When you apply for a job, you’ll usually need to provide references – people who can vouch for your skills, work ethic, and character. Reference checking is when a potential employer contacts these people to verify what you’ve told them and get an honest assessment of what you’re like to work with. Understanding how this process works helps you choose the right references and prepare them properly.
In this blog, we’ll explain how employers use references as part of the hiring process and provide some tips on adding them to your resume.
Who should you add as a reference?
Most employers ask for two or three references. These might be previous managers, supervisors, teachers, coaches, or people you’ve volunteered with. The key is that they need to know you well enough in a “professional capacity” to speak meaningfully about your abilities and character. Your best friend’s mum doesn’t count as a professional reference unfortunately (even if she thinks you’re lovely).
When do employers actually check?
Reference checks typically happen after you’ve been interviewed and the employer is seriously considering offering you the job. They’re usually one of the final steps before making a formal offer. Some employers check references for all shortlisted candidates, while others only check for the person they intend to hire.
This is why your resume should say “references available upon request” rather than listing them directly. You don’t want random people contacting your current boss before you’ve even had an interview. When an employer asks for your references, that’s usually a good sign – it means they’re interested enough to take the next step.
What questions do they ask?
Reference checks usually cover the basics first: confirming you actually worked there, what your job title was, and the dates of your employment. Then they’ll ask about your performance, reliability, strengths and weaknesses, and whether the person would hire you again.
Common questions include things like:
- “How would you describe their work ethic?”
- “Can you give me an example of how they handled a difficult situation?”
- “What are their key strengths?”
- “Is there anything they could improve?”
- “They mentioned [skill] on their resume – can you give me an example of a time they demonstrated this skill?”
The reference check might happen over the phone or video call, via email, or occasionally through an online form. Phone and video calls allow for more detailed conversation and follow-up questions, which is why many employers prefer this method for important positions.
Choosing the right references
Pick people who can speak positively and specifically about your work or capabilities. A manager who supervised you directly for six months is more valuable than a senior executive you barely interacted with. If you haven’t had a formal job yet, teachers who know your work well, coaches who’ve seen your commitment, or people you’ve volunteered with can all be appropriate references.
Think about what the job requires and choose references who can speak to those skills. If you’re applying for a customer service role, someone who can talk about your communication skills and patience is more useful than someone who only knows you from behind-the-scenes work.
Avoid using family members or friends as references – even if you’ve done paid work for a relative, employers view these references as biased. Similarly, don’t use people you’ve only worked with briefly or who barely remember you.
Preparing your references
If you’re on the hunt for a job, make sure you prepare your references by following these steps before you apply:
Always ask before listing someone as a reference
This is both polite and practical – you want to make sure they’re comfortable providing a reference and will say positive things about you. If someone seems hesitant when you ask, thank them and find someone else.
Give them details of the job
If they agree, let them know what kind of job you’re applying for and what skills or qualities might be particularly relevant to highlight. You could say something like, “I’m applying for a retail position where customer service and reliability are really important. Would you be comfortable talking about those aspects of my work?”
Let them know once you apply
Give your references a heads-up when you’ve actually provided their details to an employer. Send them a quick message saying, “I’ve just applied for a position at [company] and listed you as a reference, so they might contact you in the next week or two. The role focuses on teamwork and problem-solving, which I know we worked on together. Thanks so much for being willing to support my application.”
What if you don’t have professional references?
If you’re applying for your first job and genuinely don’t have work experience or volunteer experience to draw on, it’s acceptable to use teachers, sports coaches, or other adults who know you in a structured setting. A teacher who can speak to your reliability, communication skills, and ability to meet deadlines is better than no reference at all.
Employers understand that young people or career changers might not have traditional references available. If this is your situation, you might include a note in your application explaining your circumstances: “As I’m currently completing school and applying for my first job, my references are teachers who can speak to my work ethic, reliability, and interpersonal skills.”
What if your reference isn’t great?
Most reference checks are positive – people generally agree to be references because they’re happy to support you. But if you’re concerned about what a previous employer might say, you have a few options.
You could use a co-worker or team leader instead of the manager if you left on difficult terms, though be prepared to explain this choice if asked. You could also be upfront in your interview about why you’re not using a particular employer as a reference, briefly explaining the situation without being negative.
If you’re genuinely worried that a past employer will provide an untrue or unfairly negative reference, you might want to seek advice from a community legal centre about your options. In some circumstances, providing a misleading or vindictive reference can have legal implications for the referee.
It’s also against the law for an employer to not hire you on the basis of your gender, age, race, religion, or other “protected attribute” in Australia – read more about this on the Fair Work Ombudsman’s website.
