Template · Interviewing and selection
Reference request form
In short
A reference request form is the document a candidate fills in to list their professional references and give written permission for you to contact them. This template combines the reference list, a do-not-contact option for the current employer, an authorization and release statement, and a signature block, so you have consent on file before anyone picks up the phone.
Reference Request and Authorization Form template
Reference Request and Authorization Form
Please list at least three professional references who have seen your work directly. At least one should be a current or former supervisor. We contact references only for finalists and only after you sign this form. If you do not want us to contact your current employer yet, tell us below and we will respect that.
Candidate details
- Legal full name
- Other names used at previous employers (if any)
- Position applied for
- Requisition or job ID
- Phone
Reference 1
- Reference full name
- Their job title
- Organization
- Relationship to you
- Direct supervisorHigher-level managerCoworker / peerSomeone I supervisedClient or customerInstructor or program supervisorOther
- Dates you worked together (from / to)
- Phone
- Best time to reach them
Reference 2
- Reference full name
- Their job title
- Organization
- Relationship to you
- Direct supervisorHigher-level managerCoworker / peerSomeone I supervisedClient or customerInstructor or program supervisorOther
- Dates you worked together (from / to)
- Phone
- Best time to reach them
Reference 3
- Reference full name
- Their job title
- Organization
- Relationship to you
- Direct supervisorHigher-level managerCoworker / peerSomeone I supervisedClient or customerInstructor or program supervisorOther
- Dates you worked together (from / to)
- Phone
- Best time to reach them
Contact preferences
- May we contact your current employer?
- YesOnly after a conditional offerNoNot currently employed
- Any reference or employer we should not contact, and why (optional)
- May we also confirm dates and title with the HR departments of employers listed on your application?
- YesNo
Authorization and release
I authorize [Company Name] and its authorized representatives to contact the references listed above, and the employers listed on my application except where I have asked otherwise, to obtain information about my work history, job performance and qualifications for the position of [Job Title]. I authorize those references and employers to provide that information. I release [Company Name] and any person or organization that provides information in good faith from liability arising from providing or using it for this hiring decision. I understand that [Company Name] will use this information only for employment purposes and will keep it confidential. I certify that the information I have given on this form is true and complete. This authorization is valid for [90 days] from the date signed. A copy of this authorization is as valid as the original.
Signature
- Candidate signature
- Date
For HR use only
- Form received by
- Date received
- References contacted (names and dates)
- Linked reference check forms filed
How to use this template
- Send the form only to finalists, usually right after the final interview or with a conditional offer, not with the initial application.
- Replace the bracketed placeholders with your company name, the job title and how long the authorization stays valid.
- Ask the candidate to include at least one direct supervisor and to tell their references to expect a call or email.
- Check the contact preferences before reaching out, and never call a current employer the candidate has marked as off-limits.
- Contact references using a structured question set and record each conversation on a separate reference check form.
- File the signed request with the candidate record and the completed reference checks, and keep all of it confidential.
What a reference request form does
The form has two jobs. It collects the names and contact details of people who can speak to the candidate's work, and it records the candidate's written permission to contact them. Without the second part, a recruiter calling a former manager is relying on a verbal "sure, go ahead" from a phone screen that nobody wrote down.
It is the companion to the reference check form, which the recruiter fills in during the call. One captures who and with what consent; the other captures what they said. Keeping them separate also helps when the candidate is hired, because the request form can go in the personnel file while interview-stage notes stay with the hiring record.
Authorization, release and the FCRA
People search for this document under several names: reference authorization form, reference release form, or request for employment reference letter. They all describe roughly the same thing. The release language matters most to the former employer. Many HR departments will not say more than dates and title unless they see a signed release, and some will only confirm employment through a written request like an employment verification letter.
If you check references yourself, the Fair Credit Reporting Act generally does not apply. If a third-party agency gathers references or interviews people about the candidate's character or reputation, that can count as an investigative consumer report under the FCRA, which brings its own disclosure, authorization and adverse action steps. In that case use your agency's disclosure alongside a background check authorization form rather than this form alone. State laws on reference immunity and what former employers may disclose vary, so have counsel review the release wording for the states you hire in.
When to send it and how many references to ask for
Ask for references late. Collecting three names from every applicant at the top of the funnel adds a form field most candidates resent and creates data you will never use. Send the request to finalists, typically one to three people per opening, and aim to finish calls within two or three business days.
Three references is the common ask, with at least one supervisor. Peers are useful for team roles but rarely give a balanced view on their own. For early-career candidates, accept instructors, internship supervisors or volunteer coordinators, and say so in the form intro so students do not drop out because they have no former manager to list. You can send the form along with a short reference request email to the candidate explaining what happens next.
Common mistakes
- Calling the current employer without explicit permission. A candidate can lose their job over this, and it is the fastest way to lose them as a candidate too.
- Using an authorization with no expiry. Set a validity window such as 90 days so the consent does not sit in a file indefinitely.
- Collecting personal references for a work role. Friends and family cannot tell you anything about reliability on shift or how someone takes coaching.
- Asking for date of birth or Social Security number on this form. You do not need them for a reference call; collect them only on a background check form when the vendor requires it.
- Treating a dates-and-title-only reply as negative. Many large employers have that policy. Ask the candidate for another supervisor instead.
Using it at volume and across sites
For hourly roles hired weekly, most teams either skip reference checks or move to short online questionnaires. If you keep them, put this form into your digital offer flow so the candidate signs it with an e-signature on their phone, and have references complete a five-question survey instead of a call. Keep a single version of the authorization text for every site so a regional recruiter does not improvise one, and record which version a candidate signed. When interviewers disagree on a finalist, a phone reference with their former supervisor is still worth the 15 minutes, and our reference check questions give you a ready question set for that call.
Frequently asked questions
What is a reference authorization form?
It is a signed statement in which a candidate permits a prospective employer to contact their references and former employers, and permits those people to share information about their work. This template includes that authorization alongside the reference list.
What should a reference release form include?
The candidate's details, the names and contact details of references, which employers may or may not be contacted, an authorization and release statement, how the information will be used, a validity period, and the candidate's signature and date.
How do I request an employment reference letter from a former employer?
Send a short written request to the former employer's HR team with the candidate's signed authorization attached, stating the dates and title you want confirmed. Many employers respond only through HR or a verification service and limit the reply to dates and title.
Is a signed release required before checking references?
It is not always legally required when you make the calls yourself, but it is standard practice. Many former employers will not respond without one, and a third-party check may trigger FCRA disclosure and authorization rules. Requirements vary by state.
Should references be collected on the job application?
Usually not. Asking every applicant for references adds friction early and creates data you rarely use. Request them from finalists only, once you are close to an offer decision.