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Reference Check Template

What should you ask a referee, and how do you record the answers?

A ready reference check: a call script and form with the questions to ask, extra questions for managers, sales and technical roles, a 1–5 rating section — or an email to send the referee instead.

How the reference check is structured

The template runs in three parts. Part 1 confirms the facts against what the candidate told you: job title, dates, working relationship, responsibilities, reason for leaving and whether the referee would hire them again. Part 2 asks how the candidate works — strengths with an example, one development area, pressure, teamwork in a multinational team and reliability. Part 3 adds three questions for the role type you pick. The call version adds an opening script, a 1–5 rating grid and a checker's summary; the email version adds a short, consent-first request to the referee.

Referee: The person giving the reference — ideally someone the candidate reported to.
Written consent: The candidate's signed or emailed agreement that you may contact the referee.
Would rehire: The single question that most often separates a strong reference from a polite one.
Experience certificate: A letter from the former employer confirming title and dates of service.

Which questions you get

Section	Questions	Applies to
Confirm the facts	Title & dates, relationship, responsibilities, reason for leaving, would rehire	Every role
How they work	Strengths, development area, pressure, teamwork, reliability	Every role
Managing people	Team size, under-performers, a difficult decision	Managers
Sales	Targets vs achievement, client relationships, pricing and compliance	Sales roles
Technical	Depth vs peers, quality of work, keeping skills current	Technical roles
Rating & summary	1–5 on quality, reliability, teamwork, communication; proceed or not	Call version

Before you call

Get the candidate's written consent and agree which referees you may contact — never call a current employer without permission.
Ask every referee for the same role the same core questions, so answers are comparable and fair.
Never ask about age, nationality, religion, marital status, pregnancy or health.
Store notes securely, share them only with the hiring team and delete them when you no longer need them.
This is a template, not legal advice.

Data Sources

Reference checks in the Gulf: what's different

Gulf CVs often list many short contracts across several countries, so confirming exact dates and job titles matters more than usual — it is where most mismatches show up. Referees may be in a different time zone, or may only speak through HR, so leave time for two or three attempts and accept a written answer when a call isn't possible.

Teams are multinational, so the teamwork question asks about working with colleagues of different nationalities and backgrounds. Keep the check focused on the job: questions about family, religion or nationality are out of bounds and expose you to discrimination complaints.

Run references after the final interview and before the offer — or make the offer conditional on satisfactory references, as our offer letter generator does by default. Collect consent for wider checks (education, criminal record, credit) with the background check consent form, then track the rest of the hire with the pre-joining checklist.

Frequently asked questions

What questions should I ask in a reference check?

Start by confirming facts — job title, dates, reporting line and reason for leaving — then ask how the person works: what they are best at, one area to improve, how they handle pressure, how they work in a team and how reliable they are. Finish with 'Would you hire them again?', which is often the most telling answer. Add role questions: team size and handling under-performers for managers, targets for sales, quality of work for technical roles.

Do I need the candidate's consent to contact a referee?

Get it in writing, every time. A reference check collects personal data about the candidate, and GCC data protection laws — such as the UAE's Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021 and Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law — expect a clear purpose and a lawful basis. Written consent also stops you contacting a current employer the candidate hasn't told yet. The template flags missing consent as a [placeholder] you can't miss.

How many references should I check?

Two is common for most roles, with at least one line manager. For senior hires, three including someone the candidate managed gives a fuller picture. A referee the candidate reported to is usually more useful than a peer or a friend at the same company.

Should I do reference checks by phone or email?

Phone gets more honest detail — people say things they won't write — and lets you follow up on vague answers. Email suits busy referees and gives you a written record. Choose 'Call script & form' to run the call and fill in answers as you go, or 'Email to the referee' to send the questions.

What are red flags in a reference?

Dates or a job title that don't match the CV, a referee who won't confirm they'd rehire, long pauses or very generic praise, a 'referee' who turns out to be a friend rather than a manager, and reluctance to talk about why the person left. One weak answer isn't a verdict — ask a follow-up question and, if needed, check another referee.

Can a former employer refuse to give a reference?

Yes. Many large Gulf employers only confirm job title and dates, usually through HR, as company policy. Treat a facts-only reference as neutral, not negative, and rely on the other referees for how the person works. A UAE experience certificate or Saudi service certificate confirms dates and title too.

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How the reference check is structured

Referee

The person giving the reference — ideally someone the candidate reported to.

Written consent

The candidate's signed or emailed agreement that you may contact the referee.

Would rehire

The single question that most often separates a strong reference from a polite one.

Experience certificate

A letter from the former employer confirming title and dates of service.

Which questions you get

Section	Questions	Applies to
Confirm the facts	Title & dates, relationship, responsibilities, reason for leaving, would rehire	Every role
How they work	Strengths, development area, pressure, teamwork, reliability	Every role
Managing people	Team size, under-performers, a difficult decision	Managers
Sales	Targets vs achievement, client relationships, pricing and compliance	Sales roles
Technical	Depth vs peers, quality of work, keeping skills current	Technical roles
Rating & summary	1–5 on quality, reliability, teamwork, communication; proceed or not	Call version

Before you call

Get the candidate's written consent and agree which referees you may contact — never call a current employer without permission.

Ask every referee for the same role the same core questions, so answers are comparable and fair.

Never ask about age, nationality, religion, marital status, pregnancy or health.

Store notes securely, share them only with the hiring team and delete them when you no longer need them.

This is a template, not legal advice.

Reference checks in the Gulf: what's different

Frequently asked questions

What questions should I ask in a reference check?

Do I need the candidate's consent to contact a referee?

How many references should I check?

Should I do reference checks by phone or email?

What are red flags in a reference?

Can a former employer refuse to give a reference?

REFERENCE CHECK

REFERENCE CHECK — CALL SCRIPT & FORM

Candidate: [Candidate name] (to fill in) Role applied for: [Role they applied for] (to fill in), [Your company] (to fill in) Referee: [Referee name] (to fill in), [Referee job title] (to fill in), [Referee's company (where they worked together)] (to fill in) Relationship: their line manager Checked by: [Checked by] (to fill in) · Date: [Date] (to fill in) Consent: candidate's written consent on file

Opening: "Thank you for taking the time. [Candidate name] (to fill in) has applied for a [Role they applied for] (to fill in) role with us and gave your name. Everything you say stays confidential and is used only for this decision. Is now still a good time?"

PART 1 — CONFIRM THE FACTS 1. Can you confirm [Candidate name] (to fill in)'s job title and the dates they worked with you? Candidate told us: [Title the candidate gave] (to fill in), [Dates the candidate gave] (to fill in) Answer: ____________________ 2. How did you work together, and for how long did you work with them directly? Answer: ____________________ 3. What were their main responsibilities? Did they manage people or a budget? Answer: ____________________ 4. Why did they leave? Answer: ____________________ 5. Would you hire or work with them again? (Yes / No / With conditions — please explain) Answer: ____________________

PART 2 — HOW THEY WORK 6. What are they best at? Can you give an example? Answer: ____________________ 7. What is one area where they could improve, or where they needed the most support? Answer: ____________________ 8. How do they handle pressure, tight deadlines or changing priorities? Answer: ____________________ 9. How did they work in a team with colleagues of different nationalities and backgrounds? Answer: ____________________ 10. How reliable were they on attendance, punctuality and following through? Answer: ____________________

CLOSING • Is there anything else we should know to help [Candidate name] (to fill in) succeed in this role? Answer: ____________________

RATING (1 = poor, 5 = excellent) Quality of work: 1 2 3 4 5 Reliability: 1 2 3 4 5 Teamwork: 1 2 3 4 5 Communication: 1 2 3 4 5 Would rehire: Yes / No / With conditions

CHECKER'S NOTES Dates and title match what the candidate told us: Yes / No — details: ____________________ Concerns or follow-ups: ____________________ Overall: Proceed / Proceed with caution / Do not proceed

Signed: [Checked by] (to fill in) Date: [Date] (to fill in)

Get the candidate's written consent first and store the notes securely — they are personal data. This is a template, not legal advice.