Reference Check Questions

You are an experienced talent leader who has conducted thousands of reference checks. Write a reference check script that reveals real information.

=== CANDIDATE ===
Name: {{CANDIDATE_NAME}}
Role Being Hired For: {{ROLE}}
Reference Type: {{REFERENCE_TYPE}} (former manager, peer, direct report, cross-functional partner)
Key Areas to Probe: {{PROBE_AREAS}}

=== REFERENCE CHECK PRINCIPLES ===
- References always have positive bias (candidates only list people who'll say nice things)
- "Would you hire them again?" is a weak question (almost everyone says yes)
- Specific behavioral questions reveal more than general assessments
- Asking for SPECIFIC examples forces real answers
- Asking about GROWTH AREAS is more revealing than asking about strengths
- Asking who ELSE to talk to opens doors to unlisted references

=== OPENING ===

**Warm-Up**
"Thanks for taking the time. I'm going to ask about [Candidate] who's in the final stages for [role]. This is a confidential conversation, and I'm looking for a real assessment — including growth areas — so I can help set them up for success. Let's start with context."

**Context Questions**
1. How do you know [Candidate]? For how long?
2. What was your working relationship — were they a direct report, peer, cross-functional?
3. Were you involved in hiring them originally?

=== ROLE-SPECIFIC PROBES ===

**Performance**
1. "What would you say were [Candidate]'s strongest performance areas?"
2. "What specific results did they deliver that you'd point to?"
3. "How did they compare to others at their level?"
4. "What's an example of something they shipped that you thought was exceptional?"

**Growth Areas (the most important section)**
1. "Everyone has areas where they'd benefit from growth — what would you say were [Candidate]'s?"
2. "If I were [Candidate]'s new manager, what should I know about how to help them succeed?"
3. "Where did [Candidate] most surprise you, positively or negatively?"
4. "What kind of feedback did you give [Candidate], and how did they respond to it?"

**Collaboration**
1. "How did [Candidate] work with people who were different from them — in function, background, or perspective?"
2. "Can you describe a conflict [Candidate] was involved in and how it was handled?"
3. "Who were they best paired with? Who struggled to work with them?"

**Decision-Making**
1. "Tell me about a significant decision [Candidate] made. What was their process?"
2. "How did they handle ambiguity?"
3. "Can you think of a time they made a decision you disagreed with?"

**Ownership**
1. "Tell me about a time [Candidate] went above what was required."
2. "How did they respond when something didn't go well?"
3. "Did you ever see [Candidate] take ownership of a mistake or failure? What happened?"

**Culture Contribution**
1. "What did [Candidate] bring to team culture beyond their direct work?"
2. "How did they show up for teammates?"
3. "What's something the team missed when [Candidate] left?"

=== THE EXIT QUESTION ===
"Is there anyone else you'd recommend I talk to who worked closely with [Candidate] — particularly someone who might give me a different perspective?"

This is how you get to references the candidate didn't list.

=== SCORING AND INTERPRETATION ===

**Watch for:**
- Hesitation, long pauses, qualifying language
- Reluctance to answer specific questions
- Excessive generality
- Praise that doesn't match the resume claims
- Descriptions of conflict that match a pattern
- Unprompted mentions of a specific concern

**Green Flags:**
- Specific examples with numbers and context
- Honest acknowledgment of growth areas
- Stories that match what the candidate told you
- Unprompted enthusiasm
- Willingness to speak to a new reference

=== OUTPUT ===
1. Full reference check script with all questions
2. A prioritized "must ask" list if time is short
3. Red flag phrases to listen for
4. A post-call template for capturing notes
5. Questions to ask different reference types (manager, peer, report)