What good reference data actually looks like (and how to use it)

TL;DR  

Reference checking should not simply confirm whether a candidate was good or bad in a previous role. When done properly, it provides relevant and comparable insights that support more confident hiring decisions.

The value of reference checking depends heavily on the quality of the data collected. Vague conversations, inconsistent questions, and undocumented feedback rarely provide meaningful insight. Good reference data helps organizations identify patterns, reduce bias, and evaluate candidates more consistently.

It is not about collecting more information. It is about collecting the right information and knowing how to use it effectively.

Overview

1. Why reference checking is often less useful than organizations expect
2. What poor reference data usually looks like
3. What makes reference data actually valuable
4. What organizations should focus on during reference checks
5. How you can achieve good reference data in your organization
   

Why reference checking is often less useful than organizations expect

Reference checking remains one of the most widely used parts of the hiring process. Yet in many organizations, it still relies on informal conversations, handwritten notes, and highly subjective impressions.

As a result, the information gathered is often difficult to compare, difficult to document, and difficult to use meaningfully in decision-making.

Hiring teams may leave reference calls with general impressions like:

• “They seemed positive”
• “The candidate sounds reliable”
• “I did not hear any red flags”

But these types of conclusions rarely provide actionable insight. Without structure, reference checking can quickly become inconsistent and heavily influenced by personal interpretation rather than measurable or role-relevant information.

What poor reference data usually looks like

As shown, poor reference data is often:

• vague
• undocumented
• difficult to compare
• heavily influenced by intuition
• disconnected from role requirements

This typically happens when different candidates are asked completely different questions, feedback is gathered through unstructured conversations, or notes are incomplete and difficult to review later.

As a result, hiring teams often struggle to compare candidates fairly or identify patterns across responses.

And because manual reference checking usually happens under time pressure, important details can easily be forgotten, overlooked, or interpreted differently by different stakeholders.

What makes reference data actually valuable

Good reference data is structured, relevant, and comparable.

Rather than focusing on broad personal opinions, effective reference checking focuses on competencies, behaviors, and experiences connected directly to the role in question.

This includes areas such as:

• collaboration and communication
• reliability and ownership
• leadership or decision-making
• adaptability and problem-solving
• role-specific strengths and development areas

The goal is not to create a perfect profile of a candidate. It is to gather consistent insights that help hiring teams make more informed decisions.

When organizations use standardized questions and structured evaluation criteria, they create a more reliable basis for comparison across candidates.

At the same time, good reference data adds valuable context to the hiring process.

CVs, interviews, and assessments each provide part of the picture, but reference data truly completes it by helping organizations better understand how candidates apply their skills and behaviors in real working environments.

What organizations should focus on during reference checks

Effective reference checking starts with asking the right questions.

Organizations should focus on questions that are:

• connected to role requirements
• behavior-based and specific
• comparable across candidates
• focused on observable examples rather than assumptions
  

For example, instead of asking:

• “Was the candidate good to work with?”
  

Hiring teams often gain more value from questions such as:

• “How did the candidate handle changing priorities or feedback?”
• “Can you describe how they collaborated within the team?”
• “What were their strongest contributions in the role?”

Specific and structured questions generally lead to more actionable and reliable insights.

What’s next?

Reference checking should not simply be treated as a final administrative task in recruitment and many organizations are starting to realize this.

At Talentech, we help organizations:

• create more structured and scalable reference checking processes
• improve consistency across recruitment teams
• reduce manual administrative work
• generate more reliable hiring insights
• support more confident hiring decisions

Explore how our reference checking solution can help you here.

Want to see how structured digital reference checking could work in your organization?