Guide to Reference Verification Questions for Employers

Reference verification questions help hiring managers see past the resume and interview. Used well, reference verification questions validate employment history, confirm job title and job duties, and reveal work performance patterns that predict future performance. This guide shows how to conduct reference checks that lead to a more informed hiring decision without wasting time.

At Sapphire Check, we help employers, HR teams, and recruiters reduce hiring risks with fast, accurate, FCRA-compliant background checks and verification services. Our team and technology deliver reference checks, criminal record searches, MVRs, drug tests, employment and education verification, healthcare license checks, and HRIS/ATS integrations so your organization can move qualified candidates into a new role with confidence.

Why Reference Verification Questions Still Matter

Interviews highlight a job candidate at their best. Reference checks reveal how the person performs when deadlines are tight, priorities shift, and coworkers need help. When you ask consistent reference questions across former employers, you validate employment dates, confirm the scope of work, and collect valuable insight on work ethic, communication skills, and problem-solving. This produces a complete picture for a more informed hiring decision.

According to research, reference checking is “an objective evaluation of an applicant’s past job performance” using information from people who have worked with the job applicant, such as supervisors, peers, or subordinates; OPM also notes that reference checks help verify information and improve predictions about on-the-job success.

Used with background checks and job-related skills tests, checking references adds missing context that the resume cannot deliver. Calling references also protects against negligent hiring by documenting due diligence. You hear how former managers describe the candidate’s work day to day, how they handled stressful situations, and whether the former supervisor would rehire them. Those signals help the hiring manager decide if the candidate is the right candidate for the open position.

Compliance and Risk Basics

Keep every question job-related. Avoid topics barred by law, including protected classes. Before calling references, confirm consent and purpose in writing, and store detailed notes in a consistent format. If reference data influences an adverse hiring decision, align with FCRA steps, including disclosures and a chance for the job applicant to respond. Good documentation supports an informed hiring decision and avoids potential red flags in audits.

A short “ask vs avoid” checklist helps teams stay consistent. Ask about employment history, job title, job duties, job performance, communication skills, candidate’s strengths, weak points, and whether the reference would rehire you. Avoid personal topics unrelated to the position. Keep your follow-up questions tied to the role’s requirements and the company’s policies so each effective reference check produces a clean record of due diligence.

What to Ask:

• Verify employment dates: Confirm start and end dates to match records.
• Verify job title and job duties: Validate scope, level, and day-to-day work.
• Describe work performance and communication skills: Get observable behavior and results.
• Why did the candidate leave: Understand context for the move or separation.
• Would you rehire: Capture a clear signal of trust and fit.

What to Avoid:

• Protected classes and personal life: Do not ask about age, race, religion, disability, marital status, or similar.
• Medical history: Exclude health details that are not job-related.
• Salary history where restricted: These rules vary by state and city; follow your local requirements.
• Any non-job topics: Keep the conversation tied to the position and company needs.

Who to Call and How to Establish Rapport

Start with former supervisors and former managers who directly observed the candidate’s work performance. Add a former colleague if you need a better understanding of collaboration or communication on the team. When possible, ask for the most recent manager first; they can compare performance across quarters and describe growth. If the candidate prefers not to contact a current supervisor, accept alternatives but ask for context.

Establish rapport at the start. Explain the role, the organization, and why you are calling references. Confirm you will keep the conversation confidential and focused on job-related topics. Share a summary of the open position so the reference can align their answer to the skills and outcomes that matter. Then pause and listen carefully. People share more when you give them time.

Preparing for the Conversation

Before you conduct reference checks, pull the resume, the application, and the interview notes. Flag items to confirm: job title, employment dates, job duties, scope, and reporting lines. Add prompts for “candidate leave” such as: “Why did the candidate leave the company?” Capture the role’s must-have competencies so you can test the candidate’s ability through examples. This prep keeps the call focused and efficient.

Create a one-page scorecard to guide reference questions and record detailed notes. Include the role’s core competencies, behavioral markers, and a 1–10 rating scale. Decide what a “7” looks like for communication skills, problem-solving, reliability, and teamwork. This structure turns qualitative answers into a repeatable process that supports informed hiring and a defensible final decision.

How to Review Employment Dates and Candidate Leave

Start by verifying employment dates exactly as the reference remembers them, then cross-check against the resume and application. Small rounding is normal; large gaps or overlapping ranges call for follow-up questions. Ask who the supervisor was during each period and what the team looked like at the time, because those details help confirm the record. This step protects your due diligence, aligns with background checks, and reduces surprises before a hiring decision.

Probe the reason for the candidate’s leave in neutral language and compare it to the interview note you already have. Former employers may mention org changes, performance, or a better opportunity, and each one affects risk differently. If the story is unclear, ask a second reference from the same time frame, preferably a former manager. Document what you heard, the dates cited, and any potential red flags so you have a clean trail that supports informed hiring.

Core Reference Verification Questions by Topic

Use a consistent set of reference check questions to build a reliable pattern across references. Start with verification, move to performance, then fit. Ask open, clear questions, and use follow-up questions for specifics. Keep phrasing simple and neutral.

Sample mapping

Topic	Examples of Questions to Ask References
Verification	“Can you verify employment dates, job title, and job duties?” “How closely did you work with the candidate in this position?” “Why did the candidate leave?”
Work performance	“How would you describe the candidate’s work performance and reliability?” “Share an example of high-impact results.” “How did they handle stressful situations or challenges?”
Collaboration and communication	“How did the candidate interact with co-workers, the team, and a supervisor?” “How would you describe their communication skills day to day?”
Strengths and Weak Points	“What are the candidate’s strengths that stood out?” “What weak points should a hiring manager watch or coach?”
Rehire and fit	“If you had the chance, would you rehire this person? Why or why not?” “What conditions help them succeed quickly in a new role?”

Two phrasing tips keep conversations productive. First, frame probes with “would you describe” to invite specific behavior, not labels. Second, turn vague praise into data with “Can you share an example?” and “Compared with peers, where did they land?” This shifts the call from opinions to observable facts that support a better understanding of the candidate’s work.

Spotting Red Flags and Authenticating References

Protect your process from fake or flimsy references. Confirm the reference’s identity through a company’s main line or corporate email domain. Compare titles and employment dates on LinkedIn to the records you have. During the call, verify how the reference knows the candidate and the time they worked together. If facts do not align, note the gap and seek a second reference from the same period.

Common red flag patterns include reluctance to describe specific work, answers that avoid examples, or contradictions between references. Another signal is a reference who cannot explain job duties for a job title they supposedly managed. Use neutral follow-ups: “Can you help me reconcile this date?” or “What did success look like in that role?” When you hear potential red flags, document them and seek more data before the final decision.

Turning Answers into a Decision

Convert qualitative input to a scorecard with ratings for communication skills, reliability, problem-solving, collaboration with the team, and work ethic. Weight each area based on the open position. For a safety-sensitive role, reliability and adherence to process may carry more weight. For a customer-facing role, communication skills and conflict resolution may matter most. Use the same weights across all candidates.

Summarize each call with three elements: one sentence on the candidate’s strengths, one sentence on weak points, and one sentence on expected future performance in the new role. Then log the reference’s “would you rehire” response as Yes, No, or Conditional with notes. This keeps the hiring manager focused on patterned evidence, not anecdotes, and supports an informed hiring decision grounded in consistent reference verification questions.

Checking References and Taking Detailed Notes

Plan reference checks as short, structured calls. Establish rapport, state the job-related scope, and keep questions to the point. Speak with former managers who directly observed the candidate’s work, then add a former colleague only if you need context on team dynamics. Confirm facts first and then ask performance questions about communication skills, reliability, problem-solving, and collaboration with coworkers and a supervisor. This rhythm keeps the call focused and lets you compare candidates fairly.

Write detailed notes during each call so you can compare patterns later without guessing. Capture who you spoke to, their title, the period worked together, confirmed employment dates, and the exact phrases they used to describe the candidate’s work. Add one example with results, any weak points, and whether they would rehire the candidate. Tag anything unclear for follow-up questions. These notes make the final decision faster and strengthen your record if the organization reviews the hiring

If you are looking for a simple way to keep your process job-related and consistent, we offer checklists, templates, and step-by-step guidance in our Background Check Compliance Resource Center. Use it to standardize consent, verify employment dates, log detailed notes, and follow pre-adverse and adverse action steps while you conduct reference checks. If you’d like to streamline your hiring process, this resource helps teams move faster without skipping due diligence.

Conclusion

Reference verification questions turn scattered opinions into usable evidence. When you verify employment dates and titles, confirm scope, and request examples from former employers, you see patterns that predict future performance. Pair that with a simple scorecard, consistent documentation, and attention to potential red flags, and your team reaches a more informed hiring decision with less debate. Keep every prompt job-related and consistent, and your process will produce a complete picture of the job candidate.

At Sapphire Check, we build reference checks into a streamlined background checks program so your organization can focus on hiring, not chasing calls. If you want a ready workflow for calling references and logging reference check questions, contact us for a short conversation about goals and timelines. If you need support on high-volume roles or regulated positions, contact us to get started.

FAQs

How do you verify a reference?

Call through a company’s main line or use a corporate email domain, confirm the reference’s job title and relationship to the candidate, match employment dates to your records, and ask how long they worked together on which team.

What questions are asked for clearance references?

Focus on reliability, policy adherence, integrity, judgment under pressure, conflict handling, and any issues that could affect trust, plus verification of employment dates, job duties, and supervisor relationships.

What is an example of a reference question?

“Would you describe the candidate’s communication skills with co-workers and customers, and share an example that shows their impact on the project outcome?”

Should reference checks be done by phone or email?

Phone is better because you can listen carefully to tone, ask follow-up questions in real time, and establish rapport to get fuller answers.