A great reference check is the difference between a confident hire and a costly mistake. This guide walks you step by step through how to run a thorough, lawful and efficient reference check in 2026 — whether you are a recruiter, HR lead or managing director.
Why reference checks still matter
Studies from SHRM and others show that one in three employers regret a hire — and a bad hire costs roughly 1.5x annual salary once you factor in onboarding, lost productivity and replacement recruiting. A structured reference check meaningfully lowers that risk by confirming (or refuting) what the candidate has told you about themselves.
Preparation before you call
Good preparation is half the work. Before reaching out you should have:
- A clear job description and competency requirements for the role.
- The candidate's CV and your interview notes.
- 2-3 specific areas you want to verify (e.g. leadership, delivery).
- A standardised question set — it makes comparison between candidates fair.
Consent and lawful basis
Under GDPR and Norwegian data protection law you need a lawful basis to process personal data about both the candidate and the referee. In practice that means the candidate must consent to you contacting their referees, and the referee must be informed of how their answers are used and stored. We cover this in depth in our guide on GDPR and reference checks in Norway.
Which questions should you ask?
Ask open, behaviour-based questions — not yes/no questions. For example:
- "Can you describe a situation where the candidate handled a conflict well?"
- "How would you describe their ability to deliver under pressure?"
- "Would you hire this person again? Why or why not?"
Need more? We've collected 25 of the best questions in a dedicated article.
How to evaluate answers objectively
Use a simple scale (e.g. 1-5) per competency and capture direct quotes. That reduces the "halo effect" — where one positive impression colours the whole assessment. Compare answers from two or three independent referees to look for consistent patterns.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Only positive references: Insist on a former manager, not just a friend.
- Leading questions: "The candidate is good at teamwork, right?" produces worthless answers.
- Undocumented verbal notes: Hard to defend if the hire is later challenged.
- Skipping reference checks for "urgent" hires: That's exactly when you need them most.
When does digital reference checking pay off?
If you make more than 2-3 hires per month, manual reference checks quickly become a bottleneck. Digital tools like Referansio send out structured questionnaires, gather the responses and generate an objective report — in minutes instead of hours. Read our comparison of digital vs manual reference checking to see what fits your business.
