Most reference checks confirm employment dates and nothing else, because nobody asked a question worth answering. A handful of specific questions changes what a former manager is willing to tell you.
A reference check is a conversation with somebody who has worked with a candidate, intended to verify what you were told and to learn what an interview cannot show. Done as a formality it produces dates and a job title. Done properly it takes ten minutes and occasionally changes a decision.
The reason most are useless is the questions. Would you rehire invites a yes; was she a good employee invites a polite one. What you want is specific, comparative and awkward enough that the answer carries information — and phrased so that a cautious referee can still answer honestly.
Listen for hesitation as much as for content. Many referees are constrained by policy or caution and will not say anything negative, but a long pause before saying they were fine, and a refusal to elaborate, is information. So is enthusiasm that arrives instantly and specifically. The absence of a positive is the closest thing to a negative that a careful referee will give you.
Rules differ substantially by jurisdiction, and two things are worth knowing wherever you are. Giving a reference exposes the giver to claims for inaccuracy or unfairness, which is why so many organisations restrict themselves to dates and titles — that is policy rather than evasion. And what you may ask about is bounded: criminal record, health and other protected areas are restricted or require a specific process in most regimes. Verify what applies where you operate rather than assuming, particularly for regulated roles.
Ettex Records holds the candidate record and the notes with the retention position attached — reference notes are personal data and should not outlive their purpose, which is the ground covered in data retention policy. The interview stage before it is structured interview, and the wider sequence in recruitment process.
Being clear: we do not conduct reference checks, do not integrate with screening providers and do not perform background checks. Those are services with their own legal frameworks; what we hold is the record of what you asked and what you were told.
Comparative and specific ones: where would you place them among similar people you have managed, what did they need most support with, and is there anything I should know that I have not asked.
Before the offer, or as an explicit condition of it. A check performed after somebody has resigned elsewhere is one you cannot act on.
That is often company policy rather than a signal. Ask whether the person would be eligible for rehire — many organisations will answer that even when opinions are forbidden.
Only with the candidate's explicit permission. Contacting them without it can cost the person their job and, in several jurisdictions, expose you to a claim.
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