How do you handle reference checks in hiring today?

We’ve been researching hiring workflows and noticed that reference checks are still one of the slowest steps in the process.

Recruiters told us they spend 7–10 days waiting on referees.

Some skip references entirely because of delays.

Others complain that answers are vague, biased, or unreliable.

I’m wondering how HN folks handle this today:

Do you still call references directly?

Do you rely on automated forms or ATS integrations?

Have you ever seen candidates “game” references (e.g., providing friends instead of managers)?

We’re building a tool in this space, but I’m mainly curious about real-world workflows outside of HR tech marketing slides.

Would love to hear your experiences.