About this template
An Applicant Reference Form is essential for human resources professionals and hiring managers seeking validated insights into a candidate's past performance, reliability, and cultural fit. This template collects comprehensive feedback from former supervisors or colleagues, streamlining pre-employment screening while ensuring consistent evaluation standards across every applicant.
Doc2Form allows hiring teams to deploy this reference check instantly as a Google Form, sending secure links directly to referees. By standardizing the questions asked of past employers, talent acquisition teams can easily compare responses, uncover potential red flags, and make confident, data-driven hiring decisions without the hassle of scheduling phone tags.
Key features
- Standardize reference feedback across all candidate evaluations.
- Collect detailed insights on work ethic, strengths, and reliability.
- Save hours of phone tag by letting referees respond asynchronously.
- Easily share secure form links with candidate-provided references.
- Organize all candidate feedback directly in Google Sheets.
Use cases
Pre-employment background and reference checks for final-round candid…
Pre-employment background and reference checks for final-round candidates.
Academic and fellowship scholarship applicant evaluations.
Internal promotion and transfer vetting processes.
Executive leadership recruitment assessments.
What this form collects
- Applicant Full Name (Short answer)Enter the full name of the candidate who provided your contact information.
- Reference Full Name (Short answer)Enter your first and last name.
- Reference Employer / Organization (Short answer)Name of the company or organization where you worked with the applicant.
- Reference Job Title (Short answer)Your professional title during the time you worked with the applicant.
- Reference Email Address (Short answer)We may use this to follow up if clarification is needed.
- Reference Phone Number (Short answer)Include your area code.
- Working Relationship & Duration (Paragraph)Describe how long you worked together and in what capacity (e.g., direct supervisor for 3 years, project collaborator, etc.).
- Overall Work Performance (Linear scale)Rate the applicant's overall performance compared to other professionals in similar roles.
- Applicant Unique Characteristics & Strengths (Paragraph)What are the candidate's standout professional strengths or unique skills?
- Areas for Professional Growth (Paragraph)What areas or skills could the applicant improve upon?
- Three Descriptive Words (Short answer)Provide three adjectives that best describe the applicant in a workplace setting.
- Rehire Eligibility (Multiple choice)Would you rehire this applicant if the opportunity arose?
- Additional Comments (Paragraph)Share any other information that would help us evaluate this candidate.
FAQ
How do I send this reference form to a referee?
Once you convert and customize this template in Doc2Form, simply copy the Google Form link and email it directly to the candidate's provided reference contact.
Can I customize the questions on this reference form?
Yes! Because the template lives in your Google Drive, you have full freedom to add, remove, or modify any questions to match your organization's specific hiring criteria.
Where are the completed reference submissions stored?
All responses are automatically routed to a connected Google Sheet in your Google Drive, making it easy to review feedback alongside the candidate's resume.
Is this reference form template free to use?
Yes, this template is completely free to convert and deploy using Doc2Form.
Get this form in your Google Drive
Save a copy to your Google Drive with one click (uses 1 credit). Or build from a PDF or description in the app.