Professional Reference Form
Collect structured feedback from references — not just a phone call that's hard to document.
A phone reference call is over in 10 minutes and leaves you with notes in the margin of a résumé. A structured reference form asks the same questions of every reference and creates a written record you can compare across candidates and reference for months after the hiring decision.
This template asks references to confirm their relationship to the candidate, how long they've worked together, the candidate's key strengths, areas for development, how they handle pressure or feedback, whether they'd work with this person again, and a free-text field for anything they want to add. The combination of structured ratings and open comments gives you both quick-compare data and meaningful qualitative insight.
Send the form to references by email with a completion deadline. Responses arrive digitally, are stored automatically, and can be downloaded or shared with the hiring team without any transcription.
Focus on observable behaviors: how did they work with others, how did they handle difficult situations or feedback, what were they best at, and what did they find harder. Avoid yes/no questions — open-ended questions that ask for specific examples produce more reliable and useful responses.
Yes, and many hiring managers prefer it. Written references allow the reference to take their time, give more considered responses, and provide documentation that persists beyond the hiring decision. Some references also give more candid written feedback than they would in a live conversation.
Typically 2–3. One or two direct managers plus a peer or cross-functional colleague gives you a fuller picture than three people from the same team. Former clients or customers are valuable for client-facing roles. Always request a mix of relationship types if possible.
Use the same core structure, but you can customize a few questions for different relationships. A manager reference might be asked about performance management style and growth; a peer reference might be asked about collaboration and communication. Keep the majority of questions consistent so responses are comparable.
A very short or purely positive reference with no specifics is sometimes as informative as a detailed one — it often signals that the reference is being careful. If you need more, follow up directly by phone, noting specific questions from the form you'd like them to expand on. Don't let a thin written reference be the end of the process for a senior hire.
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