You’ve wrapped your final interviews, you’re feeling good about your finalist, and the team is aligned. You’re ready to make an offer, pending a very important and final step: checking references.

For many hiring managers, reference checks can feel like a formality — a final checkbox to tick before they can send an offer. I’d argue it’s the opposite. Done right, they’re one of the most valuable parts of the process. They can validate your excitement, uncover blind spots, and help you set your future hire up for success. Better yet, they can, and should, help you close the candidate.

This step is perhaps the most critical, but most delicate, in the entire hiring process. Here’s our field guide on how to make the most of references and master the art of backchanneling — the informal, information-seeking chat with an acquaintance who has experience working with the candidate — with thoughtfulness and rigor.

A good reference call should help you:

1. Vet outstanding concerns from the interview process. Were there specific gaps or signals that you missed?
2. Ask for management advice. How can you set up this person to thrive on your team? What are their blind spots? You may need to probe further or seek additional references if the references don’t have any constructive feedback.
3. Build advocacy. Your candidate may contact the reference and ask how it went and solicit advice. You want the reference to tell the candidate to take the job.

The Do’s of Reference Checks

Treat it like an interview

“Reference check” sounds passive. It’s not. Go in with structured questions, dig beneath surface answers, and probe for real insight. Aim for fewer but more relevant references. You want signal, not noise.

One of my favorite questions is about the biggest obstacles in their first year. The answer will grant you insight into their ability to handle challenges and any potential change in company direction. Be specific and, after they respond, dig into one specific obstacle or challenge.

Prioritize past managers with purpose

Don’t just ask candidates for “three references.” Request specific ones:

• Managers? Yes, at least the past two.
• Peers? Yes, if they’ve had direct context, like a CMO working closely with a CRO.
• Direct reports? Yes, they’ll paint a great picture on what it’s like to work for this person.

Flag: If the candidate doesn’t provide past managers, don’t be afraid to ask why and confirm the context. Some contexts are absolutely legitimate, but it's good to hear how candidates speak about situations and scenarios, and what it tells you about them.

If you’re talking to a previous manager, ask them to tell you about a time they coached the candidate. This answer should help surface development areas and more precisely how the candidate responded to feedback. What were their first instincts? Were they defensive or action-oriented? Dig deep.

Own the call. Don’t delegate

Managers and leaders: This is your job. As a former recruiter myself, I think highly of their role in this process, but no recruiter, HR partner, or proxy will get as much nuance from this call as you will. You’re hiring a direct report, so take the time to get to know them thoroughly.

One of my favorite questions to ask everyone on the reference list is around a candidate’s curiosity level. Are they more curious or critical about what they don't understand? This helps uncover the way they tackle problems or open questions.

Come prepared

Have a plan. Know what information you want to vet, what you’re excited about and where you’re uncertain. Then, tailor your questions accordingly.

If you’re talking to a previous manager, ask them about a high potential individual on one of their past teams and how they helped develop them. If you’re talking to a peer, ask questions about day-to-day collaboration and how the candidate approaches conflict. If it’s a direct report, ask if they’d work for the candidate again.

Sell the role — and yourself

Your chat with the reference may play a big role in whether your candidate accepts the offer. Give them context. Share why you’re excited. Let them end the call as a champion for your company and team. Don’t be afraid to sell them, too. I’ve seen countless references and backchannels turn into future hires.

Use backchannels to fill in the gaps

Backchanneling is more art than science. When done well, reaching out to your own trusted network for off-the-record insights offers you a sharper, more honest understanding of how candidates have performed in previous roles. Interviews don’t always reveal the full picture — some of the best hires may not shine in formal settings, while others interview well but underdeliver. Backchannels help reduce that risk and build conviction, one way or another.

Backchannels are just one piece of the puzzle. They’re most valuable when used to fill in the gaps — not to replace interviews, references, or your own judgment. Focus on patterns across feedback rather than isolated anecdotes. I’ve made hires where backchannel input was mixed, and I’ve passed on candidates who received glowing reviews. You may need a true executor, and while a leader might excel in vision and inspiration, they may lack the executional rigor this specific role demands. They can be excellent — but not necessarily excellent here.

• Don’t reach out to anyone at the candidate’s current company. You do not want to expose someone who hasn't disclosed they're interviewing.
• Don’t take any one data point as the absolute truth. Read between the lines: A glowing review from a best friend? A terrible review from someone they fired? Context is key.

A good backchannel should help

• Provide context you can’t get in an interview. References can feel overly curated (even when you ask all the right questions). Backchannels can give you unfiltered signals about how the candidate really showed up in high-stakes moments, handled change, or navigated conflict.
• Identify patterns: A single glowing or poor read is rarely enough. The value of backchannels is spotting trends across multiple, trusted voices in addition to interview feedback. Each piece is part of a larger story.

The Do’s of Backchanneling

Talk to people you trust

Only backchannel through people whose judgment you know and respect. This includes your investors, close advisors, former colleagues — people who’ll give you balanced, nuanced insight.

Vet the source

Not all backchannels are equal. Someone with a balanced perspective will give you better insight — even if the feedback is negative. It’s more useful to hear something tough from someone credible than flattery from someone biased.

Provide context

Give the person you’re backchannelling the proper context about what would make a great candidate, and keep the scope of the conversation narrow with specific questions.

References and backchannels aren’t just a traditional bases-covering exercise. They’re key to making the right hiring decision, setting your future colleague up for success, and reinforcing your company’s reputation in the market.

Approach these conversations with intention, structure, and respect — and they’ll become one of the most powerful parts of your hiring toolkit.