Reference Check Template: Questions, Email Scripts & Best Practices

Reference checks are among the most valuable — and most inconsistently executed — stages of the hiring process. Without a structured template, interviewers often ask vague questions, miss critical areas, and struggle to compare results across candidates. A well-designed reference check template ensures consistency, reduces legal risk, and extracts the specific information needed to make confident hiring decisions.

In Australia, reference checks are also subject to privacy obligations under the Privacy Act 1988, which means the questions you ask, the information you collect, and how you store responses must all be handled with care. A standardised template helps you document what was asked and answered, creating an audit trail if a hiring decision is ever challenged.

Research consistently shows that structured reference checks — using the same questions for all references on a given role — produce more predictive and legally defensible outcomes than unstructured conversations. Structured approaches reduce the risk of bias and prevent individual interviewers from going off-script in ways that could expose the organisation to discrimination claims.

The templates below are adapted for the Australian employment context and can be used directly or customised for your organisation's tone and specific role requirements.

Use the following script when conducting a phone reference check. Always begin by confirming the referee's relationship to the candidate and the dates of employment to validate the reference source before asking detailed questions.

Opening:

• "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I'm [name] from [company], and I'm calling regarding [candidate name], who has applied for a [role title] position with us. [Candidate name] has provided your contact details as a professional referee — is that okay to proceed?"
• "Can you confirm your relationship to [candidate name] and the period during which they worked with you?"
• "In what capacity did you supervise or work alongside them?"

Performance questions:

• "How would you describe [candidate name]'s overall job performance?"
• "What were their main responsibilities in their role with you?"
• "What were their greatest strengths in that role?"
• "Were there any areas where you felt they needed to develop further?"
• "How did they handle pressure or competing priorities?"

Culture and conduct questions:

• "How did they interact with colleagues and other team members?"
• "Can you describe their communication style?"
• "Were there any conduct or attendance issues during their employment?"

Closing:

• "Would you re-employ [candidate name] if the opportunity arose?"
• "Is there anything else you think I should know before we make our decision?"

Email references are less rich than phone references but are useful when phone contact is impractical or when you need written documentation. Use the following template and adapt the questions to the role.

Subject line: Reference Request for [Candidate Name] — [Role Title]

Email body:

Dear [Referee Name],

[Candidate Name] has applied for the position of [Role Title] with [Company Name] and has provided your contact details as a professional referee. We would appreciate your candid assessment to assist us in our decision-making process.

Please respond to the following questions at your convenience. Your responses will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of assessing [Candidate Name]'s suitability for this role.

1. In what capacity and for what period did you work with [Candidate Name]?
2. What were their primary responsibilities?
3. How would you rate their overall performance on a scale of 1–10, and why?
4. What do you consider their key strengths?
5. Were there any areas of performance or conduct that concerned you?
6. Would you re-employ this person? Why or why not?
7. Is there anything else you believe is relevant to our assessment?

If you prefer to discuss this by phone, please reply with a suitable time and your contact number.

Thank you for your assistance.

Standard questions work across most roles, but tailoring your questions to the specific position type yields more relevant insights. Below are additional questions recommended for common role categories in Australia:

Management and leadership roles:

• "Can you describe [candidate name]'s leadership style and how they motivated their team?"
• "How did they handle underperforming team members?"
• "Did they demonstrate strategic thinking, or were they more operationally focused?"

Client-facing and sales roles:

• "How did they manage client relationships, particularly in difficult situations?"
• "Did they consistently meet or exceed targets? How did their performance compare to peers?"
• "Can you give an example of how they handled a dissatisfied client?"

Technical and specialist roles:

• "How did they stay current with developments in their technical area?"
• "Can you assess their proficiency in [specific skill/tool relevant to the role]?"
• "Did they take ownership of technical problems or escalate quickly?"

Healthcare and care sector roles:

• "Did they demonstrate empathy and professionalism in their interactions with patients/clients?"
• "Were there any clinical or duty-of-care concerns during their employment?"
• "How did they respond to emotionally demanding or high-pressure situations?"

FIFO and resource sector roles:

• "How did they perform during extended site rotations?"
• "Were there any safety incidents or near-misses involving this person?"
• "Did they work well within a close-quarters team environment?"

Reference checking in Australia operates within a legal framework that employers must understand to avoid discrimination claims and privacy breaches.

Privacy Act 1988: Employee records are exempt from the Privacy Act under the employee records exemption, but reference check information collected about a job applicant is covered. Employers must handle this information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), including collecting only what is necessary, storing it securely, and destroying it when no longer needed.

Anti-discrimination laws: You must not ask reference questions that elicit information about protected attributes, including age, sex, pregnancy, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, or union membership. Even indirectly eliciting this information (e.g., asking about parental leave taken) creates legal exposure. Stick to job-relevant questions.

Candidate consent: Best practice is to obtain the candidate's written consent before conducting reference checks and to inform them of the referees you plan to contact. Checking references without consent — particularly when contacting people not listed by the candidate — can create legal and reputational risk.

Defamation risk for referees: Referees who provide negative references face potential defamation claims if the information they provide is untrue. The common law defence of qualified privilege protects good-faith referees, but only if the reference is honest and given without malice. Encourage referees to be factual and specific rather than emotional or speculative.

Record keeping: Document reference check outcomes in writing and retain records for at least the duration of the employee's employment plus 7 years (to align with general limitation periods). Use a structured form that can be reproduced if a decision is ever challenged.