Short answer Paste the prompt below into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot with your own details and you get a short, fair set of reference check questions for the job you're hiring for, plus a simple note-taking sheet for the call. Works on free plans. Time saved: about 30 minutes per hire (estimate).
Why it helps
Reference checks often turn into a two-minute chat where the referee says the person was "great" and you hang up none the wiser. The useful questions are the specific ones: what they actually did, how they handled pressure, and whether the referee would hire them again.
AI can write a short set of questions that fit the job you're hiring for, based on the job ad and what came up in the interview. It also helps you keep the questions fair, so you're asking about the work and not the person's private life.
The prompt
Copy it, swap the bits in [square brackets], and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot.
I'm hiring for a [job title] at my [type of business] in New Zealand. Help me plan a reference check phone call. The job: [paste the job ad or main duties] Things I want to check from the interview: [e.g. reliability, cash handling, working weekends] Please give me: 1. A one-line intro to say at the start: who I am, the job, and that the candidate gave me their details. 2. 8 questions, specific to this job, that ask for real examples. Include one about whether they'd employ the person again. 3. A simple note-taking table: question, what they said, anything to follow up. Rules: - Only ask about things relevant to doing this job safely and well. - Don't ask about age, health, family, religion, ethnicity or other personal matters. - NZ English, friendly and plain. Don't invent details about the candidate.
Then keep chatting
Write a short message asking the candidate for permission to contact their referees.
The referee was vague. Give me 3 polite follow-up questions to dig a bit deeper.
Turn my notes into a short, fair summary for my records.
Step by step
- Get the candidate's agreement, ideally in writing, before you contact anyone. Only call the referees they've given you.
- Fill in the prompt with the job and what you want to check, and read the questions.
- Cut any question that isn't about the job. Keep the call to 10 or 15 minutes.
- Make the call, take notes in the table, and ask the referee if their comments are given in confidence.
- Store your notes securely and only keep them as long as you need them.
Worked example
| Question | What they said | Follow up |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Example details are made up. Your results will vary, so always read and check before you use them.
Watch out for
- Get permission first. Employment New Zealand says to only contact referees the candidate has given you, and to get their agreement before contacting anyone else, such as a current employer. See employment.govt.nz.
- Keep it relevant. Questions must relate to the job. Asking about things like age, health or family can lead to discrimination complaints under the Human Rights Act (tikatangata.org.nz).
- Privacy: reference notes are the candidate's personal information. They can usually ask to see them, unless the referee spoke in confidence. Check the Privacy Commissioner's recruitment guidance at privacy.org.nz.
- Don't paste the candidate's name, contact details or the referee's details into the AI. Use the job details only.
Go further
If you're still at the interview stage, the job ads and interview questions use case helps you plan the questions that come before this. Once you've hired, set them up well with the staff onboarding plan use case.
