How to Write a Reference Check Email

A reference check email should do three things in about a hundred words: say who you are and who you are calling about, confirm the candidate gave permission, and offer two specific times. Everything else belongs in the conversation itself.

The reason to keep the email short is that referees are doing you an unpaid favor for someone else’s benefit. The easier you make it, the more likely you get a real conversation rather than a polite two-line reply confirming dates of employment.

The Request

Before:

Dear Sir or Madam,

We are currently in the process of conducting reference checks in connection with a candidate who has applied for a position within our organization and who has provided your details as a professional referee. We would be most grateful if you could kindly complete the attached form at your earliest convenience and return it to us so that we may proceed with our process.

After:

Hi Elena,

I am hiring for a senior analyst role at Northgate and Priya Rao gave me your name as a referee. She confirmed you are happy to be contacted.

Would a fifteen-minute call work? I have Wednesday 14:00 or Thursday 10:00 CET free, and I am flexible if neither suits. Five questions, nothing that needs preparation.

Thanks, Tom

The second version gets answered. It names the candidate, confirms consent, sets a small time commitment, and offers concrete slots.

Ask for a call rather than a form. Written references have converged on a legally cautious template that tells you almost nothing, because organizations are wary of defamation exposure. People say more out loud.

A Wrivio Context for this could say:

Rewrite this as a short, friendly reference request email. Warm professional register, contractions allowed. Name the candidate, the role, and confirm they consented. Offer two specific times and state how long the call will take. Keep it under one hundred and twenty words. Keep every name, date, time, and role title exactly as written and do not add claims about the candidate.

What to Actually Ask

Once you have the call, the quality of your questions decides whether it was worth anyone’s time. Avoid anything answerable with “yes, they were great.”

“What did they work on that you were most glad they handled?” Gets you a specific project rather than a trait.

“What did they need support with?” Better than asking for weaknesses, which triggers the rehearsed perfectionist answer.

“How did they handle it when they disagreed with you?” One of the most predictive questions available, and referees answer it honestly because both possible answers can be framed positively.

“What kind of environment would they struggle in?” Reframes as fit rather than deficiency, so referees engage with it.

“Would you hire them again into the same team?” The classic. Listen to the pause more than the words.

“Is there anything I should have asked?” Frequently the most useful thirty seconds of the call.

The Legal Side

Rules vary by country, and if you are hiring internationally, check locally. A few near-universal principles.

Get the candidate’s consent before contacting anyone, and never contact a current employer without explicit permission, since that can cost someone their job.

Do not ask about protected characteristics: health, disability, pregnancy, age, religion, family status, union membership. This is unlawful in most jurisdictions and it also produces information you then cannot un-know when making a decision.

If you are giving a reference rather than taking one, most organizations restrict what employees may say and route requests through HR. Follow that. Personal references given outside policy expose you individually.

Keep notes factual and job-related. Reference notes are usually discoverable in an employment dispute, so write them as though someone will read them, because they might.

When a Reference Is Bad

A negative reference is a data point, not a verdict. People have bad managers, bad quarters, and bad matches, and one referee’s account may reflect a relationship rather than a capability.

Take a second reference before acting on it. If it is serious and specific, tell the candidate what has been raised, without identifying the source, and give them a chance to respond. Sometimes the explanation resolves it entirely, and refusing to ask means you make a decision on half the story.

Common Questions

How many references should I take?

Two is standard, three for senior roles. More than three has diminishing value.

Are written references worth anything?

Mostly they confirm employment dates. Treat them as verification, not as assessment.

Can I check references before an offer?

Usually yes with consent, though some jurisdictions restrict timing. Check locally.

What if the referee only confirms dates?

That is often company policy rather than a signal. Ask the candidate for someone able to speak more freely, such as a former manager who has since left.

Download Wrivio for Windows to keep hiring correspondence short, warm, and consistent, without pasting candidate names into a cloud service.