Reference Check Question Guide
Get useful answers from referees.
The Open buttons send the prompt text as currently shown below to that site only when you click. Fill in the placeholders first.
[VERIFY] is an editorial flag, not a blank to fill. Wherever the prompt shows [VERIFY], check that item against a reliable source before you use it.
Prepare a reference check. Role being filled: [ROLE]. What the candidate told us they did at the referee's workplace: [CANDIDATE_CLAIMS]. Areas I want to verify: [AREAS_TO_VERIFY]. Relationship of the referee to the candidate: [REFEREE_RELATIONSHIP].
Create: a permission checklist (confirm the candidate agreed to the contact); an opening script (50 words); 12 questions that ask for behavior and examples rather than opinions ("What was the most complex project they handled, and what was their role?"); two questions to verify claims neutrally ("I understand they led X; can you describe their part?"); a closing question ("Is there anything I haven't asked that I should know?"); and a note-taking table.
Add a guide to reading answers (pauses, careful wording, general praise without examples), what to do with a negative reference (check consistency, ask for specifics, give the candidate a chance to respond where appropriate), and questions that are not allowed or advisable to ask under rules in [JURISDICTION] [VERIFY]. Include an email to request a reference (80 words).
Nothing here is legal or HR advice; it is a draft to be reviewed. Get any legal, contractual or policy point reviewed by an employment lawyer or HR professional who knows [JURISDICTION] before relying on it.
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