Reference check questions: 25 questions and a free template
The short answer
A reference check is a short call with someone who managed or worked closely with the candidate, made after the interviews and with the candidate’s agreement. Confirm the facts first (dates, job title, how the referee knows them), then ask for specific examples of the candidate’s work, how they work with others and where they needed support. Ask every referee the same questions, and weigh what they say alongside the interview evidence rather than on its own.
All 25 questions as a call sheet, with why you ask each one, what a useful answer shows, a follow-up and space for notes, plus fields for the referee’s details and the candidate’s consent. Free to download and adapt; no sign-up needed.
When to use these questions
Check references once a candidate is your preferred choice, usually after the final interview and before or as a condition of the offer. Two references are common, at least one from a recent line manager. A 15-minute call with a referee tells you far more than a form, because you can ask for examples and follow up.
Agencies often check references earlier, before putting a candidate forward, and for some roles the law requires it. The questions below work for permanent, contract and temporary placements; skip the ones a referee could not reasonably answer.
25 reference check questions, in call order
Confirm the facts first, then ask for examples. Each question has the reason to ask it and what a useful answer shows.
Confirm the facts
Start with facts the referee can answer quickly. They confirm the CV and that this referee can speak to the candidate’s work.
Question 1: How do you know the candidate, and how long did you work together?
- Why ask it:
- Confirms the referee saw the candidate’s work first-hand.
- A strong answer shows:
- Direct line management or close collaboration over a meaningful period.
Question 2: Can you confirm their dates of employment and job title?
- Why ask it:
- Checks the CV.
- A strong answer shows:
- Dates and title that match what the candidate told you.
Question 3: What were their main responsibilities?
- Why ask it:
- Checks the scope the candidate described in interview.
- A strong answer shows:
- Responsibilities consistent with the interview, at a similar level.
Question 4: Who did they report to, and did anyone report to them?
- Why ask it:
- Verifies seniority and any management claims.
- A strong answer shows:
- A reporting line and team size that match the candidate’s account.
Question 5: Why did they leave?
- Why ask it:
- Checks the candidate’s explanation.
- A strong answer shows:
- A reason consistent with the candidate’s. Some employers will only confirm dates and title; accept that without pushing.
Performance
Ask for examples. Adjectives such as “great” or “solid” tell you little until the referee says what the candidate actually did.
Question 6: What were they best at?
- Why ask it:
- Identifies strengths in the referee’s own words.
- A strong answer shows:
- Specific strengths with examples that match what the new role needs.
Question 7: Can you give me an example of work they did particularly well?
- Why ask it:
- Turns praise into evidence.
- A strong answer shows:
- A concrete piece of work, their part in it and the result.
Question 8: How did their performance compare with others in the same role?
- Why ask it:
- Gives a relative view, which is often more honest than an absolute one.
- A strong answer shows:
- A clear position, such as “top third”, with the reason.
Question 9: What were they measured on, and how did they do against it?
- Why ask it:
- Checks results the candidate claimed.
- A strong answer shows:
- Targets and outcomes that match the interview.
Question 10: How did they handle pressure or tight deadlines?
- Why ask it:
- Tests a common demand of the new role.
- A strong answer shows:
- A specific busy period and how they managed it.
Question 11: How much direction did they need?
- Why ask it:
- Tells you how much management the new role will need to give.
- A strong answer shows:
- A level of independence that fits the new role.
Working with others
These show how the candidate affects the people around them.
Question 12: How did they work with colleagues and other teams?
- Why ask it:
- Shows collaboration in practice.
- A strong answer shows:
- Examples of working across teams, not just “got on with everyone”.
Question 13: How did they handle disagreement or difficult feedback?
- Why ask it:
- Predicts how they will take coaching.
- A strong answer shows:
- A specific instance and what changed afterwards.
Question 14: How did they communicate with clients or customers?
- Why ask it:
- Relevant for client-facing roles.
- A strong answer shows:
- Examples of clear, professional communication, including under pressure.
Question 15: If they managed people, how would their team describe them?
- Why ask it:
- Checks management claims.
- A strong answer shows:
- Concrete behaviors, such as regular one-to-ones or developing people.
Question 16: How reliable were they at meeting deadlines and commitments?
- Why ask it:
- Tests dependability without straying into health or absence.
- A strong answer shows:
- A pattern of keeping commitments, with an example.
Development
Frame these as helping the candidate succeed. Referees are more open about development areas than about weaknesses.
Question 17: Where did they need the most support or development?
- Why ask it:
- Surfaces real development areas.
- A strong answer shows:
- A specific area and what was done about it.
Question 18: What feedback did you give them that they acted on?
- Why ask it:
- Shows whether they act on coaching.
- A strong answer shows:
- Feedback, the change it led to and how quickly.
Question 19: What kind of manager or environment gets the best from them?
- Why ask it:
- Helps the next manager set them up well.
- A strong answer shows:
- Practical guidance the hiring manager can use.
Question 20: What should their next manager know to help them succeed?
- Why ask it:
- Invites candour in a constructive frame.
- A strong answer shows:
- Specific, usable advice.
Fit for this role
Describe the new role briefly so the referee can judge the match.
Question 21: This role involves [two or three key responsibilities]. How do you think they would do?
- Why ask it:
- Gets the referee to compare the candidate with this specific role.
- A strong answer shows:
- A considered view with examples, not a reflex “great”.
Question 22: Is there anything in this role you think they would find hard?
- Why ask it:
- Gives the referee permission to flag a risk.
- A strong answer shows:
- A specific risk, or a clear reason there is none.
Question 23: Would you hire or work with them again? Why?
- Why ask it:
- Often the most telling answer of the call.
- A strong answer shows:
- An unhesitating yes with reasons. Hesitation is worth a gentle follow-up.
Close
Finish by inviting anything else, then thank the referee.
Question 24: Is there anything else I should know that would help them succeed in this role?
- Why ask it:
- Catches anything you did not think to ask.
- A strong answer shows:
- Any new information, positive or otherwise.
Question 25: Is it all right if I come back to you with a follow-up question?
- Why ask it:
- Keeps the door open if something needs clarifying.
- A strong answer shows:
- A yes and the best way to reach them.
How to use the reference check questions template
- 01
Step 01
Get the candidate’s agreement
Ask the candidate for referees, usually two with at least one recent line manager, and their agreement to contact them. Never contact a current employer without the candidate’s say-so. - 02
Step 02
Book a short call
Email the referee to book 15 minutes. Say what role the candidate is being considered for and that the candidate has agreed to the reference. - 03
Step 03
Ask the same questions of every referee
Confirm the facts first, then work through the questions in order. Skip any the referee could not reasonably answer. - 04
Step 04
Write down examples, not adjectives
Record what the referee said the candidate did. Note hesitation, and anything that contradicts what the candidate told you. - 05
Step 05
Weigh it with the interview evidence
A reference is one input. If something concerns you, give the candidate the chance to respond before you decide.
What not to ask a referee
- Health, sickness absence or disability before an offer. In Great Britain, section 60 of the Equality Act 2010 restricts health questions until a job offer, or for an agency until the candidate is put into a pool for a client. US law restricts disability questions before an offer too.
- Age, marital or family status, pregnancy or plans for children, religion, ethnicity or national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity. These are protected characteristics under the UK Equality Act 2010 and US federal law, and they say nothing about whether someone can do the job.
- Questions about people the candidate did not name as referees, unless the candidate has agreed.
- Leading questions such as “They were great, weren’t they?”. Ask open questions and let the referee answer.
UK agencies: two references for work with vulnerable people
In England, Wales and Scotland, if a role involves working with, caring for or attending a vulnerable person, an agency or employment business must obtain two references from people who are not relatives of the work-seeker, and who agree the reference can be shared with the hirer, before introducing or supplying them. It must also obtain copies of relevant qualifications and offer them to the hirer.
Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, regulation 22A short reference is often company policy
In the UK there is usually no legal duty to give a reference, and many employers in the UK and US confirm only dates and job title. Treat a factual reference as policy, not a warning sign, and look for a second referee who can speak to the work.
Arrive at references with the evidence already in hand
Beatview screens each application against your criteria and interviews the shortlist with the same timed questions, so by reference stage you know exactly what to check. Share the shortlist with your client through a password-protected link with your notes. AI interviews are on the Pro plan; the Free plan screens resumes for one active job.
Reference check questions: frequently asked questions
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Two is common, with at least one from a recent line manager. If you are a UK agency supplying someone into work with vulnerable people, two references from non-relatives are a legal requirement under regulation 22 of the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003.
Usually after the final interview, once the candidate is your preferred choice, and before the offer or as a condition of it. Agencies sometimes check earlier, before putting a candidate forward to a client. Always get the candidate’s agreement first.
Yes. In the UK there is usually no legal duty to give a reference, and many UK and US employers confirm only dates of employment and job title. That is normally company policy rather than a comment on the candidate.
Not before an offer in Great Britain: section 60 of the Equality Act 2010 restricts questions about a candidate’s health until a job offer, or, for an agency, until the candidate is put forward. US law also restricts disability questions before an offer. Ask about reliability in meeting commitments instead.
A phone call gets more detail, because you can ask for examples and follow up. A written reference confirms facts such as dates and job title. Many recruiters do both: a call for substance, written confirmation for the record.
Look for specifics, check whether a second referee sees the same thing, and weigh it against the interview evidence. If it could change your decision, give the candidate the chance to respond first.
Get the reference check questions template
All 25 questions as a call sheet, with why you ask each one, what a useful answer shows, a follow-up and space for notes, plus fields for the referee’s details and the candidate’s consent.
Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers. Version 1 October 2026.
Sources: Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, regulation 22; Equality Act 2010, section 60: health questions before an offer; EEOC: prohibited employment policies and practices. This template is general guidance, not legal advice.