Release notes - Copy references from employment record

User type: Superusers, recruiters, hiring managers

I want to:

• Make it quicker and easier for candidates to complete reference details
• Reduce duplicate data entry in the application process
• Improve consistency between employment and reference information
• Capture reference date information for better reporting

What’s new

You can now enable a feature that allows candidates to copy reference details from their employment history, reducing duplicate data entry and making applications quicker to complete.

Copy references from employment (on request)

Candidates can now use Copy from Employment when completing the References section of the application form to reuse employment information.

When enabled:

• Copy from Employment can be selected in the References section to populate the form
• All fields can be reviewed and edited before saving

This makes applications quicker to complete. The same functionality is also available to recruiters when adding or editing candidates.

New reference date fields (standard fields)

Two new fields are now available in the References section:

• Date From
• Date To

To enable these fields:

• Go to Settings > Application Forms > Application Form Builder
• Open the References section
• Enable the fields as required

Important notes: 
- These are standard fields (not feature controlled)
- They are disabled by default
- They display on the Candidate Site only when enabled
- They are included in Advanced Insights/BI reporting

How it works

When enabled, reference details can be populated using existing employment records

The following fields can be copied (where enabled in both sections):

• Employer
• Address
• City/Town
• County
• Country
• Postcode
• Contact Person
• Email Address
• Phone
• Fax
• Date From
• Date To

All copied data remains editable and there is no ongoing link between employment and reference records after saving.

Important notes
- This feature must be enabled by Jobtrain before it becomes available
- The option is only available when candidates have existing employment records.
- Only fields enabled in both the Employment and References sections will be copied
- Required fields must still be completed before submission
- Copied data is not synced with employment records after saving

Best practices

• Enable Date From and Date To fields to support reporting and validation
• Review your References section in your Application Forms and enable relevant fields to ensure employment data can be copied correctly
• When making changes to application form fields, it is recommended to create a copy of the form and apply updates to the new version to preserve historical data and maintain consistency in reporting
• Consider enabling this feature to streamline longer or more complex application forms

FAQs

How do I enable this feature?
Please contact our support team to request activation.

Do I need to enable anything else for this to work?
Ensure relevant fields are enabled in both the Employment and References sections in your Application Forms. Date fields can also be enabled if required.

Do I need to enable the new reference date fields for this feature to work?
No. These fields are optional and do not need to be enabled.

Will this change existing applications?
No. This feature applies when adding reference details within the application form and does not update any existing reference data.

Can candidates copy employment details into references across different application stages?
Yes. Candidates can copy employment details into references whether they are in the same stage or different stages of the application (for example, Employment in 1st stage and References in 2nd stage), providing employment details have already been added.

Can recruiters use this feature when adding or editing candidates?

Yes. Recruiters can use Copy from Employment when adding or editing candidate applications on the client side.

Does this apply to the ‘Add Reference’ (quick add referee) feature?
No. This applies only to reference details within the application form. It does not apply to the Add New Reference option in the Onboarding / References section.

Can candidates still enter references manually?
Yes. This feature is optional and does not replace manual entry.

I’ve followed the guidance notes and have some further questions.

For any questions (or any other Jobtrain functionality), please contact our support team on +44(0)161 850 2004.