Reference Checks That Matter: What a GOOD One Can Tell You.

We’ve been in recruiting long enough to remember when reference checks meant calling someone’s old boss, getting two sentences of generic praise, and learning absolutely nothing.

"Great team player."

"Always on time."

Totally meaningless. Incredibly frustrating.

It felt less like a standard business practice and more like a top-secret mission, as if we were inquiring about a classified subject rather than just discussing a former colleague.

Thankfully, we’ve evolved. (At least, most of us have.)

Whether you’re hiring a senior Sales leader or executive, the reference check isn’t just a final formality. It’s a strategic tool. Done right, it confirms what you think you know, uncovers what you need to know, and sometimes, saves you from a very expensive mistake.

Let’s break it down.

Why Reference Checks Still Matter—Especially for Sales and Leadership Roles

A VP of Sales can absolutely crush their interview. They know how to talk. They know how to sell. But charisma doesn’t close long-term deals or lead teams through tough quarters. That’s where reference checks come in.

When hiring someone who will own a revenue target, manage a team, and impact company culture, you need more than a polished pitch. You need to understand how they actually operate, how they lead, how they sell, and how they recover from setbacks.

Use Reference Questions In the Interview

Don’t wait until after the interview to bring up references; use them to sharpen the conversation in real time. One of our favorite questions:

“When I check your references, what will your peers say about [X]?”

Whether you’re asking about leadership style, team collaboration, or resilience under pressure, this question encourages self-reflection and helps set a tone of transparency. It also gives you a preview of how aligned the candidate’s self-perception is with what others might say.

Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers

Too many hiring managers ask yes/no questions like, “Would you hire them again?”

Here’s a better version:

“In what kind of environment would they thrive?”

That question assumes nuance and invites a story. Maybe they’d love to work with them again, but only at a startup. Or only in a fast-scaling SaaS company. That insight matters.

A few of our go-to reference questions for senior-level hires:

“What was the hardest challenge they faced in this role, and how did they handle it?”

“Tell me about a time when they missed a target—what happened next?”

“How would their team describe their leadership style, and what impact did it have?”

“How would their peers describe them?”

“What type of sales cycle or buyer persona brings out their best performance?”

“If they had a blind spot, what might it be?”

You're not trying to catch someone in a lie; you're assembling a complete picture of how this person performs in the real world, not just on a résumé.

Business News Daily notes that asking the right reference check questions can help employers understand job candidates' qualifications and make informed hiring decisions.

Reference Checks Aren’t Background Checks

Background checks confirm facts. Reference checks uncover behaviors, values, and working styles. They’re both essential, but they serve very different purposes. Mixing the two is like confusing a credit report with a character reference. Both useful. Totally different tools.

Should You Let Candidates Pick Their References?

Yes and no.

Yes, because the references they choose reflect how they manage relationships and how self-aware they are. But we recommend going further.

Ask to speak with a former direct report, a cross-functional peer, and a past manager. If possible, speak to someone who worked with the candidate during a challenging business moment (e.g., a market downturn, a reorg, or a post-merger). That’s where real leadership is revealed. And if they resist or hesitate when you ask for those? That tells you something, too.

Who Should Make the Calls?

This part of the hiring process isn’t something to delegate. As a hiring manager, founder, or business leader, you should be the one making the call. In just 15 minutes, a candid conversation with the right reference can reveal red flags, confirm strengths, and give you the kind of nuanced insight that validates—or challenges—your belief that they’re the right fit.

And if you’re working with a recruiter, especially one who specializes in executive or sales placements, lean on them. At Ascentria, we don’t just take what references say at face value. We ask for follow-ups. We listen for patterns. And we know when something doesn’t quite add up.

According to SHRM, companies can be held liable for negligent hiring and negligent referrals, which is another reason to take references seriously.

One More Thing

The right sales leader can transform your business. The wrong one can stall your pipeline and shake team morale. A well-executed reference check won’t eliminate every risk, but it absolutely sharpens your decision-making.

If you’re not sure what to ask, how to listen, or what matters most in a sales or executive reference check, we can help.

Looking to refine your hiring process? Let’s talk.