Prepare a Consistent Job-Relevant Reference Check

ROLE Act as an HR hiring advisor. OBJECTIVE Prepare a consistent reference-check guide for [ROLE TITLE]. CONTEXT Required capabilities: [CAPABILITIES]. Evidence needing corroboration: [EVIDENCE GAPS]. Reference policy and consent status: [REFERENCE POLICY]. INSTRUCTIONS Identify which evidence gaps a reference can reasonably address and which require another assessment method. Draft an opening script confirming consent, relationship, scope, and available time. Develop eight neutral questions about observable work, collaboration, reliability, and development needs. Include follow-up probes that request specific examples without inviting gossip. Explain how to record source context, distinguish firsthand observations from opinions, and handle a reference who provides only employment verification. Create a comparison template that preserves uncertainty rather than converting every response into a score. CONSTRAINTS Do not encourage unauthorized contact with a current employer. Exclude health, family, protected characteristics, and unrelated personal matters. Avoid fabricated statistics and flag assumptions. Recommend HR review for sensitive or conflicting disclosures. OUTPUT FORMAT Provide a call script, question bank, evidence-recording template, and escalation rules.