Describe the role and evidence you need. Makeform creates a phone reference check form for relationship details, ratings, examples, concerns, and follow-up notes.
Route completed reference notes to Google Sheets, Slack, and Zapier.
Sample prompts for the builder
Choose a complete prompt, adapt it to the vacancy, or send it to the builder. The outline is an example, not a live AI result.
Audience
Recruiters checking a finalist's recent work history
Format
Guided call sheet with notes and ratings
Prompt size
314 chars
Example form structure
Guided call sheet with notes and ratings
Candidate, vacancy, caller, and call date
Reference relationship and time worked together
Performance ratings with supporting examples
Strengths and development areas
Call outcome and recruiter follow-up
Suggested routing tags
Complete
Follow-up needed
Unable to verify
Ask for a specific example after each rating so reviewers have context for the number.
Step 1
Prepare
candidate, role, reference, and call script
Step 2
Ask
the same job-relevant core questions
Step 3
Probe
ratings supported by concrete examples
Step 4
Route
outcome, discrepancies, and next action
Why structure the call
Unstructured notes vary by caller. A phone reference check form keeps the sequence consistent while preserving examples.
Give callers the same role-relevant questions, options, and follow-ups so records are easier to review together.
Pair scales with example fields that preserve what happened and what the reference directly observed.
Record the outcome, then route discrepancies and open questions to the hiring owner.
Adapt the question set
Keep the opening and outcome stable, then tailor competencies to the role.
Explore quality, ownership, collaboration, learning, reliability, and helpful working conditions.
Add team scope, coaching, delegation, decisions, conflict, organizational change, and examples of developing others.
Focus on listening, communication, follow-through, escalations, judgment, goals, and feedback.
Ask about attendance, safe work, procedures, pace, teamwork, equipment, and escalation.
Reference-check workflow
Generate the structure, add role-specific competencies, and require outcome fields before sharing.
Name the role, callers, competencies, and contact outcomes your process uses.
Define rating labels, add example notes, and include neutral response options.
Show connected-call questions, callback details, and discrepancies only when needed.
Share the link with callers and route entries or follow-ups to recruiting.
Form vs notes
A script guides questions. A structured form also preserves answers, evidence, and next steps.
Field guide
Follow call order: identify the record, establish context, explore evidence, and close with a disposition.
Call record
Start with the candidate, vacancy, recruiter, caller, date, attempt, and outcome so repeated attempts remain part of one record.
Reference context
Capture role, relationship, dates, reporting line, and how closely the reference observed the work. Context helps reviewers interpret answers.
Work context
Capture dates, responsibilities, team setting, and departure context when offered. Include unable to verify instead of forcing an answer.
Competencies
Select competencies from the vacancy. Pair each scale with a note for the example and the reference's confidence.
Balanced prompts
Ask what the candidate handled well, where support helped, and what environment supported success. Neutral phrasing preserves nuance.
Disposition
Close with comments, issues to clarify, callback details, and a required status so the team knows whether the check is open.
Related tools
Collect references, schedule conversations, record feedback, and complete hiring follow-up.
Collect reference names and contact details from applicants before outreach begins.
Open toolKeep candidate identity, vacancy, availability, and process details in a structured intake.
Open toolCapture interviewer ratings and evidence after candidate conversations.
Open toolOrganize interview requests and the details coordinators need to schedule them.
Open toolGather availability and scheduling preferences for the interview stage.
Open toolStandardize internal referrals and route candidate context to recruiting.
Open toolFAQ
Practical answers for recruiters building a repeatable reference-call record.
It is a guided record completed during or after a reference call. It combines consistent questions with fields for relationship, work context, ratings, examples, concerns, outcome, and next action.
Include the relationship, time worked together, observed responsibilities, and competencies from the vacancy. Ask for examples behind ratings, strengths, development areas, rehire context, discrepancies, and follow-up.
Use the same core questions and defined labels for the same role. Add not observed and require an example after ratings. Review relationship and observation context alongside scores.
Yes. Use the outcome to show callback details, a declined note, or the full questions only when connected. Require attempt, date, owner, and next action.
Use both. A defined rating gives a consistent summary; an open field preserves the behavior behind it. Include neutral options such as not observed, and review context rather than only an average.
Yes. Keep identity, relationship, outcome, and disposition stable, then change competencies. Managers may need coaching and delegation; customer-facing roles may need communication and escalation prompts.
Yes. Makeform is unlimited free for generating, editing, publishing, and collecting submissions. The paid tier only removes the Makeform badge.
Route them to your recruiting workspace. A spreadsheet supports sorting and follow-up; notifications can alert the owner when a check is complete, needs a callback, or contains a discrepancy.
Give every reference call a usable record.
