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What is a reference check template?
A reference check is the corroborating document that closes out the hiring process. Done by hand, a reference call generates several pages of notes that then need to be typed up into a structured document. A recruiter running two references per candidate across a shortlist of three or four candidates is looking at the better part of a day per hire on reference write-ups alone.
Contented produces the document directly from the recorded interview, with a structured question-and-response section and verbatim quotes from the referee captured exactly as they were said. It gives you a complete and accurate record of a referee's feedback, ready to share or drop into your files moments after the call ends.
How to use a reference check template
Record your reference call in the Contented app or on your phone, pick the reference check template in your workspace, and download a structured reference document within minutes.
1. Record your reference call
Capture the call with the referee in the Contented app or via your phone. If you record on your phone, you'll need to upload it to your Contented workspace once you're done.
2. Select the reference check template
Choose the reference check template from your Contented workspace. Contented works through the recording and produces a formal reference document: a header block with candidate and call details, a referee details table, and a structured question-and-response table.
3. Review and export
Download as PDF or Word within minutes. File it on the candidate record, share with the hiring panel, or attach it to the formal offer paperwork.
Who uses a reference check template?
Anyone running formal reference calls as part of a hiring process.
A few examples:
- Recruitment agencies producing reference documents for clients as part of the final hiring decision.
- In-house talent acquisition teams running structured reference checks before extending offers.
- Hiring managers conducting their own reference calls.
- Executive search consultants where multiple references per candidate need to be captured to the same standard.
- People and HR leads conducting internal reference conversations for promotions or internal mobility.
- Regulated industries where reference checks form part of the compliance record and need to be properly documented.
What's in a reference check template?
- The header block at the top includes the candidate name, role, recruiter or hiring manager taking the reference, date, and method (phone call, video, in-person), with call duration.
- The referee details table covers name, current role, relationship to the candidate (with dates of working together), company, consent confirmation, and reference type (professional, peer, direct report, senior manager).
- Then there's a structured question-and-response table covering the questions asked, such as confirmation of role and reporting line, strongest contributions, approach to senior stakeholders, people management experience, handling underperformance and difficult conversations, response to feedback, weaknesses and development areas, reason for leaving and the rehire question.
- Verbatim quotes from the referee are preserved throughout. The specific phrasing is what makes a reference useful rather than generic.
- Honest balance of strengths and weaknesses is captured. Where the referee offered a qualified or mixed view, the qualifications are kept intact rather than smoothed out.
- Export-ready as PDF or Word.
FAQs
Yes. You can share conversations directly with individual team members or groups within your workspace. Recipients can view the conversation and generate their own documents and insights from it. You can also share with full permission, so others can edit and manage the recording. What you create can be downloaded to share as a document or CSV.
Yes. The Contented app lets you record any conversation directly from your phone or computer. No bots needed in the meeting. It also works offline, so you can capture meetings in locations without reliable signal and the recording will upload automatically when you're back online.
Yes. Contented is built to handle diverse accents, multiple speakers, background noise, and technical or industry-specific vocabulary. Templated outputs can be generated in any language, making it practical for multilingual teams and organisations operating across different regions.