Reference Check Questions for Tradies

You've interviewed a carpenter who says all the right things. You're ready to make an offer on Friday. Before you do, spend ten minutes on the phone with someone who has seen them work. These reference check questions for tradies show you who to call and what to ask.

The short answer: what reference check questions should I ask for a tradie?

Call a foreman or site manager who supervised them. Ask what they were like on their worst day, not their best. Ask about turning up, quality of work, safety and whether the referee would take them back. Ask every candidate the same set. Take notes and compare them with the interview.

A reference check is a phone call to someone who has managed the person. It's the cheapest safety net you've got.

Skipping it can be expensive. Work out what a wrong hire could cost you with your own numbers, or read our post on the cost of a bad hire in construction.

Who this guide is for (and who it is not)

This guide is for builders, contractors and subbies hiring staff, tradies or leading hands. It is not a homeowner's guide to checking a tradie before a job at your house. If that's you, your state's building or fair trading regulator is a better place to start.

Who to call, and who to skip

The right referee has watched the person work and told them what to do.

Call:

• The foreman they worked under.
• The site manager on their last job.
• A leading hand (the senior tradie running a small crew) who gave them direction.
• The builder or subbie who paid them.

Skip:

• Friends and family.
• Mates on the tools who never managed them.
• Anyone who only knows them from the pub or the footy.

Ask for two recent site contacts. If they can't name anyone who supervised them, ask why. There may be a fair reason, like a first job or a business that has closed.

Fair Work's reference checking template says to ask applicants for referee details and get their permission to contact them. It also notes some people won't want their current boss to know they're looking. So ask first, and respect the answer.

The core questions (tradies)

Use these for every tradie hire. After each one is a line on what a solid answer sounds like.

1. "Tell me about their worst day on site. What happened and what did they do?" A solid answer names a real problem and shows the person owned it and fixed it.
2. "How were they for turning up on time, every day?" Listen for "always" or a clear pattern. Watch for a long pause or "mostly".
3. "How was their work quality? Did you have to get anything redone?" Good answers are specific. Some rework is normal, but repeat rework is a warning.
4. "What were their safety habits like?" You want to hear they followed site rules and spoke up about hazards.
5. "How did they take direction, or being pulled up on something?" Look for "they listened and fixed it", not "they argued".
6. "Would you take them back tomorrow?" A quick, warm yes is a good sign. "Probably" needs a follow-up.
7. "Did you ever have any issues with their tickets or licences?" Tickets are the training cards and licences a trade needs. You want a clear "no issues".

Our post on interview questions for carpenters pairs well with these. Ask about the same topics in both, so you can compare.

Extra questions for site managers and leading hands

For someone who runs people, add questions about how they ran the job.

• "How did they plan the day and brief the crew?" You want a clear routine, like a morning talk and a plan.
• "What did they do when a trade ran late or a drawing was wrong?" Look for early calls and a fix, not panic or blame.
• "Did you ever see them stop unsafe work?" A good referee can give an example.
• "Was their paperwork honest and on time?" Daily diaries, timesheets and safety forms should be accurate.
• "How were they under pressure?" Calm and clear beats loud and busy.
• "Would you put them back in charge tomorrow?" Ask why or why not.

For the full process, see our guide on how to hire a site manager in Australia.

What not to ask

This section is general information, not legal advice.

Keep the call about the job. The Australian Human Rights Commission's guide to preventing discrimination in recruitment says not to seek irrelevant personal information and to focus on the essential requirements of the job. It also says to ask all candidates the same set of common questions.

The same guide gives an example of an interviewer asking a candidate if they had children. If the employer relied on that to turn them down, the guide says it could lead to a complaint of discrimination based on parental status. Apply the same care on a reference call.

So stick to skills, attendance, safety and how they worked. Don't ask a referee about things like race, religion, age, disability, family plans or pregnancy.

The Fair Work template also reminds the referee that what they say may be given to the candidate if asked. Write your notes with that in mind. Fair Work lists the form with its other hiring templates.

How to run the call

A good reference call takes about ten minutes. Fair Work's template uses the same estimate.

1. Prepare. Use the same questions for every candidate. Note anything from the interview you want to check.
2. Introduce yourself. Say who you are, the business and the role. Check it's a good time to talk.
3. Ask open questions. "Tell me about..." gets more than "Was he good?"
4. Stay quiet. Let the referee fill the silence. That's often when the real answer comes.
5. Match it up. Compare what you hear with what the candidate told you.

Want the scripts and checklists in one place? Get the free 7 Hiring Mistakes report, which comes with the Recruiter's Toolkit.

Red flags on the call

Slow down if you hear any of these:

• The referee will only confirm dates, and nothing else.
• Every problem was someone else's fault.
• A pause, then "probably", when you ask if they'd rehire.
• The story doesn't match what the candidate told you.
• The referee can't remember what the person actually did.
• The "foreman" turns out to be a mate.

One flag may have a fair reason. Some businesses have a policy of only confirming dates. Two or more flags, and it's worth another call.

Write it down, then decide

Notes stop you hiring on a gut feeling you can't explain later. Keep each one short.

Field	What to write
Date	The day you called
Who you called	Name and phone number
Relationship	Foreman, site manager or builder, and how long they worked together
Three takeaways	The three things that stood out
Decision	Hire, don't hire, or need another call

If the stories clash with the interview, make a third call or walk away. A rushed hire is hard to undo.

Still writing the ad? Start with our tradie job ad template.

Our post on how to hire tradies without an agency shows where reference checks fit in the whole process.

If you'd like to see how ready your hiring is, try the free hiring scorecard.

General information only. It is not legal advice. Check Fair Work and the Australian Human Rights Commission for your own situation.

Want help with your next hire?

Book a free 15-minute discovery call and we will talk through your next hire. Prefer to learn it yourself? The Construction Hiring System course ($497 AUD) teaches the full method.

FAQ

What reference check questions should I ask for a tradie?

Call a foreman or site manager who supervised them. Ask what they were like on their worst day, not their best. Ask about turning up, quality of work, safety and whether the referee would take them back. Use the same set for every candidate, take notes and compare them with the interview.

Who should I call for a tradie reference check?

Call someone who managed their work on a real site, like a foreman, site manager or builder. Don't call a mate who never supervised them. Ask for two recent contacts. If they can't name a site boss, ask why, and dig further before you make an offer.

What should I ask when reference checking a site manager?

Ask how they ran their last site: planning the day, briefing trades, stopping unsafe work, recovering when the job fell behind, and how honest their paperwork was. Ask what they were like under pressure. Then ask whether the referee would put them back in charge tomorrow, and why or why not.

What must I not ask in a reference check in Australia?

Stick to the job: skills, attendance, safety and how they worked. Don't dig into personal topics like race, religion, age, disability, family or pregnancy plans. The Australian Human Rights Commission and Fair Work publish guidance for employers. This is general information, not legal advice, so check the official pages.

How many references should I check before hiring a tradie?

Two recent site contacts is a solid minimum for most trade hires. One strong call with a foreman beats three vague calls with mates. If the stories clash with the interview, make a third call or walk away. A quick check takes minutes and can save you a costly mistake.