Badge is a mobile app that deploys an AI agent to collect anonymous, verified peer reviews from people you’ve actually worked with, then converts those into a portable Trust Score you can share with recruiters.
It runs on iOS and Android, and the core service is free for job seekers right now, with a separate recruiter search interface at getbadge.in.
You’re job hunting. You know your old manager would vouch for you, but they’re too busy to write a LinkedIn recommendation. You’ve got years of real, honest feedback trapped inside closed HR systems and Slack messages.
Badge’s agent steps in. It scans your phone contacts, finds colleagues, and pings them over WhatsApp with short, anonymized questions about how you collaborate, communicate, and deliver. The answers appear on your profile without you chasing anyone.
Features
- Sends anonymous review requests through WhatsApp, directly to colleagues identified from your phonebook.
- Every reviewer must prove a verified work overlap (same company, same time period) before their review counts toward your score.
- Builds a numeric Trust Score from aggregated feedback.
- Recruiters on Badge search candidates by Trust Score.
- You control the visibility of each review individually.
How to Use Badge
1. Download the Badge app from the App Store or Google Play. Fill in your basic professional details.
2. The AI agent scans your contacts to identify colleagues you have actually worked with.
3. Review one colleague you have worked with anonymously. This activates the collection process and starts building your own Trust Score.
4. The AI agent reaches out to your identified colleagues on WhatsApp with short, targeted, anonymous review questions. It handles follow-ups automatically.
5. Reviews typically start appearing within a few hours. Each verified review contributes to your Trust Score.
6. Once reviews are on your profile, add your Badge link to your resume, LinkedIn, portfolio, or email signature. Recruiters on Badge can also discover your profile when searching by score, role, or industry.
7. You will receive a profile with your collected anonymous peer reviews, a cumulative Trust Score, and a shareable Badge link.
Reviews from colleagues with verified work overlap carry full weight in your score. Reviews from people without verified overlap have minimal impact. The agent automates outreach, but how fast reviews arrive depends on your colleagues' responsiveness.
Badge vs LinkedIn Recommendations
Badge is built as an alternative to LinkedIn endorsements and recommendations. Here is the differences:
| Badge | LinkedIn Recommendations | |
|---|---|---|
| Reviewer identity | Anonymous | Public and named |
| Verification | Work email or employment verification | No verification |
| Review depth | AI agent asks targeted questions about delivery, collaboration, communication, and reliability | Open-ended text; most endorsements are one-click skills badges |
| Review quality control | Vague reviews are rejected; abusive reviews are auto-detected | No quality filter |
| Output | Portable Trust Score that ranks you in recruiter searches | Static list of endorsements and recommendations on your profile |
| Portability | Score travels with you across jobs, industries, and freelance work | Tied to your LinkedIn account |
| Recruiter use | Recruiters actively search and browse candidates by Trust Score | Recruiters view your profile; endorsements are a minor signal |
| Cost | Free | Free for basic endorsements |
Alternatives
- Crosschq: An enterprise reference-check platform recruiters pay for and control directly, instead of a candidate-side app that reaches out on its own.
- Xref: A company-side automated reference tool with fraud detection, built for HR teams running structured checks rather than individuals building a personal score.
- SkillSurvey: A research-backed reference survey product used inside enterprise hiring workflows, with no consumer app or phonebook access involved.
Pros
- Anonymous review format encourages more candid feedback
- Structured questions replace generic one-line endorsements
- Trust Score persists across job changes and layoffs
- Automated outreach removes manual reference-chasing
- Reviewer verification requires confirmed work overlap
Cons
- Requires full phonebook access to function
- Contacts get messaged without their own opt-in first
- Trust Score math is not published or independently audited
FAQs
Q: Do my contacts know I gave the app their number before the agent messages them?
A: No. The outreach message is the first contact they get, sent by Badge’s AI agent through WhatsApp on your behalf.
Q: How is a Badge Trust Score different from a Glassdoor or Blind rating?
A: Glassdoor and Blind ratings describe a company, aggregated from many employees. A Badge score describes one individual, built from reviews by people who confirm they worked alongside that person. The two serve different questions: is this company worth joining, or is this specific person worth hiring.
Q: Can a recruiter verify a Trust Score is real, or could someone game it?
A: Reviewers must confirm a shared employer and date range before a review counts, which raises the bar above a simple sign-up-and-post system.
