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Reference questions by role

Each set is built for a phone call of about twenty minutes. Ask the open questions first and keep the hire-again question for last.

How to run the call. Confirm you are speaking to the person you think you are. Say what the role is. Ask open questions and then stop talking — most of the useful material arrives in the silence after an answer ends. Take notes on what was said, not on your impression of it, and keep those notes the same way you keep interview notes.

Software engineering

7 questions for engineers and technical ICs.

Sales and account management

7 questions for quota-carrying and customer-facing roles.

People management

7 questions for team leads, managers and directors.

Healthcare and clinical support

7 questions for clinical and patient-facing staff.

Customer support

7 questions for support, success and service desk roles.

Finance and accounting

7 questions for accounting, FP&A and controller roles.

Operations and logistics

7 questions for ops, supply chain and facilities roles.

Remote and distributed work

7 questions for any role that is remote-first.

What not to ask

A reference call is still an employment decision. Questions about age, health, disability, religion, national origin, pregnancy, marital or family status, and in many places salary history, create exposure whether you ask the candidate or their former manager. See what you can't ask.