Reference interview: template and 20+ questions (2026)

A reference interview is a structured conversation with the candidate's former manager or peer. The goal is to test hypotheses from the job interview with concrete, behaviour-based questions. Here's a complete template with 20+ questions organised by topic.

What is a reference interview?

A structured conversation with a person who has worked with the candidate — typically a former manager or close peer. Unlike an informal chat, a reference interview follows a fixed template so answers are comparable across candidates.

A 20-minute structure

1. 0-2 min: Opening — thank you, purpose, GDPR basis.
2. 2-5 min: Confirm relationship, role and dates.
3. 5-15 min: 8-12 behaviour-based questions on competence, collaboration, delivery.
4. 15-18 min: Development areas and weaknesses.
5. 18-20 min: Closing question and "anything else we should know?"

20+ reference interview questions

Confirmation (1-3)

1. Can you confirm [candidate] worked with you from [start] to [end]?
2. What was their title and main responsibility?
3. What was your relationship to the candidate?

Competence and delivery (4-9)

4. Describe a concrete deliverable the candidate is best known for.
5. On a 1-5 scale, how strong were they professionally — and why?
6. How did they handle complex or ambiguous tasks?
7. How autonomous were they?
8. Describe a time they exceeded expectations.
9. Were there tasks they struggled with?

Collaboration (10-14)

10. How did they perform in a team?
11. Describe a conflict they were involved in — how was it resolved?
12. How did they communicate with leadership and peers?
13. How well did they receive critical feedback?
14. How did they behave under pressure or tight deadlines?

Leadership and initiative (15-19)

15. Describe a time they took initiative unprompted.
16. How did they handle change or reorganisation?
17. [For leaders] How were they as a leader for their team?
18. [For leaders] Describe a tough people situation they handled.
19. How much responsibility could you delegate without follow-up?

Closing (20-22)

20. What is their biggest development area?
21. Would you hire them again — why or why not?
22. Is there anything else we should know?

Questions you must NOT ask

The following are off-limits under the Norwegian arbeidsmiljøloven and likestillings- og diskrimineringsloven — no matter how innocent they seem:

• Sick leave, leave of absence or health.
• Pregnancy, family plans or marital status.
• Religion, political views or ethnicity.
• Sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Union membership or tillitsverv.

See the full list in our GDPR guide.

How to interpret the answers

• Concrete examples = valuable. Generic praise = not.
• Hesitation or evasion on key questions is often a red flag.
• Overly positive without examples may be a courtesy reference — dig deeper.
• Cross-check — if 2 of 3 referees say the same thing, it's probably true.