Checking references for a new hire: who to call, three questions and what to do with the answers

In a small company the hiring decision often feels settled after the interview. The person is likeable, the scorecard is good, and the reference check becomes a formality that is skipped when the week is busy. That is the moment it matters most, because one wrong hire costs months of a small team's time.

A reference check does not need to be long. Three calls and about an hour are enough.

Before you call

Reference checks come after the interview, not instead of it. If you have used a scorecard and five fixed questions, you already know what you want to confirm. Pick the two or three points where you are least sure and keep them in front of you.

Tell the candidate at the offer stage that you will contact references and ask who they would suggest. Do not contact a current employer without their clear agreement; many candidates have not yet told their manager they are leaving.

Who to call

Aim for three people:

1. A recent manager. Someone who set the work and saw the results.
2. A colleague or client. Someone who worked alongside the candidate and saw how they behave day to day.
3. One person you find yourself. Only with the candidate's knowledge, for example a mutual contact who worked with them. This is the hardest to arrange and the most informative.

A named referee chosen by the candidate will usually be positive. That is still useful, because how specifically they describe the work tells you a lot.

Three questions

Ask the same three questions of every referee, in the same order:

1. "What was the person responsible for, and how did they do?" Look for concrete examples, dates and results, not general praise.
2. "What would help them do their best work, and what would you ask of their next manager?" This invites a fair, practical answer where "what are their weaknesses?" gets a rehearsed one.
3. "Would you work with them again?" Pay attention to the pause and the wording as much as the answer.

Keep the call to about fifteen minutes. Thank the person, and do not push if they decline to answer a point.

What to listen for

• Answers that are vague or only about personality, with no example of actual work.
• A referee who confirms job title and dates but nothing else. Some employers have a policy of giving only factual references, so this is not a warning on its own, but it means you have learned little.
• Differences between what the candidate told you and what the referee describes, such as scope, team size or reason for leaving.

One mild concern is normal. A pattern across two referees is worth discussing with the candidate before you confirm.

What to do with the answers

Write three or four lines per call straight afterwards: who you spoke to, what they confirmed and anything that surprised you. Compare them with your interview scorecard.

Then decide one of three things: confirm the offer, confirm it with a clear support plan for the first weeks, or go back to the candidate with a specific question. If a reference changes your decision, be honest and factual with the candidate, and do not disclose who said what unless that person agreed.

If the reference has confirmed the role, you can use it to shape the first weeks too, for example with a day-by-day plan for the first week.

Keep notes properly

Reference notes are personal data. Keep them factual, store them where only the people involved in hiring can open them, and delete them when you no longer need them, for example once the probation period has passed or if the candidate is not hired. The Information Commissioner's Office has guidance for small organisations on what you may keep. Acas explains recruitment and references for employers, and GOV.UK lists the checks employers may make on job applicants.

What to do this week

1. Write the three questions on one page and use them for every future hire.
2. Add "ask for permission to contact references" to your offer process.
3. For your next candidate, book three fifteen-minute calls before you send the final offer.
4. Write short notes straight after each call and compare them with your scorecard.
5. Set a date for deleting the notes.

If you are short of time, drop the third call, never the first.

Sources

• Acas, Recruitment: guidance for employers on recruiting fairly.
• GOV.UK, Employers' checks on job applicants: checks an employer may or must make.
• Information Commissioner's Office, Advice for small organisations: handling and keeping personal data.