Reference Checks in 2026: What’s Fair, What’s Useful, and What’s Just Noise

Introduction

Reference checks have a funny reputation. Some leaders swear by them. Others treat them as a formality—because “of course the referee will say nice things.”

Both camps are right, depending on how the check is run. A reference check can be one of the fairest parts of your process, or it can be the messiest. In 2026, when hiring teams are being pushed to move faster and be more consistent, the difference comes down to one thing: structure.

In Singapore, the wider direction of travel is clear: employers are expected to consider candidates fairly and on merit, with hiring decisions based on job-related criteria—not personal background or irrelevant factors. Reference checks should support that goal, not undermine it.

Note: Written based on practical hiring experience in Singapore and Asia by Base Camp Recruitment.

What’s fair

A “fair” reference check is not about being nice. It’s about being consistent and job-relevant.

Here’s what fair looks like in practice:

• Ask for consent and set expectations. Tell the candidate when you’ll do references, who you’ll speak to, and what areas you’ll cover. This is basic professionalism and it reduces anxiety (which improves candidate experience).
• Use the same core questions for every finalist. You can tailor one or two questions to the role, but the backbone should be consistent so you’re not “digging” only for certain people. This kind of consistency is aligned with fair selection principles.
• Keep questions job-related. Focus on performance, ways of working, reliability, and scope—not personal life, “background stories”, or anything that doesn’t affect the role.
• Don’t use references as a backdoor to bias. A referee’s comments can be coloured by likeability, communication style, or office politics, so treat opinions carefully and look for specific examples. Guidance on reducing bias in selection consistently points back to standardisation and job-relevant evaluation.

What’s useful (signal)

A useful reference check doesn’t try to “confirm the whole candidate.” It tries to de-risk the hire by validating a few high-impact areas.

The highest-signal checks usually focus on:

1. Scope and outcomes

Ask: “What were they accountable for?” and “What outcomes did they deliver?”

You’re looking for alignment between the candidate’s claims and the referee’s examples (not identical wording).

2. How they work under pressure

Ask for one specific incident: a deadline crunch, an escalation, a conflict with stakeholders.

Good referees can describe behaviour and decisions; weak ones give adjectives only.

3. Strengths and edge cases

The best question is often: “Where did they do their best work, and where did they struggle?”

You’re not hunting for flaws; you’re mapping fit.

4. Rehire question (with a twist)

Instead of the classic “Would you rehire them?”, ask:

“Under what conditions would you happily hire them again?”

This invites nuance and reduces polite, automatic “yes” answers.

What’s just noise (and should be ignored)

Noise usually sounds confident, but it isn’t tied to evidence.

Common “noise” patterns:

• Vague labels: “Great attitude”, “not a culture fit”, “too quiet”, “too aggressive” (unless backed with a job-relevant example).
• One-person drama: A referee describing a single conflict without context, especially if it’s clearly personal.
• Outdated performance snapshots: Feedback from a role the candidate held years ago, when their scope was totally different.
• Comparisons instead of facts: “Not as strong as X” is less useful than “Here’s what they owned and how they performed.”
• Unverifiable claims: “Everyone had issues with them” (but no specifics, no situations, no outcomes).

If you do hear something negative, don’t panic—triangulate. Ask a second referee, check against interview evidence, and look for patterns rather than one-off opinions.

A simple reference-check template (fast + fair)

If you want reference checks that don’t slow hiring down, treat them like a 12–15 minute structured interview.

Before the call/email (1 minute):

“Thanks for your time. I’ll ask 6 questions focused on job performance and collaboration. Please share examples where possible.”

Questions (copy-paste):

1. What was your working relationship with [Candidate], and over what period?
2. What were they accountable for (scope, targets, stakeholders)?
3. What are 2–3 strengths you saw repeatedly? Please share one example.
4. What’s one area they had to improve, and what helped them improve?
5. How did they handle pressure or conflicting priorities? Any example?
6. If you were hiring again, what role would you place them in to get the best out of them?

Close (30 seconds):

“Anything else you think a hiring manager should know to set them up for success?”

Decision rule:

Use references to confirm scope, working style, and risk—not to “override” a strong interview unless you’ve got specific, repeatable concerns with examples.