Line up your references

By Justina Lydia · Reviewed 30 Oct 2026 · 3-minute read

References usually come late in a process, often after a final interview, and the request tends to arrive with a short deadline. If you've lined people up in advance, it's a calm two-minute email. If you haven't, it's a scramble while you're waiting on an offer.

Who to ask

Three or four people is plenty. A balanced set looks like this:

1. A former manager, ideally from your most recent or most relevant role.
2. A peer or stakeholder who worked closely with you, such as someone from another team who relied on your work.
3. If you're changing fields, someone who has seen the skill you're moving toward. A volunteer lead or a client from a side project both count.

Pick people who can describe specific things you did. A senior title helps less than a clear memory of your work, in my experience.

Ask first, then brief them

Ask each person before you give their name. A short note is enough:

Hi [name], I'm in the final stages for a [role] at [kind of company]. Would you be willing to be a reference if they ask? It would mean a short call or email in the next couple of weeks. Completely fine to say no.

When they say yes, send a brief they can glance at before the call:

1. The role and the company, with a link to the posting.
2. Two stories you'd like them to mention if they can, with the results. For example: "the vendor switch that cut costs by a fifth" and "how I trained the new team leads."
3. The likely timing, and who might contact them.

You're not scripting them. You're reminding a busy person of the work that matters for this role.

If you have no recent manager

This is common after a layoff, when a manager has left, or after a career break. Some options:

1. A skip-level manager, or a manager from an earlier role.
2. A client or customer who worked with you directly.
3. Someone from outside paid work who has seen what you can do lately, such as the person who runs the charity project you help with.
4. A former colleague who has since become a manager elsewhere.

If an employer asks for your most recent manager and you can't give one, say why in a sentence and offer someone else: "My manager there has since left the company. I can put you in touch with the director I reported to on the project."

What employers can and can't say

Practice varies. In the UK, Acas says an employer usually doesn't have to give a reference by law. There are exceptions, such as a written promise or certain regulated financial jobs, and Acas notes that some employers only give basic references with a job title and dates⁠^[1]. In the US, many employers have policies that limit references to confirming job titles and dates of employment, often to avoid legal risk⁠^[2].

So a dates-only reply from a former employer's HR team is normal, and says nothing about your work. That's another reason to have personal references who can speak to what you did.

Afterwards

Thank each reference after they've spoken to the employer, and tell them how it turned out, whatever the outcome. People like to know their help mattered, and they'll be more willing next time. If you get the role, a short note three months in is a kind touch.