According to Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) more than 80% of employers conduct reference checks when making hiring decisions. However, calling every reference one after the other manually to endorse potential employees, students, or nominees is a tiring and monotonous task.

Having a reference request form gives you a standardized format that allows applicants to gather endorsement from their referees such as a previous employer, professor, or professional colleague. They make proving the credibility and competence of applicants way easier. You could still go ahead to call the references to ensure they can back up their endorsement, but you would only be confirming not starting from scratch.

Let’s explore the importance of reference request forms and how to create them (plus a template to get you started).

Understanding Reference Request Forms

A reference request is a form employees and institutions send to applicants’ referees to fill out to verify the applicant’s qualifications or character. There are different types of reference request forms depending on the type of institution including employment, academic, and personal reference requests. 

Let’s break down how they work:

• Employment Reference Request Forms: This enables employers to confirm a potential hire’s work history, qualifications, and performance. It typically includes questions about the candidate’s job responsibilities, accomplishments, and work ethic.
• Academic Reference Request Forms: This allows schools to learn more about a student’s academic background, skills, and eligibility for a program. For example, the student’s class attendance, study patterns, behavior in class, etc.
• Personal Reference Request Forms: This request form is usually used for more personal character verification such as rental or volunteer applications. They typically ask about the applicant’s personality, dependability, and social skills.

Benefits of Reference Request Forms

Here are some advantages of formal reference request forms over informal reference checks:

• Credibility and Authenticity: It provides a more credible and transparent way to gather data, reducing the chances of bias and subjective opinions. With informal reference checks HR managers may ask questions that could trigger bias in referees. This gives applicants a positive impression of your organization knowing you are not playing favorites.
• Structured and Organized Process: Instead of asking different refs different questions from memory, the reference request form gives a guided approach for recruiters to ask questions and referees to answer questions. This allows referees to give more complete and informative responses, preventing bias and information gaps that could have occurred if recruiters didn’t ask important questions because they got lost in the conversation.
• Efficiency: Using the reference form streamlines the process for the requester and the reference provider. 

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Reference request forms collect personal information about applicants, so there are legal and ethical guidelines around them, here are some of them:

• Candidate consent before contacting their references.
• Collect only information relevant to the position or program being applied for.
• Keep the collected information secure and confidential.

Key Components of a Reference Request Form

Here’s a breakdown of the key components a reference request form should include:

• Personal Information: applicant’s full name, contact details, the position applied for 
• Reference Details: referee’s name, contact details, position, or relationship with the applicant
• Purpose of the Reference: Why you need the reference check e.g. job application, academic program admission, or a personal character reference for a different purpose.
• Specific Information Required: Outline the specific skills, experiences, and qualities you would like the referee to highlight in their reference.  This allows the referee to tailor their response to provide valuable insights into candidates.
• Submission Instructions: Provide clear guidance on where and when to submit the completed reference. For example, should it be emailed to your institution directly, submitted through a web form, or mailed to a specified address?
• Deadline: State the deadline for submitting the reference to ensure a timely response from referees to meet up with the application process.

Best Practices for Creating a Reference Request Form

Here are some key best practices to keep in mind when creating your reference request form:

• Clarity and Simplicity: Don’t take up too much of your referee’s time, keep the form short and simple. Concentrate on capturing the important information you need for a solid reference and avoid using unnecessary technical terms.
• Respecting the Referee’s Time: Let the referees know the requirements they need to make a strong recommendation upfront. For example, the applicant’s name, the role the applicant is applying for, and the skills and experience you want to verify.
• Reasonable Deadlines and Advance Notice: Don’t rush referees, give them ample time to respond and provide insightful recommendations. Most institutions give a week or two, give your timeframe based on the situation.
• Professional Tone and Formatting: Maintain a professional tone throughout the form. This demonstrates respect for your referee and the reference process. Use proper grammar and punctuation, and ensure the form is visually appealing and well-organized. Easy-to-read fonts, clear section headings, and adequate spacing will make completing the form a more pleasant experience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Incomplete Information: If you leave out important questions, it can be hard for references to give you a comprehensive and useful assessment. Ensure your form includes all the important information such as the candidate’s name, the role they applied for, relationship with the referee, etc.
• Vague Requests: Specify what you want to know about the candidate, so referees can uncover valuable information for you. For example, ask about a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, work ethic, etc.
• Ignoring Follow-ups: Sometimes references don’t have the time or energy to get back to you right away. Send a quick follow-up via email or phone a couple of days after your initial inquiry

Sample Reference Request Form Template

Using a reference request template you don’t have to do any of the heavy lifting yourself, all you need to do is customize the template and you are done. The Formplus reference request template contains all the information you need in an effective reference request form, so here’s how to create a reference request in minutes with it: 

1. Open the Reference Request Form Template | Formplus.
2. Edit the template to fit your request goals.  For example, you can add new questions or edit the existing fields.
3. Customize the form by adding your brand assets such as color, font, logo, etc.
4. Share the form with relevant institutions or persons via email, direct form link, or QR code.
5. Set up notifications to monitor the form responses, so you know when the request has been completed.

Conclusion

Reference request forms allow you to confirm the candidate’s qualifications and work ethic. So, if you are looking for valuable and informative feedback that will help you make informed decisions, you need to put in the effort. Building a reference request form from scratch is going to take you time, so save time and stress by getting started with this free template.