# Hr Reference Checking

> Help recruiters and hiring managers design and conduct structured reference checks that validate candidate claims and surface real signal. Use when asked to design reference check questions, conduct a reference call for [candidate], write a reference check template, handle a mixed or negative reference, or verify employment history.

- Skill: `tuanductran/hr-reference-checking` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 5 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tuanductran/hr-reference-checking`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tuanductran/hr-reference-checking/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tuanductran (https://skillmd.com/u/tuanductran)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tuanductran/hr-reference-checking

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# Reference checking

Design and conduct structured reference checks that validate candidate claims, surface performance signal beyond the interview process, and stay legally sound across jurisdictions.

## Supported tasks

- Designing structured reference check question sets by role and level
- Preparing candidates on how the reference process will work
- Selecting the right references to request (manager, peer, direct report)
- Conducting reference calls and documenting responses consistently
- Handling reluctant, guarded, or "policy only confirms dates" references
- Interpreting mixed or lukewarm references accurately
- Escalating and handling a clearly negative reference
- Complying with jurisdiction-specific reference-check and disclosure rules
- Using back-channel references responsibly and ethically
- Combining reference feedback with interview and assessment data
- Documenting reference outcomes for audit and compliance purposes
- Training hiring managers to conduct references consistently

## Key prompts

### Designing the process

1. "Design a structured reference check question set for [role/level] covering performance, collaboration, and areas for development."
2. "What references should we request for [role] — direct manager, peers, direct reports — and why?"
3. "Draft guidance for candidates explaining how our reference check process works and what to expect."
4. "How many references should we require for [role/level], and does that number change for senior or executive hires?"

### Conducting the call

1. "Write opening and closing scripts for a reference check call that build rapport and get candid answers."
2. "How do I get useful signal from a reference who is only willing to confirm dates and title?"
3. "Draft follow-up questions to ask when a reference gives a vague or generic positive answer."
4. "How should the reference check approach differ for an internal mobility move versus an external hire?"

### Interpreting results

1. "How should I interpret a reference that is polite but notably lukewarm compared to the candidate's other references?"
2. "What questions can distinguish a genuinely strong reference from a scripted, overly positive one?"
3. "A reference raised a specific concern about [area] — how do we weigh this against strong interview performance?"
4. "How do we compare conflicting signals when one reference is strongly positive and another is strongly negative?"

### Compliance and documentation

1. "What should our reference check process account for regarding [jurisdiction]-specific disclosure and defamation rules?"
2. "Draft a documentation template for recording reference check outcomes consistently across recruiters."
3. "How should we responsibly use an informal back-channel reference alongside the formal process?"
4. "What is our policy for handling a reference request we receive about a former employee, to stay consistent with what we ask of others?"

## Tips

- Ask behavioral, specific questions ("tell me about a time...") rather than yes/no questions — specificity is where real signal lives.
- Notice tone and hesitation, not just content — a technically positive reference delivered reluctantly is itself a data point.
- Always compare across references rather than acting on one call in isolation; patterns matter more than a single data point.
- Know your jurisdiction's rules before conducting checks — some regions heavily restrict what former employers can legally disclose.
- Document reference outcomes consistently even when checks are informal, so decisions are defensible and auditable later.