround
Talk to us when volume picks up

Get bulk pricing →

FAQ

The questions owners ask first.

How is candidate consent handled?

Explicit authorization before any outreach; disclosures and records kept organized; dispute rights and adverse-action support included. Employers remain responsible for using counsel-approved notices.

How do you contact references?

By email. Each reference gets a short, structured questionnaire and automatic reminders — no phone tag for you or them. We turn their answers into the verdict and the questions to ask next.

What if a candidate refuses?

Your call — you can require completion to advance, like any background check. Refusal never shows as a score; the report just doesn't run.

Does this replace a background check?

No — it runs before one, in the interview phase. Background checks still happen at the offer stage.

How much does it cost?

Free for your first check, then $2.99 each. Bulk packages available.

Start free

Catch the next bad hire before you make it.

Screen the next candidate before you commit. Submit in 60 seconds — target report in under 24 hours once they authorize.

Screen your applicants — free →

● First check free · no card · no subscription