What’s inside this Reference Check Meeting Template:

1 👋 Intros

Introduce yourself and thank the reference for their time. Explain that the reference check should take 10-15 minutes as you want to be respectful of the reference’s time.

• Name of Reference:
• Title (at the time of knowing candidate):

2 🔍 Relationship with applicant

Confirm employment dates and titles they claim on their resume and LinkedIn.

• Can you tell me about your relationship with [applicant] at [company]?
• Were you in a position to supervise their work?

3 📌 Applicant experience

Ask questions about the applicant’s day-to-day work and performance at their previous job.

• How would you describe [applicant’s] work ethic?
• Can you describe their ability to work with others (their customers, coworkers, stakeholders)?
• Can you give me an example of how they respond to feedback?

4🌱 Growth opportunities

Inquire about potential areas of improvement.

• We all have things we can grow and learn throughout our careers, what would you say is an area they could further develop or improve upon?

5💬 Closing thoughts

End the conversation with the following questions (and don’t forget to thank the reference for their time!).

• If you had the chance to rehire this person again for this same role, would you?
• Is there anything else you think I should know?