It is one of the steps in the recruitment process that is carried out most perfunctorily.
You call the referee, ask the standard questions, note the answers and confirm what you already think you know.
It is a significant opportunity being wasted.
What reference checks actually are
Det är din sista chans att verifiera det du tror att du vet om en kandidat. Och att avslöja det du inte visste. En bra referenstagning är inte en bekräftelsekontroll. Det är en undersökning. Och den som ringer med nyfikenhet – snarare än med förväntan – får mycket mer information.
Three questions I always ask
- Tell me about a time when X faced a difficult situation. What happened, and how did they handle it?
It is the question that reveals the most. Not because the answer is always unfavorable — but because it reveals how the person functions under pressure, in adversity and when reality does not match the plan.
A reference who cannot give a concrete example is worth being curious about. Either the person has never found things difficult — which is unlikely — or the reference is choosing their words carefully. - If you were hiring X again, would you? Under what circumstances?
That question puts the referee in a position where they need to be more specific than 'they were great'.
The answer — and especially the nuances in the answer — gives you valuable information. - Is there anything I have not asked about that you think I should know?
The open ending. It gives the referee the opportunity to share information that might be important but that your specific questions did not cover.
Sometimes nothing happens. Sometimes a great deal does.
One final point about reference selection
Do not let the candidate decide alone who should be contacted. Ask for references from specific types of relationships — previous managers, colleagues, and perhaps direct reports, if relevant to the role.
And if a candidate is reluctant to provide references from their most recent employers — ask why.
If you have thoughts, questions, or simply want to talk something through — feel free to get in touch. I am happy to have an initial conversation with no agenda.
Magdalena Hagström Ståhl
By M Consulting AB
Right person. Right place. Everything changes.