As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I give clients this template constantly, so here is the practitioner’s version, ready to adapt. Most reference checks are worthless because they ask soft questions of hand-picked references and accept flattering answers. These twenty questions are designed to surface real signal, and they work best with references you source yourself, not only the ones the candidate provides.
What follows is a ready-to-use tool you can adapt to your own process, with an explanation of why each element belongs in it and how to apply it well. It is written for boards, HR leaders, and hiring executives who want something they can put to work immediately, not a theoretical overview.
What This Tool Is For
This question template gives you twenty reference-check questions that surface genuine information about an executive candidate’s performance, leadership, and character, rather than the empty praise that formulaic reference checks produce. The questions are grouped by theme and designed to be probing, specific, and hard to answer with generic flattery, and they are most powerful when used with 360 and back-channel references, not only the candidate’s chosen ones.
Key Takeaways
- Most reference checks are worthless because the questions are too soft.
- These twenty questions are designed to surface real signal.
- Use them with references you source yourself, not just the candidate’s.
- Probe performance, leadership, character, and areas for development specifically.
- Listen as much to how references answer as to what they say.
Before You Ask: Sourcing the Right References
The questions below only work if you are talking to the right people. The candidate’s chosen references will praise them, so the most valuable references are ones you source yourself, former direct reports, peers, and back-channel contacts who saw the candidate operate. Approach these thoughtfully and confidentially. The questions are designed to be revealing regardless of the reference, but they surface the most truth from people who worked closely with the candidate and have no stake in the outcome.
Performance and Results
- How would you describe what this person actually accomplished in their role, specifically?
- What was their personal contribution versus what the team or organization achieved?
- Where did they most add value, and where did they struggle?
- How did they perform under pressure or in a genuine crisis?
- Would you hire or work with them again? Why or why not?
Leadership and Team
- How did they treat the people who worked for them?
- Did they develop their people, or use them? Can you give an example?
- How did they handle disagreement or dissent from their team?
- What did their team say about them when they were not in the room?
- How did they build and manage their team over time?
Character and Judgment
- Can you describe a time their integrity was tested, and how they responded?
- How did they handle mistakes, their own and others?
- How did they treat people with less power than them?
- Was there ever a gap between how they presented and how they actually behaved?
- How did they make difficult decisions?
Development and Fit
- What are their genuine development areas, not strengths in disguise?
- In what kind of environment or role would they struggle?
- What should their next employer know to set them up for success?
- Is there anything you were hoping I would ask, or anything you feel I should know?
- On a scale of one to ten, how strong were they, and what would have made them a ten?
That last question, the “one to ten” and its follow-up, is one of the most revealing in the set: the number reveals the reference’s true assessment, and the follow-up surfaces the candidate’s real limitations. Equally, the open “anything I should know” invites the reference to raise concerns they were reluctant to volunteer.
How to Use This Template Well
Source references beyond the candidate’s list, especially former direct reports, and approach them confidentially. Use the questions conversationally rather than reading them mechanically, and probe the answers, following up on hesitations, vague responses, and anything that seems incomplete. Listen as much to how references answer as to what they say: reluctance, careful wording, and what goes unsaid often reveal as much as the explicit answers. Take notes on specifics, and treat consistent themes across references as more reliable than any single comment. Use the development and ‘anything I should know’ questions to surface concerns references are reluctant to volunteer.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The common mistakes are checking only the candidate’s chosen references (who praise them), asking soft questions that invite generic flattery, accepting vague positive answers without probing, and treating reference checking as a final formality rather than a real assessment. Avoid these by sourcing references yourself, asking the probing questions above, following up on every hesitation and vague answer, and treating references as a genuine source of signal, especially the view from below that reveals how the candidate actually led.
The Bottom Line
A reference check built on twenty probing, specific questions, used with references you source yourself, surfaces the real signal about a candidate’s performance, leadership, and character that formulaic reference checks miss. Adapt it to your context, apply it consistently, and it will sharpen the decisions that matter most, because disciplined process is what separates reliable executive hiring from luck.
Related Resources
For employers going deeper, see The Reference Check Nobody Does, What Is a 360 Reference Check for Executive Candidates, Pre-Offer Due Diligence Checklist for Executive Hires.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How many reference-check questions should you ask?
- A: Enough to cover performance, leadership, character, and development, around twenty probing questions, used conversationally rather than mechanically.
- Q: Which references matter most?
- A: Ones you source yourself, especially former direct reports and back-channel contacts, since the candidate’s chosen references will simply praise them.
- Q: What is the most revealing reference question?
- A: Asking for a one-to-ten rating and what would have made the candidate a ten, which surfaces the reference’s true assessment and the candidate’s real limits.
- Q: How do you get honest reference answers?
- A: By sourcing independent references, asking probing questions, following up on hesitations, and inviting references to raise anything they think you should know.
- Q: Should you only check references the candidate provides?
- A: No; those references are chosen to praise the candidate, so the most valuable signal comes from references you source independently.
![](https://www.jrgpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tanya-gallardo.jpeg")
Tanya Gallardo
Managing Director, Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy
Tanya Gallardo is the Managing Director of Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy at JRG Partners, leading C-suite and Board engagements across key growth sectors including Technology, Financial Services, and Manufacturing.
With over 18 years of experience specializing in disruptive technology leadership, Tanya is recognized as a leading authority on talent architecture for future-focused executive roles, such as the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Her expertise lies in accurately assessing the cultural fit and technical depth required to ensure a high return on investment (ROI) for critical leadership appointments.
Prior to her role at JRG Partners, Tanya held senior roles directing global talent acquisition strategies at a major publicly-traded technology firm, advising on organizational design and succession planning for emerging executive functions. She is a recognized speaker and contributor to industry events, sharing data-driven insights on executive compensation, leadership development, and the measurable business impact of C-suite talent.
