Reference checks in Australia: what happens and how to brief your referees

What a reference check is for

A reference check is the employer's way of testing what you said in your application and interview against someone who has seen your work. The Western Australian Government's hiring managers toolkit describes reference checks as validating applicants' skills, experience and work behaviours through independent feedback from supervisors or managers. The Australian National University's guidance on referee reports says checks are done to make sure claims in the written application and at interview are substantiated, and to learn more about the applicant's work performance, competence, ability and potential.

ANU prefers the most recent direct supervisor to be one of the referees; other employers may say who to nominate in the job ad.

When it happens

The WA toolkit notes that referees can be contacted at any stage of recruitment and lists three common timings:

If an offer is subject to reference checks, wait until it is confirmed before you resign or decline other opportunities.

How the check is done

Most checks happen by phone or through a written form, according to the WA toolkit. For phone checks, it suggests the employer book a time with the referee so they can prepare, explain how their comments will be used and record the conversation accurately. Its example explanation says the reference may be given to the assessors and may also be provided to the applicant if they ask.

ANU's guidance on conducting oral reference checks asks the caller to explain the purpose of the call, name the applicant, check it is a convenient time and keep the information confidential to the selection committee. It also notes that the university is subject to freedom of information law, which may give people access to documents it holds, including referee reports.

What referees are usually asked

There is no single national question list. The WA toolkit says employers do not need to ask every referee the same questions; they can tailor the check to validate what the applicant has said and to explore specific work examples or areas of concern. ANU suggests behavioural questions that ask the referee to describe situations where the applicant applied their skills, using the situation, task, action and result structure, plus open-ended questions about any gaps against the selection criteria. At the end, ANU's caller asks if the referee has anything else to add about the applicant's suitability.

In practice, that usually means questions in these areas:

The WA toolkit also tells hiring managers not to treat constructive criticism as an automatic red flag, because every applicant has areas to improve. A referee who mentions a realistic development area is not necessarily hurting your chances.

How to brief your referees

The WA toolkit suggests employers check with the applicant what their referee already knows, especially when the referee is a current manager. Make that easy by briefing each referee yourself.

Before they are contacted:

1. Confirm they are still willing and available, and ask how they prefer to be reached.
2. Send the job ad and the resume you submitted.
3. Remind them of one or two pieces of work that match the role's main requirements, with the outcome.
4. Tell them the employer's name, who may call and roughly when.
5. Do not script their answers. Your aim is to jog their memory, not to tell them what to say.

If a selection criterion was hard to evidence in your application, choose a referee who saw you demonstrate it. Our selection criteria guide explains how employers use those criteria, and the STAR method guide shows the same structure a referee may be asked to use.

A worked example (fictional)

This example is fictional. Tomas applies for a junior project coordinator role at Bluegum Health, a fictional organisation. After his final interview, the recruiter asks for two referees and says she will call them later that week. Tomas emails his former team leader:

Hi Ana, thank you again for agreeing to be a referee. Bluegum Health's recruiter may call you on Thursday or Friday about a junior project coordinator role. I have attached the job ad and my resume. The role focuses on scheduling, stakeholder updates and budget tracking. You may remember the clinic relocation project in 2025, where I kept the timeline and weekly updates for six teams. Please feel free to describe my work as you saw it. Thanks so much, Tomas.

Ana gets context without being told what to say.

When a check raises a problem

The WA toolkit advises hiring managers to contact their human resources team if adverse information comes up. If you know of an issue, such as a short role that ended badly, it is usually better to raise it honestly in the interview. Whatever the result, thank your referees and tell them the outcome.

Questions about reference checks

When do Australian employers check references?

It varies. The WA Government toolkit lists checks before interviews, after the final interview (described as the most common) and after a conditional offer but before the contract is signed.

Are reference checks done by phone or in writing?

Both. The WA toolkit says most are done by phone or by completing a form.

Can I see what my referee said?

Not always. The WA toolkit's example tells referees the reference may be provided to the applicant if they ask, and ANU notes that freedom of information law may give access to referee reports it holds. Ask the employer about its own practice.

Will a weakness mentioned by my referee cost me the job?

Not automatically. The WA toolkit tells hiring managers that constructive criticism should not automatically be treated as a red flag, because every applicant has areas to improve.