Reference request email templates: to the candidate, the referee and the follow-up

A reference request email should say who you are, which candidate named them, what role the reference is for, how long it will take, and offer two or three specific times for a short call. Ask the candidate for their references first, in writing, with their permission to contact each one, and never approach a current employer without explicit agreement. The eight templates below cover asking the candidate, the first email to a referee, a written reference, follow-ups, a referee whose company only confirms dates, a replacement reference and the thank-you.

What to ask once you have the referee on the phone, and how to write it up, is in the reference check template. This page covers the emails that get you to that call.

What a reference request must include

• Who you are and why you are writing. Your name, company and role, and the candidate's name in the first two lines. Referees ignore emails they cannot place.
• That the candidate named them. Say it explicitly. It tells the referee they are not being asked for a backchannel opinion.
• The role, in one line. Referees give better answers when they know what the candidate is being considered for.
• The time needed. "Fifteen minutes" gets booked; "a quick chat" gets postponed.
• Specific times. Two or three slots, or a scheduling link, in the referee's time zone.
• What you will not ask. A line saying the call is about the candidate's work reassures referees whose employers are cautious about references.

What to leave out:

• Pay. California's Labor Code section 432.3 prohibits employers from seeking an applicant's salary history "orally or in writing, personally or through an agent," and other states and cities have similar rules. Asking a former manager what the candidate earned is seeking it.
• Personal questions. Health, family, age, religion or national origin are off limits with references just as in an interview. The EEOC's page on prohibited practices covers the protected characteristics.
• The outcome. Do not tell the referee the candidate is "about to get an offer"; references are part of the decision, not a formality.

Asking the candidate for references

1. In-house request to the candidate

Subject: [Role]: references

Hi [First name],

As the next step for [Role], we'd like to speak to [two] references.
Could you reply with:

1. Name, job title, email and phone for each person
2. How they know you: company, your role and theirs, and when you
   worked together
3. Confirmation that you're happy for us to contact them, and that
   you've let them know to expect an email from [Your name]

Ideally, one of them managed you directly. We won't contact your
current employer unless you tell us we can.

If you can send these by [date], we can finish this step by [date].

[Your name]

The agency version, which asks the candidate on behalf of a client, is in the reference check template. Ask the candidate to warn the referee before you write; it roughly halves the chasing.

Emails to the referee

2. First email: requesting a short call

Subject: Reference for [Candidate full name]: 15 minutes this week?

Hi [Referee first name],

I'm [Your name], [title] at [Company]. [Candidate full name] is
being considered for a [Role] position with us and has named you as
a reference, from your time working together at [Company where they
worked together].

Could we have a 15-minute call? I'd like to hear about their work:
what they were responsible for, how they approached it and where
they were strongest. Any of these times would work ([referee's time
zone]):

- [Day, date, time]
- [Day, date, time]
- [Day, date, time]

Or book here: [scheduling link]. If you'd prefer to answer a few
questions in writing, I can send those instead.

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Phone]

3. Requesting a written reference

Subject: Written reference for [Candidate full name]

Hi [Referee first name],

Thank you for agreeing to give a reference for [Candidate full name],
who is being considered for [Role] at [Company].

Below are [five] short questions. A few sentences for each is plenty,
and specific examples are the most helpful thing you can include.

1. How did you work with [Candidate], and for how long?
2. What were they responsible for, and what did they deliver?
3. What were they particularly good at?
4. Where did they grow, or where would they need support in a new
   role?
5. Would you work with them again? Why?

If you could reply by [date], that would help us keep to our
timeline. If a call is easier, I'm happy to do that instead.

Thank you,
[Your name]

Keep written questions open and job-related. A form with rating boxes gets rating boxes back, and a question like "any concerns?" in writing often gets a blank.

4. Follow-up when the referee has not replied

Subject: Re: Reference for [Candidate full name]

Hi [Referee first name],

I wanted to follow up on my note about [Candidate full name]. A
15-minute call any time [today or tomorrow] would be a big help, and
I'm flexible on time, including early morning or after [5 p.m.]:
[scheduling link or phone].

If you'd rather not give a reference, just let me know and I'll
take you off my list, no problem at all.

Thank you,
[Your name]

Offering an easy way to decline is not a courtesy only; it gets you a faster answer, and a referee who does not want to talk is worth knowing about early.

5. Reply when the company only confirms dates and title

Subject: Re: Reference for [Candidate full name]

Hi [Referee first name],

Thanks for letting me know about [Company]'s policy. I understand.

Could you point me to the right contact or service for confirming
dates of employment and job title? That would still help.

Thank you for your time,
[Your name]

Many employers restrict references to dates and title. Do not push the referee to break their employer's policy; confirm employment the formal way (see how to verify employment history) and ask the candidate for another referee who can speak to the work.

Back to the candidate

6. Asking the candidate to nudge a referee

Subject: [Role]: one reference outstanding

Hi [First name],

Quick update: I've spoken to [referee 1], thank you. I haven't been
able to reach [referee 2] yet; I emailed on [date] and [date].

Could you give them a nudge and ask them to reply to my email or
book a time here: [link]? If they're away or busy, feel free to
suggest someone else who worked closely with you.

[Your name]

7. Asking for a replacement reference

Subject: [Role]: one more reference

Hi [First name],

Thank you for your help with references. [Referee name] [isn't able
to give a reference / can only confirm dates under their company's
policy], which is common and not a problem.

Could you suggest one more person who saw your work directly,
ideally [a manager / someone you worked with at (company)]? Same
details as before, and please let them know to expect my email.

[Your name]

Tell the candidate the reason in neutral terms. Do not repeat anything the referee said about them; the reference conversation is not the candidate's to read in an email.

Closing the loop

8. Thank-you to the referee

Subject: Thank you: reference for [Candidate full name]

Hi [Referee first name],

Thank you for making the time today. It was genuinely helpful.

[Optional, for agencies: If you're ever hiring for your own team,
I'd be glad to help.]

Best,
[Your name]

Do not share the hiring outcome with the referee; it is the candidate's news. Agency recruiters often treat referees as business development contacts. That is fine once, in a single line; a sales pitch in the thank-you email makes the next reference harder to get.

Timing and tracking

Tell the candidate when references are finished, even if the decision is not; the status update templates include one for this stage. Record who was contacted, when and by whom in the ATS, and keep reference notes to job-related facts; if a referee volunteers something about health, family or another protected characteristic, leave it out of your notes.