Professional reference questions, asked of the firm giving the reference rather than of the candidate, follow a short and predictable list: in what capacity did you know the person and for how long, what were they responsible for, what did they do well, give me an example, was there anything they struggled with, would you work with them again, and is there anyone else I should speak to. A letter structured on the reference letter template answers the first five in writing before the call, which is why the free reference letter on this site sizes those parts; this page sets out the questions and what a good answer to each sounds like.
The verification questions: capacity, role, dates
The checker's first questions confirm that the letter is what it claims: how did you know the person, what was their role or the engagement, when did it start and end. Answer from the record, and answer exactly; a date that differs from the letter by a month is the thing a checker remembers. Sowbird Pro keeps the engagement with its dates against the client, so the answer is the same on the phone as on the page.
The substance questions: what they did, what they did well, an example
Then the checker asks what the person was responsible for, what they did well and for an example of it. These are the middle paragraphs of the letter said aloud: the piece of work and what it produced, the strength and the moment that showed it, the result with its number. A referee who has the engagement record open gives three specific answers; a referee working from memory gives adjectives, and the checker hears the difference.
The judgement questions: struggles, again, anyone else
Last come the questions the letter usually does not answer: what did they struggle with, would you work with them again, and who else should I call. Answer the first honestly and specifically, because a checker who hears only praise assumes something is being withheld; answer the second with the recommendation the letter made; and answer the third with a name from the engagement if there is one. The firm's credibility on the whole call rests on the first of the three.
Questions people ask about professional reference questions
Is the reference letter on this site free?
Yes, without an account. It sizes and structures the letter from the months, the pieces of work, the strengths, the examples and the results you enter, and prints the parts. Keeping the engagement it is written from, and the letter with who it went to, is the paid product.
Should I prepare before a reference call?
Yes: open the engagement record and the letter you wrote, and have the dates, the work, the examples and the numbers in front of you. The call takes ten minutes and the checker writes down what you say.
Can I decline to answer a reference question?
You can say that a question is outside what you observed, which is a better answer than a guess. Employment-law limits on what an employer may disclose are the lawyer's subject, not this site's; the firm's rule is simpler: say what you saw.