🔎Reference checks

Reference checks help you validate or invalidate what you learned in the interview process. You’ll do two kinds: back-channel references during the process (people who know the candidate, often from your network) and formal references as a final step before an offer (usually people the candidate provides).

What you’re trying to learn

• How they performed in previous roles—results, collaboration, ownership.
• Strengths and areas for growth (and how they responded to feedback).
• Whether anything you heard in the interview is confirmed or contradicted.

Best practices

• Ask for specific examples, not just “Would you hire them again?”
• Talk to more than one person when you can; one reference can be biased or incomplete.
• Respect confidentiality—don’t name the reference to the candidate unless they’ve agreed. For formal references, the candidate typically provides the list.
• If you hear red flags, dig in with follow-up questions or another reference before making a final call.

References are one input, not the only one. Combine them with your interview signal and your judgment. If references are strong and consistent with the rest of the process, you can move to offer with more confidence.