Job application form template with CV upload
A free job application form with CV upload, screening questions and a job board tracker. Candidates apply from any phone, with no account needed.
17 questions on 4 pages
Reference check form template (free)
Phone tag with a busy former manager can stall a hire for a week. A reference check form lets the referee answer when it suits them, in about five minutes, and gives you the same structured answers for every candidate. This template asks how the referee knows the candidate, when they worked together and in what role. Then it asks for four ratings in one grid: reliability, teamwork, communication and quality of work. After that come a hire-again question, their strengths and where they could develop. If the referee answers "With reservations" or "No", a follow-up box asks for context. Sign up for free, open the template and send the link once the candidate has given you their referees.
Free plan, free forever. Sign up and the template opens in your workspace.
What's in this form
14 questions on one page. Every question, in order:
Page 1: About you
| No. | Question | Answer type | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your nameShort answer, Required | Short answer | Required |
| 2 | Your emailEmail, Required | Required | |
| 3 | Your job titleShort answer, Optional | Short answer | Optional |
| 4 | Your companyShort answer, Required | Short answer | Required |
| 5 | Candidate's nameShort answer, Required | Short answer | Required |
| 6 | How did you work together?Dropdown, RequiredChoices: I was their manager, I was their direct report, We were teammates, I was their client, Other | Dropdown | Required |
| 7 | Their role while you worked togetherShort answer, Optional | Short answer | Optional |
| 8 | When did you work together?Short answer, Optional | Short answer | Optional |
| 9 | How would you rate them?Matrix, RequiredChoices: Below expectations, Meets expectations, Above expectations, OutstandingRows: Reliability, Teamwork, Communication, Quality of work | Matrix | Required |
| 10 | Would you hire or work with them again?Multiple choice, RequiredChoices: Yes, With reservations, No | Multiple choice | Required |
| 11 | Could you tell us a little more?Long answer, OptionalContext helps us read the rest of your answers fairly. | Long answer | Optional |
| 12 | What are their strengths?Long answer, Required | Long answer | Required |
| 13 | Where could they develop?Long answer, Optional | Long answer | Optional |
| 14 | Anything else we should know?Long answer, Optional | Long answer | Optional |
How the logic works
- Shows “Could you tell us a little more?” when “Would you hire or work with them again?” includes “With reservations” or “No”
What people see after sending
Thank you
We appreciate you taking the time. References like yours make a real difference.
Built in
- Conditional logic
Who it's for
- Hiring managers at small companies without a recruiting team
- Office managers who run reference checks for several roles at once
- Agencies and nonprofits that need written references on file
- Founders hiring a first manager and wanting more than a quick call
When to use it
- After the final interview, once the candidate has named referees
- When a referee keeps missing calls and offers to answer in writing
- When you need the same questions answered for every finalist
- Alongside a short phone call, so you can ask follow-ups on the answers
Make it yours
- Ask the candidate first. Get their go-ahead and their referees' contact details before you send anything, and tell them roughly when you will reach out.
- Put the candidate's name in the link. In the editor, set a prefill parameter on the Candidate's name question. Each referee's link then arrives with the name already typed, spelled right.
- Rename the four rating rows to fit the job. A support role might rate patience and product knowledge; a sales role might rate follow-through.
- Leave out anything about health, age, family plans or past salary. Ask about the work. Some places bar employers from asking for salary history, even through someone else.
- Download any response as a PDF on every plan, so the hiring file has a clean copy of each reference.
Print it or edit it offline
The same questions, ready to print or edit.
Where the answers go
Every response lands in your HornetForms inbox. From there, send it wherever your team already works.
- Turn on an email to yourself for each new response, on every plan
- A confirmation email to the person who filled it in, when the form asks for their email
- A new row in Google Sheets, a message in Slack or Discord, or a page in Notion, free on every plan
- Connect with Zapier, or send signed webhooks to n8n, Make or your own app
- CSV export on every plan, and Excel export on Pro and Business
Questions people ask
What questions are on a reference check form?
This one asks for the referee's name, email, job title and company, the candidate's name, how they worked together and when. Then it has a four-row rating grid, a hire-again question with a follow-up, strengths, areas to develop and a final open question.
Is there a free reference check form sample I can use?
Yes. This template is free on every plan, including the Free plan. Referees open your link on any phone or computer and answer without signing up or signing in. Because the form asks for their email, you can also send each referee a thank-you email in your own words.
Can I download the reference check form as a PDF or Word file?
Yes. There is a printable PDF for US Letter and for A4, plus a Word file you can edit. Use the paper version for a call: read the questions out and write the answers in the spaces.
Can I ask a referee about the candidate's salary?
Be careful. California, for example, generally bars employers from seeking an applicant's salary history, including through an agent, and other places have similar rules. Rules vary, so check your local law before you ask, or simply leave the question out.
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Further reading
Reference check questions: 30 to ask, plus a form
30 reference check questions grouped by what you need to learn, the ones to leave out, and a free form, call script and scorecard for comparing references.
Published10 min read- hr
- templates
Start from a template, finish with your form
Sign up for free, pick a template and change anything you like: questions, logic and design. The Free plan stays free forever, with unlimited responses.