Reference check form template you can copy
Four copy-ready forms that cover a reference check from start to finish: the candidate’s consent and references, the questionnaire, the rating scale and the hiring team’s scoring sheet.
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Book a 30-minute demoKey takeaways
- A complete reference check form has four parts: consent and references, a questionnaire, a rating scale and a scoring sheet.
- Collect the candidate’s consent on the same form as their list of references, before anyone is contacted.
- Keep the questionnaire to six to ten job-related questions, with a scale defined in words and a "not able to judge" option.
- Have your counsel review the consent wording, especially if a third party will contact references for you.
A reference check form keeps every reference on the same footing: the same questions, the same scale and the same record of who said what. The four templates below cover a whole check. Copy them, replace the bracketed parts and cut what does not fit the role.
They work on paper, in a shared document or as an online form. If a reference prefers a call, the questionnaire doubles as your script and your note sheet.
What a reference check form needs
- Consent from the candidate, recorded before anyone is contacted.
- The relationship: who the reference is, how they know the candidate and for how long.
- Questions from the job, the same for every reference.
- A rating scale defined in words, with a way to say "I did not see this".
- The record: dates, names and the answers as given.
1. Candidate consent and references
Send this to the candidate when they reach the reference stage. It asks for references by role and records consent in one step.
REFERENCE CONSENT AND NOMINATION Candidate name: ____________________ Position applied for: ____________________ Please list three references who know your recent work, including at least one current or former supervisor. Reference 1 (supervisor) Name: __________ Title: __________ Organization: __________ Email: __________ Phone: __________ How they know your work, and when: ____________________ Reference 2 Name: __________ Title: __________ Organization: __________ Email: __________ Phone: __________ How they know your work, and when: ____________________ Reference 3 Name: __________ Title: __________ Organization: __________ Email: __________ Phone: __________ How they know your work, and when: ____________________ Is there anyone we should not contact yet, such as your current employer? ____________________ I agree that [Organization] may contact the references listed above about my work and my suitability for this position. I understand that their answers will be read by [who reads them] and used only for this hiring decision. Signature: __________ Date: __________
Have the consent wording reviewed
This wording is for references your own staff contact. If an outside firm will contact references for you, consumer reporting rules can require a separate written disclosure and authorization. Reference checks vs. background checks explains when, and your counsel can confirm the wording for your state.
2. The reference questionnaire
Send the same questionnaire to every reference for every candidate, or use it as your script on a call. Swap in questions for the role from the question bank or from a set written for the job.
REFERENCE QUESTIONNAIRE Candidate: __________ Position: __________ Reference name: __________ Title: __________ Organization: __________ Date: __________ About the relationship 1. How do you know the candidate, and what was your role relative to theirs? 2. When did you work together, and for how long? About the work (rate 1 to 5, or "not able to judge", and give an example) 3. [First competency, such as quality of work]: How would you rate it, and what example comes to mind? 4. [Second competency, such as reliability]: How would you rate it, and what example comes to mind? 5. [Third competency, such as working with others]: How would you rate it, and what example comes to mind? 6. Describe a time the candidate met a problem at work they had not seen before. What did they do? Closing 7. Would you hire or work with the candidate again? Why or why not? 8. What would help them do their best work in a new role? 9. Is there anything else we should know? Thank you. Your answers will be read by [who reads them] and used only for this hiring decision.
3. The rating scale
| Rating | Label | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Outstanding | Among the best I have seen in a similar role |
| 4 | Strong | Better than most in a similar role |
| 3 | Effective | Does what the role needs |
| 2 | Mixed | Effective in some areas, with real gaps |
| 1 | Below the role | Not yet at the level the role needs |
| Not able to judge | Not observed | Did not see this part of the work |
Score "not able to judge" as missing, never as a low score. The Public Service Commission of Canada’s guidance on structured reference checks uses the same idea: a five-point scale with an option for what the referee was unable to observe.
4. A scoring sheet for the hiring team
Once the answers are in, put them side by side. Keep each rating next to its example, and each reference’s relationship next to their scores, so nobody has to ask why a number was given.
REFERENCE SCORING SHEET Candidate: __________ Position: __________ Reviewed by: __________ Date: __________ Relationship of each reference to the candidate Reference 1: __________ Reference 2: __________ Reference 3: __________ Scores (1 to 5, or N/J for not able to judge), with the example behind each Quality of work: R1 ___ R2 ___ R3 ___ Example: __________ Reliability: R1 ___ R2 ___ R3 ___ Example: __________ Working with others: R1 ___ R2 ___ R3 ___ Example: __________ Problem solving: R1 ___ R2 ___ R3 ___ Example: __________ Would hire or work with again: R1 ___ R2 ___ R3 ___ Concerns raised, and how each was followed up: ____________________ Summary for the decision: ____________________
Skip the paperwork
ReferenceCheck collects consent and references from the candidate’s secure link, sends each reference your questionnaire to answer on their phone, and scores the answers into one report you can export to PDF or Excel.
See plans for employersUsing the form well
- Send it to every reference the same day, so one late reply does not hold up the rest.
- Say how long it takes and when it is due, in the first lines of your request.
- Keep completed forms with the hiring record. The EEOC’s recordkeeping rule requires the employers it covers to keep employment records for at least one year.
- Decide in advance whether the candidate will see the answers, and tell references which it is. Never promise confidentiality your process cannot keep.
- Ask only what you could ask the candidate directly. What to leave out lists the questions that do not belong on the form.
Common questions
What should a reference check form include?
Four parts: the candidate’s consent and list of references, a questionnaire that opens with the relationship, a rating scale defined in words, and a place to record the answers with dates. The templates above cover each part.
Should references fill in the form themselves?
They can. Written answers in the reference’s own words are easier to compare and leave a record by default. Offer a call to any reference who prefers one, and use the same questionnaire as your script so the answers still line up.
Can the candidate see the completed reference form?
That depends on your policy and the law where you hire, so decide before you send anything and tell references what to expect. Never promise references confidentiality your process cannot keep.
How long should a reference form take to complete?
About ten minutes for a written questionnaire of six to ten questions, and about twenty minutes for a structured phone call by OPM’s estimate. Put the time in the request: references judge a request by its size.
Sources
- Public Service Commission of Canada, Structured reference checks. Checked October 8, 2026.
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Reference Checking. Checked October 8, 2026.
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, 29 CFR 1602.14: Preservation of records made or kept. Checked October 8, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission, Using Consumer Reports: What Employers Need to Know. Checked October 8, 2026.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the requirements that apply to your organization, and in your state, with your counsel or HR policy office.
About this guide
Written and kept up to date by Never Ending Solutions, the company that builds NES ReferenceCheck. Outside facts are cited with the date we checked them, and the advice works with or without our software. Read our editorial standards.