Hiring remotely gives employers access to people they might never meet in person.
That is one of the advantages of remote recruitment, but it also creates a practical challenge. A resume tells you what a candidate says they have done. An interview shows you how they communicate. A work sample can show what they can produce.
A reference check can add another piece of information: what it was actually like to work with the candidate.
What Is a Reference Check?
A reference check is a conversation with someone who has worked with the candidate, usually a former manager, supervisor or colleague.
The goal is to verify information from the hiring process and learn more about the candidate’s previous work. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management recommends using reference checks near the end of the selection process, when an employer has narrowed the field to a small number of candidates.
References can help confirm details from a resume or interview, provide examples of past performance and give employers information that may not have come up during the rest of the hiring process.
They should not be treated as a replacement for interviews, skills assessments or other selection methods.
Wait Until You Have a Shortlist
There is usually no need to contact references for every applicant.
Reference checks are most useful once you have a shortlist and are seriously considering a candidate. Checking references too early can take time without adding much value, especially when many applicants are still in the process.
The OPM recommends conducting reference checks in the final stages of selection, when an employer is deciding between a small number of candidates.
Tell the Candidate Before You Contact References
In many hiring processes, the candidate should know and agree before an employer contacts their references.
The exact legal requirements depend on the country and the circumstances, so employers should follow the rules that apply to their hiring process.
It is also practical to tell candidates which references you plan to contact. This gives them a chance to confirm that the person is still appropriate and that their contact details are correct.
Choose References Who Know the Work
A reference is only useful if the person knows enough about the candidate’s work to provide meaningful information.
A former manager who directly supervised the candidate will usually be able to answer more specific questions than someone who barely worked with them.
For a remote position, it can also help to choose references who have actually worked with the candidate remotely or in a distributed team. Employers should also consider whether the candidate’s previous responsibilities and experience match the level of the position they are hiring for. That includes setting a realistic salary for the role — something we cover in our guide to how much employers should pay for remote talent in 2026.
Ask the Same Core Questions
A structured reference check is easier to compare across candidates.
The OPM recommends asking applicants the same set of questions and using a consistent approach when collecting information. This can make reference checks more useful than informal conversations that vary from one candidate to another.
Questions could include:
- What was your working relationship with the candidate?
- What were their main responsibilities?
- What did they do particularly well?
- How did they handle deadlines?
- How did they respond to feedback?
- Would you work with them again?
- Is there anything a new manager should know to help them succeed?
The questions should be connected to the actual requirements of the job.
Ask About Remote Work When It Matters
For remote roles, employers may want to ask about areas that are especially relevant to working without a shared office.
For example:
- How well did the candidate work independently?
- How reliable were they when working outside the office?
- How did they communicate when something was unclear?
- How did they keep others informed about their work?
- How did they handle deadlines without constant supervision?
- How did they work with colleagues in different locations or time zones?
Not every remote job requires the same qualities. A customer support role may depend heavily on communication and responsiveness, while a developer role may place more emphasis on independent problem-solving and collaboration.
The questions should reflect the position rather than simply checking whether someone has worked remotely before.
Ask for Examples, Not Just Adjectives
Words such as “reliable,” “hardworking” or “good communicator” do not tell you very much on their own.
Ask the reference for an example.
Instead of asking:
“Was the candidate good at meeting deadlines?”
you could ask:
“Can you give me an example of how the candidate handled a tight deadline?”
Specific examples give employers more useful information than general descriptions.
Ask About Weaknesses Carefully
Questions about areas for improvement can be useful, but they should be connected to the job.
Instead of asking:
“What was the candidate’s biggest weakness?”
try:
“What type of support or management helped the candidate perform at their best?”
or:
“Were there any areas where the candidate needed more guidance?”
These questions are more likely to produce information that can actually help a future manager understand how the person works.
Don’t Treat One Comment as the Whole Story
A reference is one person’s account of working with a candidate.
If a reference raises a concern, it can be worth comparing that information with what you learned from the candidate’s interviews, work samples and other references.
Different managers may have experienced the same person in different roles or working environments. A single comment should therefore be considered in the wider context of the hiring process.
What If the Employer Gives Only a Basic Reference?
Not every former employer will provide a detailed reference.
In some cases, an employer may only confirm basic information such as the person’s job title and dates of employment. ACAS notes that work references can be either basic or detailed, depending on what the employer chooses to provide.
A limited reference does not automatically tell you much about the candidate’s performance. If the reference only confirms employment dates and job title, employers may need to rely more heavily on interviews, work samples and other parts of the selection process.
Reference Checks Are Not Background Checks
A reference check and a background check are different things.
A reference check usually involves speaking with someone who knows the candidate’s work.
A background check can involve verifying employment or education history, qualifications, identity or, where legally permitted and relevant to the position, criminal records.
What employers can check and what information they can collect varies by country and sometimes by job. Employers should make sure their process follows the rules that apply to them.
A Reference Check Can Take About 20 Minutes
Reference checks do not necessarily need to become long conversations.
The OPM says structured telephone reference checks take about 20 minutes per contact. The important part is having a clear set of questions and keeping the conversation focused on the job.
For many employers, a short, structured conversation will be more useful than an informal call with no clear purpose.
Keep Questions About the Job
Reference checks should focus on information that is relevant to the position.
Avoid questions about personal matters that have nothing to do with the candidate’s ability to perform the job. Employers also need to be careful not to collect or use information in a way that could create discrimination or other legal problems.
The exact rules differ between jurisdictions, so employers should follow the employment and privacy laws that apply to their hiring process.
Look for Consistency
A reference check works best when it is part of the wider hiring process.
If a candidate describes themselves as highly independent, for example, and a former manager gives specific examples of the same strength, the information is consistent.
If the accounts differ, that does not automatically mean there is a problem. It may simply be a reason to ask another question or look more closely at the issue.
The goal is not to make a decision based on one conversation. It is to add another source of information before making a hiring decision.
A Reference Is One Part of the Hiring Process
References can help employers verify information and understand how someone has worked in the past.
But they have limits.
A former manager may have had a very different relationship with the candidate than the new manager will. The candidate may also be moving into a different type of role, team or company.
That is why reference checks work best alongside interviews, work samples and other job-related assessments.
For remote employers, they can also answer questions that are difficult to assess during a video interview, such as how someone handles independent work, communication and deadlines over time.
The Goal Is to Reduce Uncertainty
Hiring always involves some uncertainty.
A resume provides one version of a candidate’s experience. Interviews and work samples add more information. A reference check gives an employer another perspective from someone who has actually worked with that person.
Used at the right stage and with clear, job-related questions, it can help employers make a more informed hiring decision without turning the process into a long investigation.
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