Official skill · Hiring

Reference check guide and summary

v1.0.0 · Updated 4 November 2026

Writes a reference call guide (consent, scope, examples, the rehire question) and turns call notes into a summary with red flags. Use it when A candidate is at the final stage and you're about to call their references.

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When to use it

• A candidate is at the final stage and you're about to call their references
• You have notes from reference calls and need one summary for the hiring decision

What you give it

• The role and its 3 to 5 key needs
• The candidate's consent and referees
• What the candidate said about each job
• Call notes (for the summary)

What you get

A same-for-everyone call guide, one block per referee with examples and the rehire answer, and a combined read against the role.

How it works

1. Get consent and pick referees Get the candidate's permission in writing before any call (Acas says to have the applicant's permission before requesting references), and don't contact a current employer without explicit permission. Acas advises asking for references at the final stage, when making a job offer, and making a conditional offer before contacting a current employer, so the candidate's search isn't exposed early "[check: local law / HR]". Our default is 3 referees, at least 1 a former manager. SHRM's article quotes a recruiter who asks for 3, favours supervisors, and prefers people who worked with the candidate daily in the last 5 to 7 years.
2. Write the call guide Our default is 6 to 8 questions in 20 minutes. Use the same core questions for every candidate for the role, so answers compare. Every question must relate to the job.
3. Verify scope first Confirm the relationship, dates, title, and what the candidate owned (team size, budget, results). A mismatch with what the candidate told you is a finding, not a verdict; note it and ask the candidate.
4. Ask for examples Use open, behavioral questions ("How would you describe her performance on X? Can you give an example?"), not yes/no ones. SHRM's article recommends open-ended, behavioral questions, and quotes a recruiter who lets the question hang so the referee recalls specific instances.
5. Ask the rehire question last "Would you hire or work with them again? Why or why not?" Write down the exact words and any pause or hedge.
6. Stay inside the line Our default: treat a reference call like an interview. Never ask about age, race, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy or family plans, marital status, disability, health or sick days, or genetic information. The EEOC says employers may not make pre-offer inquiries about disability, and calls race, sex, national origin, age and religion irrelevant to hiring decisions; don't ask a referee what you can't ask the candidate. Salary history and criminal record questions are restricted in many places: "[check: local law / HR]". If a referee volunteers such information, don't record it and move on.
7. Read for red flags Patterns worth noting: answers that are general and not very positive, or neutral (SHRM's article says this can signal mediocre performance), and what the referee leaves unsaid; no example for a core skill; a hesitant or conditional rehire answer; scope that doesn't match the candidate's account; a referee who isn't who the candidate said. A former employer's no-comment policy is not a red flag; ask for another referee.
8. Summarize One block per referee, then a combined read against the role's needs. Quote, don't paraphrase, for anything negative.

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Changelog

• v1.0.0 · 4 November 2026 · First release.