Questions That Reveal Useful Info From References

Most reference checks are useless. You call the references the candidate hand-picked - people who obviously like them - and ask softball questions that get you scripted positive responses. Then you check a box and learn nothing.

Here's how to actually get useful information from reference checks.

Stop Asking Terrible Questions

These questions are worthless:

• "What are their strengths?" (I don't know, I've never met this person and they're obviously going to say nice things)
• "Would you work with them again?" (They're serving as a reference, so obviously yes)
• "Rate them on a scale of 1-10" (What does a 7 mean? Who knows!)

These questions might as well be "please say nice things about this person I already want to hire."

Ask Questions That Require Specific Examples

Instead of "are they a good communicator?", try: "Tell me about a time they had to deliver difficult feedback to someone. How did they handle it?"

The reference can't just say "oh yes, great communicator!" They have to tell you an actual story. The story reveals way more than the rating.

More examples:

• "Describe a project where they really struggled. What happened and how did they work through it?"
• "Tell me about their relationship with the weakest performer on their team. How did they handle that person?"
• "What's an example of feedback you gave them that they actually implemented?"

Listen For What They're NOT Saying

When you ask about weaknesses or growth areas and the reference pauses, fumbles, or gives an obviously rehearsed answer like "they're a perfectionist," you've hit something real.

Follow up: "That's interesting. Can you give me a specific example of when that perfectionism created challenges for the team?"

If they can't give you an example, they're being diplomatic about something they don't want to say directly. If they can give you an example, you've just learned something useful.

Ask About The Future, Not The Past

"If I hire this person, what should I know about how to set them up for success in their first 90 days?"

This question does two things: it assumes the person is good enough to hire (which makes the reference more comfortable being honest), and it forces them to think about practical management of this person, which reveals their actual working style.

You'll learn things like:

• "Give them clear structure up front - they struggle with ambiguity initially"
• "They need a few weeks to warm up to new people"
• "Make sure they have a technical mentor because they'll have questions"

These are way more valuable than "they're great, hire them."

The Comparison Question

"Compared to others you've worked with in similar roles, where does this person rank? Top 10%? Top 25%? Middle of the pack?"

Then follow up: "What would need to be true for them to move up to that next tier?"

This gives you calibration (how good are they actually?) and developmental insight (what are their growth edges?).

Ask What You're Actually Worried About

If you have a specific concern about the candidate - maybe they seem great but have a gap in experience, or they interviewed well but seem too polished - ask about it directly.

"They interviewed really well, but I'm wondering if they're more talk than execution. Can you give me an example of a time they delivered on a big commitment?"

"They don't have much experience with [specific thing]. How much coaching did they need from you on that?"

The reference will either confirm your concern (useful!) or provide evidence that alleviates it (also useful!).

The Management Style Question

If they're hiring managers or will manage people soon:

"Describe their management style with specific examples. What did their team appreciate about them? What did their team find challenging?"

You're not asking if they're a "good manager." You're asking how they actually manage, which you can then evaluate against what your team needs.

The Deal-Breaker Question

Near the end: "Is there anything I haven't asked that I should know? Anything that would make you hesitate to recommend them for this specific role?"

Most references won't volunteer concerns, but if you ask directly and create space for it, sometimes they'll share something important. "They're great, but they really struggle with [thing that's 60% of your role]."

That's the kind of information that saves you from a bad hire.

What To Do With Evasive References

If a reference is being weirdly vague or overly positive in a way that feels fake, try this:

"I appreciate that you want to be supportive, but I'm going to be managing this person, and I'd rather know now what I'm working with than be surprised later. What's something they'll need coaching on?"

Sometimes people just need permission to be honest. If they still won't give you anything substantive, that's data too.

The Back-Channel Reference

If the person is coming from a large company, ask around your network for people who worked there at the same time. LinkedIn makes this easy.

You're not trying to go behind their back maliciously - you're trying to get unfiltered perspectives from people who didn't know they'd be serving as references.

Just be careful: only do this if you're serious about hiring them and need validation. Don't torpedo someone's candidacy based on one random back-channel reference who might have their own agenda.

Bottom Line

Reference checks should either confirm your decision to hire or surface information that makes you reconsider. If you're hanging up the phone with nothing but vague positive feelings, you've wasted everyone's time.

Ask specific questions, listen for what's unsaid, and create space for honest feedback. The goal isn't to hear that someone is perfect - it's to understand how they actually work so you can decide if that fits what you need.

Perfect candidates don't exist. References who can't articulate a single area for growth are either lying or didn't work closely enough with the person to know.