Reference check question plan

An invented example

Illustrative example with invented data. Company A, Candidate K, the referees, their organisations and every word of the inputs below are invented. Company A is an invented 30-person engineering consultancy hiring an operations coordinator. The operations director is the hiring manager, the recruiter runs the reference stage, and the office and people manager is the people lead.

The inputs come first, in full, so the template can be run on them. The plan follows.

The inputs

1. The reference stage record

Typed by the recruiter on 10 November 2026.

Role title: Operations coordinator
Candidate label: Candidate K
Stage authorised by: Operations director, 6 November 2026
Candidate consent: recorded 6 November 2026, by email to the recruiter
Company name on the calls: Company A
Prepared for: Recruiter
Evaluates the answers: Operations director
Date: 10 November 2026
Call length: default
Points per call: default
Referees per point: default
How comments are kept (from the Office and People Manager): "We keep
  notes of this call with the application for six months, and the
  candidate may ask to see them."

2. The referee list

As Candidate K supplied it on 6 November 2026, with phone numbers and email addresses kept in the recruiter's own records.

ref,relationship,organisation,worked_together,overlap_role,may_contact_now,candidate_note
R1,manager,Company B,2021-04 to 2025-08,Project administrator reporting to R1,yes,
R2,peer,Company B,2022-01 to 2025-08,Fellow project administrator on the same projects,yes,
R3,client,Company D,2023-02 to 2025-06,Project administrator on two projects where R3 was the client-side lead,yes,Please call after 2pm; R3 is on site in the mornings.
R4,manager,Company C,2025-09 to now,Operations coordinator reporting to R4,after offer,My current employer does not know I am looking. Please do not contact before an offer.
R5,direct report,Company B,2024-01 to 2025-08,Team lead supervising two admin assistants including R5,yes,

3. The approved criteria

From the interview plan approved on 20 October 2026.

C1 Keeps a project schedule with several parties current and on time.
   Clear evidence: a schedule the candidate kept themselves, naming the
   parties and dates, and how it ended.
C2 Writes clear updates for clients.
   Clear evidence: client updates the candidate wrote that said what had
   changed and what was needed, sent on an agreed rhythm.
C3 Raises a slip early with the project lead.
   Clear evidence: a specific time the candidate saw a date slipping and
   told the project lead before it was missed.
C4 Books suppliers and raises purchase orders accurately.
   Clear evidence: supplier bookings or purchase orders the candidate
   raised, and how errors were caught.
C5 Leads two admin assistants day to day.
   Clear evidence: a specific time the candidate organised or corrected
   the work of people they supervised, and what changed.

4. The open points after the interviews

Collected by the recruiter from the debriefs; the last three rows were added by the operations director.

point,criterion,still_unknown,seen_by,source
P1,C1,Whether the schedules K described were kept by K or by the project manager K supported,manager; peer,Stage 2 debrief
P2,C3,The panel heard one example of raising a slip early and does not know whether it was typical,manager,Stage 2 debrief
P3,C5,No example of handling a disagreement within the team K supervised,manager; direct report,Stage 4 debrief
P4,C2,The exercise email was clear; no evidence about K's updates to clients across a whole project,client; manager,Stage 3 debrief
P5,-,Is K a good culture fit with the site team?,any,Operations director
P6,C1,How much sick leave K took at Company B - January is our busiest month,manager,Operations director
P7,-,What K was paid at Company B so we can pitch the offer,any,Operations director

5. The operations director's notes

Typed on 9 November 2026, as supplied.

- Can you also ring Dana, the site manager at Company B? Not on K's
  list but I know them and they'll be straight with us.
- Ask R1 whether they would rehire K.
- After the calls, just give me a yes or no on whether to go ahead.
- I'd like the references done by Friday 13 November.

6. The topics never raised

The office and people manager's list, 2 November 2026.

Age or date of birth; children, childcare or family plans; marital
status; pregnancy; health, disability or sickness absence; religion;
nationality or where someone is from; sexual orientation; union
membership; pay history; criminal record.

The output

REFERENCE CHECK QUESTION PLAN: Operations coordinator, Candidate K

Status: Draft for the recruiter's approval. No referee has been contacted. Prepared for: Recruiter. Stage authorised by: Operations director, 6 November 2026. Candidate consent: recorded 6 November 2026, by email to the recruiter. Evaluates the answers: Operations director. Date: 10 November 2026. Call length: about 20 minutes. Points per call: up to 3. Referees per point: 2.

1. Referees

• R1 manager, Company B, 2021-04 to 2025-08. Contact: now. Points: P1, P2, P3. Eligible, call full: P4.
• R2 peer, Company B, 2022-01 to 2025-08. Contact: now. Points: P1.
• R3 client, Company D, 2023-02 to 2025-06. Contact: now. Points: P4. Candidate's note: "Please call after 2pm; R3 is on site in the mornings."
• R4 manager, Company C, 2025-09 to now. Contact: held until after an offer. Points: none. Could speak to after an offer: P1, P2, P3, P4. Candidate's note: "My current employer does not know I am looking. Please do not contact before an offer."
• R5 direct report, Company B, 2024-01 to 2025-08. Contact: now. Points: P3.

Referees: 5. Called now: 4. Held until after an offer: 1. Not to be contacted: 0.

2. Points to test

• P1 (C1 Keeps a project schedule with several parties current and on time): Whether the schedules K described were kept by K or by the project manager K supported. Put to: R1, R2.
• P2 (C3 Raises a slip early with the project lead): The panel heard one example of raising a slip early and does not know whether it was typical. Put to: R1.
• P3 (C5 Leads two admin assistants day to day): No example of handling a disagreement within the team K supervised. Put to: R1, R5.
• P4 (C2 Writes clear updates for clients): The exercise email was clear; no evidence about K's updates to clients across a whole project. Put to: R3.

3. Call plans (one per referee called now)

Call with R1 (manager, Company B, 2021-04 to 2025-08). About 20 minutes. Points: P1, P2, P3.

Opening: "Thank you for taking this call. I'm the recruiter at Company A. Candidate K has applied for the Operations coordinator role with us, named you as a referee and agreed that we contact you. The call takes about 20 minutes. I'll ask about work you saw at first hand and write down your answers in your own words. We keep notes of this call with the application for six months, and the candidate may ask to see them. You can skip any question. Is now still a good time?"

• Q0 "How did you and Candidate K work together, and over what period?" Listen for: the referee list says manager (Project administrator reporting to R1), 2021-04 to 2025-08.
• Q1 (P1, C1) "Tell me about a project schedule you and Candidate K worked on together. Who were the parties, and how did the dates hold?" Follow-ups: "Which parts of that schedule did Candidate K keep up to date personally, and which did the project manager keep?" "Did you see that yourself, or hear about it from someone else?" "Was that the only time, or did you see the same on other occasions?" Listen for: a schedule the candidate kept themselves, naming the parties and dates, and how it ended.
• Q2 (P2, C3) "Tell me about a time you saw Candidate K notice that a project date was going to slip. When did the project lead hear about it, and from whom?" Follow-ups: "Across the time you worked together, did warnings of a slip from Candidate K come before the date or after it?" "Did you see that yourself, or hear about it from someone else?" "Was that the only time, or did you see the same on other occasions?" Listen for: a specific time the candidate saw a date slipping and told the project lead before it was missed.
• Q3 (P3, C5) "Tell me about a time the admin assistants Candidate K supervised disagreed about how work should be done. What did Candidate K do?" Follow-ups: "How did the disagreement end, and what changed in the team's work afterwards?" "Did you see that yourself, or hear about it from someone else?" "Was that the only time, or did you see the same on other occasions?" Listen for: a specific time the candidate organised or corrected the work of people they supervised, and what changed.

Closing: "Is there anything else about the work we've talked about that you'd like to add? Thank you for your time."

Call with R2 (peer, Company B, 2022-01 to 2025-08). About 20 minutes. Points: P1.

Opening: "Thank you for taking this call. I'm the recruiter at Company A. Candidate K has applied for the Operations coordinator role with us, named you as a referee and agreed that we contact you. The call takes about 20 minutes. I'll ask about work you saw at first hand and write down your answers in your own words. We keep notes of this call with the application for six months, and the candidate may ask to see them. You can skip any question. Is now still a good time?"

• Q0 "How did you and Candidate K work together, and over what period?" Listen for: the referee list says peer (Fellow project administrator on the same projects), 2022-01 to 2025-08.
• Q1 (P1, C1) "Tell me about a project schedule you and Candidate K worked on together. Who were the parties, and how did the dates hold?" Follow-ups: "Which parts of that schedule did Candidate K keep up to date personally, and which did the project manager keep?" "Did you see that yourself, or hear about it from someone else?" "Was that the only time, or did you see the same on other occasions?" Listen for: a schedule the candidate kept themselves, naming the parties and dates, and how it ended.

Closing: "Is there anything else about the work we've talked about that you'd like to add? Thank you for your time."

Call with R3 (client, Company D, 2023-02 to 2025-06). About 20 minutes. Points: P4. Candidate's note: "Please call after 2pm; R3 is on site in the mornings."

Opening: "Thank you for taking this call. I'm the recruiter at Company A. Candidate K has applied for the Operations coordinator role with us, named you as a referee and agreed that we contact you. The call takes about 20 minutes. I'll ask about work you saw at first hand and write down your answers in your own words. We keep notes of this call with the application for six months, and the candidate may ask to see them. You can skip any question. Is now still a good time?"

• Q0 "How did you and Candidate K work together, and over what period?" Listen for: the referee list says client (Project administrator on two projects where R3 was the client-side lead), 2023-02 to 2025-06.
• Q1 (P4, C2) "Think of a project update you received from Candidate K that you remember. What did it tell you, and what did you do with it?" Follow-ups: "How did the updates change, if at all, from the start of the project to the end, and did they arrive when you had agreed?" "Did you see that yourself, or hear about it from someone else?" "Was that the only time, or did you see the same on other occasions?" Listen for: client updates the candidate wrote that said what had changed and what was needed, sent on an agreed rhythm.

Closing: "Is there anything else about the work we've talked about that you'd like to add? Thank you for your time."

Call with R5 (direct report, Company B, 2024-01 to 2025-08). About 20 minutes. Points: P3.

Opening: "Thank you for taking this call. I'm the recruiter at Company A. Candidate K has applied for the Operations coordinator role with us, named you as a referee and agreed that we contact you. The call takes about 20 minutes. I'll ask about work you saw at first hand and write down your answers in your own words. We keep notes of this call with the application for six months, and the candidate may ask to see them. You can skip any question. Is now still a good time?"

• Q0 "How did you and Candidate K work together, and over what period?" Listen for: the referee list says direct report (Team lead supervising two admin assistants including R5), 2024-01 to 2025-08.
• Q1 (P3, C5) "Tell me about a time the admin assistants Candidate K supervised disagreed about how work should be done. What did Candidate K do?" Follow-ups: "How did the disagreement end, and what changed in the team's work afterwards?" "Did you see that yourself, or hear about it from someone else?" "Was that the only time, or did you see the same on other occasions?" Listen for: a specific time the candidate organised or corrected the work of people they supervised, and what changed.

Closing: "Is there anything else about the work we've talked about that you'd like to add? Thank you for your time."

4. Note sheets (one blank sheet per call)

NOTE SHEET: R1, Operations coordinator, Candidate K
Called by: ________  Date and time: ________
Write the referee's own words. Mark anything you paraphrase [paraphrase].
Q0 Their words: ________
   Matches the referee list: yes / no (if no, write both)
Q1 (P1) Their words: ________
   Seen directly: yes / no / partly / not asked
   Specific example given: yes / no
Q2 (P2) Their words: ________
   Seen directly: yes / no / partly / not asked
   Specific example given: yes / no
Q3 (P3) Their words: ________
   Seen directly: yes / no / partly / not asked
   Specific example given: yes / no
Closing. Their words: ________
For anything said outside these questions, or on a topic never raised,
write only "not recorded".
This sheet has no rating, no total and no summary. The Operations
director reads it.

NOTE SHEET: R2, Operations coordinator, Candidate K
Called by: ________  Date and time: ________
Write the referee's own words. Mark anything you paraphrase [paraphrase].
Q0 Their words: ________
   Matches the referee list: yes / no (if no, write both)
Q1 (P1) Their words: ________
   Seen directly: yes / no / partly / not asked
   Specific example given: yes / no
Closing. Their words: ________
For anything said outside these questions, or on a topic never raised,
write only "not recorded".
This sheet has no rating, no total and no summary. The Operations
director reads it.

NOTE SHEET: R3, Operations coordinator, Candidate K
Called by: ________  Date and time: ________
Write the referee's own words. Mark anything you paraphrase [paraphrase].
Q0 Their words: ________
   Matches the referee list: yes / no (if no, write both)
Q1 (P4) Their words: ________
   Seen directly: yes / no / partly / not asked
   Specific example given: yes / no
Closing. Their words: ________
For anything said outside these questions, or on a topic never raised,
write only "not recorded".
This sheet has no rating, no total and no summary. The Operations
director reads it.

NOTE SHEET: R5, Operations coordinator, Candidate K
Called by: ________  Date and time: ________
Write the referee's own words. Mark anything you paraphrase [paraphrase].
Q0 Their words: ________
   Matches the referee list: yes / no (if no, write both)
Q1 (P3) Their words: ________
   Seen directly: yes / no / partly / not asked
   Specific example given: yes / no
Closing. Their words: ________
For anything said outside these questions, or on a topic never raised,
write only "not recorded".
This sheet has no rating, no total and no summary. The Operations
director reads it.

5. Coverage

• P1: R1, R2. 2 of 2, covered. Held until after an offer: R4.
• P2: R1. 1 of 2, single source. Held until after an offer: R4.
• P3: R1, R5. 2 of 2, covered. Held until after an offer: R4.
• P4: R3. 1 of 2, single source. Held until after an offer: R4. Eligible, call full: R1.

Points short of 2 referees: P2, P4.

REVIEW NOTES (remove before the calls)

Used: 4

• P1: Q1 of the calls with R1 and R2.
• P2: Q2 of the call with R1.
• P3: Q3 of the call with R1; Q1 of the call with R5.
• P4: Q1 of the call with R3.

Removed and flagged for the people lead: 2

1. "How much sick leave K took at Company B - January is our busiest month" (P6): sickness absence. Removed; nothing in its place. See open question 4.
2. "What K was paid at Company B so we can pitch the offer" (P7): pay history. Removed; nothing in its place.

Removed, names no behaviour: 1

1. "Is K a good culture fit with the site team?" (P5): removed. See open question 1.

Not used: 2

1. "Ask R1 whether they would rehire K.": it asks a referee for a verdict. The plan collects examples, and the Operations director weighs them.
2. "I'd like the references done by Friday 13 November.": a deadline, outside the plan.

Declined: 2

1. "Can you also ring [a site manager at Company B]? Not on K's list but I know them and they'll be straight with us.": Candidate K did not name this person, and only the referees the candidate named are called.
2. "After the calls, just give me a yes or no on whether to go ahead.": the plan gives no view on the candidate. The Operations director evaluates the note sheets.

Names left out: one person named in the notes, referred to as a site manager at Company B. Contact details and candidate documents in the inputs: none.

Open questions (numbered straight through, grouped by role)

For the Operations director:

1. P5, "culture fit": which behaviour with the site team did you mean? It can be put to referees only once it belongs to an approved criterion.

For the Recruiter:

2. P2 can be put only to R1 now. R4, Candidate K's manager at the current employer, is held until after an offer, as the candidate asked. Accept a single source, or ask Candidate K whether another manager saw this work?
3. P4 is put only to R3, because R1's call already holds three points. Accept a single source, or lengthen R1's call to four points?

For the Office and People Manager:

4. P6 reaches for the January workload. Should the busiest month be stated to the candidate directly? Referees are not asked about absence.

Sources

• Header and opening: reference stage record, 10 November 2026; the wording on how comments are kept, from the Office and People Manager.
• Section 1: referee list from Candidate K, 6 November 2026.
• Sections 2, 3 and 5: open points from the Stage 2, 3 and 4 debriefs; criteria and "Listen for" lines from the interview plan approved on 20 October 2026.
• Screening: the Office and People Manager's topics never raised, 2 November 2026, and the template's short list; the Operations director's notes of 9 November 2026.
• Call length (20 minutes), points per call (3) and referees per point (2): the template's defaults.
• Q0, the second and third follow-ups, the closing and the note sheets: the template's wording.

Draft for the Recruiter's approval. No referee has been contacted and nothing has been sent. The plan gives no view on the candidate; the Operations director evaluates the answers.