Reference check email templates

Subject: Reference check for [Role] - your referees

Hi [Candidate name],

Thank you for your time on [day]. We are at the reference stage for [Role], and I need two things from you.

First, your written go-ahead for us to contact your referees. Replying to this email is enough.

Second, two referees who managed you directly, ideally from your two most recent roles. For each one please send:

- Name and job title at the time
- Company
- Work email address
- Phone number
- How they worked with you

We ask the same set of questions of every referee for this role. It takes them about ten minutes and they can answer whenever it suits them.

If a referee cannot be contacted yet, tell me and we will work around it.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Job title], [Company]

Subject: Reference request: [Candidate name], [Role] at [Company]

Hi [Referee name],

[Candidate name] has applied for [Role] at [Company] and named you as a referee. They have given us written permission to contact you.

Would you answer [number] questions about working with them? It takes about ten minutes, and you can do it whenever suits you: [link]

The role involves [one sentence on what the job actually requires]. That is the part your answers help us most with.

Your answers go to the hiring panel for this role only. If you would rather speak than type, reply with a couple of times that work and I will call you.

If you were not their manager, or you would rather not take this on, just tell me and I will go back to the candidate.

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Job title], [Company]
[Phone]

Subject: Re: Reference request: [Candidate name]

Hi [Referee name],

A short nudge on my reference request for [Candidate name], who has applied for [Role] with us.

The questions are here and take about ten minutes: [link]

Happy to call instead if that is easier. We are hoping to decide by [date].

Thanks,
[Your name]

Subject: Last nudge: reference for [Candidate name]

Hi [Referee name],

This is my last email about [Candidate name]'s reference, so you can stop watching for these.

If you can still help, the questions are here: [link] - or reply and I will call you at a time you choose.

If now is not the moment, no problem at all. Let me know and I will ask [Candidate name] for an alternative referee, with no reflection on them.

Thanks either way,
[Your name]

Subject: One more referee for [Role]

Hi [Candidate name],

I have not been able to reach [Referee name] - these things happen, and it says nothing about your application.

Could you send one more referee who managed you directly? Name, job title, company, work email and phone, as before.

Everything else in your application is moving forward.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Subject: 15 minutes about [Candidate name]?

Hi [Referee name],

Thank you for agreeing to speak about [Candidate name].

Would any of these work for a 15-minute call?

- [Day, time, timezone]
- [Day, time, timezone]
- [Day, time, timezone]

I will ask the same [number] questions we ask every referee for this role, mostly about [the two things the role lives or dies on]. I will take notes and keep them to the hiring panel.

Reply with a time, or send me another and I will make it work.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Phone]

Subject: Thank you - [Candidate name] reference

Hi [Referee name],

Thank you for the reference for [Candidate name]. It was genuinely useful, and you turned it around quickly.

Nothing further needed from you.

Best,
[Your name]
[Job title], [Company]