Overseas reference checks: how to confirm a referee you cannot meet in person
An overseas reference check follows the same idea as a local one: you speak to someone who supervised the candidate and test what the CV claims. The difference is that you cannot walk into the workplace, you may not know the company, and the call happens across time zones and sometimes across languages. So three steps come first: get the candidate's permission in writing, confirm the referee and the company yourself instead of trusting the contact details on the CV, and plan a short, plain-English call at a time that suits the referee. This guide walks Australian employers and recruiters through each step.
Why a referee abroad needs more care than a local one
The Fair Work Ombudsman says reference checks can help an employer verify the claims applicants make in their interview and make more informed hiring decisions. That purpose does not change when the referee works in Manila, Nairobi or Lahore. What changes is how much you can take on trust.
With a local referee you usually know the business, can look up its phone number in a minute and can judge an answer by the tone of a familiar accent. With an overseas referee, the company name may mean nothing to you, the mobile number on the CV could belong to anyone, and a short or very formal answer may reflect the referee's habits in English rather than doubt about the candidate. A careful process protects both sides.
If you hire tradespeople, our guide to reference check questions that test trade work pairs well with this one. If something already looks wrong on the CV, read the warning signs of fake work experience before you call.
Consent and privacy before you pick up the phone
The Fair Work Ombudsman's reference checking template says to ask applicants for referee details at the interview stage and get their permission to contact the referees. Ask for that permission in writing, name each referee, and say what you will ask about.
The privacy side matters more than many employers expect. The OAIC says a referee's comments about a job applicant's career, performance, attitudes and aptitude can be personal information about the applicant, and may also be personal information about the referee. The OAIC also says the employee records exemption does not apply to the collection of personal information about prospective employees who are not then employed, such as unsuccessful job applicants.
The OAIC says most small businesses, meaning those with an annual turnover of $3 million or less, are not covered by the Privacy Act 1988, but some are. Even so, the same habits make a check fairer and easier to defend. Three more points are worth knowing, especially when the referee is overseas:
- The OAIC says the APP 5 notice requirement applies to personal information collected from a third party, not only from the applicant, so tell candidates how you will use what referees say.
- The OAIC's APP 8 guidelines give, as an example of a cross-border disclosure, an Australian entity giving job applicants' personal information to an overseas service provider to perform reference checks on its behalf. If someone overseas makes the calls for you, and your business is covered by the Privacy Act, APP 8 is likely to apply.
- The OAIC's APP 3 guidelines give, as an example of a collection that may not be reasonably necessary, collecting personal information about all job applicants when it is only required for shortlisted candidates. Check references for your shortlist only.
In New Zealand, Employment New Zealand says employers should only contact referees provided by the job applicant, and the information asked for must be relevant to the safe and proper performance of the job.
Confirm the referee before you trust the answers
The most common weakness in an overseas reference is a call to the wrong person. Before the conversation, confirm three things yourself: the company exists, the referee works or worked there in the role claimed, and the contact route leads back to the company rather than to a friend of the candidate.
| Check | How to do it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| The company exists | Search the business register of that country and the company's own website; note the street address and main phone number | The employer is real and trading, and you have a contact route the candidate did not supply |
| The referee's role | Call the main number and ask to be put through to the referee, or, with the candidate's agreement, ask HR to confirm their title | The referee is who the CV says, and was in a position to see the candidate's work |
| The email address | Compare the referee's email domain with the company's website | A company address is harder to fake than a free webmail account |
| The reference letter | Check it is on letterhead with a street address, the signer's typed name, position and direct number | A letter with only an unreadable signature gives you nobody to call back |
| Dates and pay | Compare payslips, tax records or a contract with the dates on the CV | Records made at the time are hard to invent after the event |
The letter standard in the table has an official model. For points-tested skilled visas, Home Affairs says an employment reference must be on the organisation's official letterhead with its full street address, and must show the typed or stamped name and position of the person who signed it, plus their direct contact number. You are not assessing a visa, but that standard is a sensible benchmark for any letter from abroad. Home Affairs also lists employment contracts, payslips, tax statements and superannuation information as evidence of a period of skilled employment.
How to run the call
- Get written permission. Name each referee, the company and the topics you will cover.
- Find the contact route yourself. Use the company's main number or website, not only the mobile number on the CV.
- Book a time by email. Say who you are, why you are calling and how long it will take. Offer two or three times in the referee's own time zone.
- Confirm identity and relationship. Ask the referee to describe their own role and how they worked with the candidate before you mention the CV.
- Ask open questions, one idea at a time. Let the referee describe the work before you read out any claim.
- Offer an interpreter or a written follow-up when English is the referee's second language, so that language is not mistaken for doubt.
- Write notes as you go. Record the date, the number you called, who you spoke to and what they said. The Fair Work reference checking template is a simple starting form.
- Compare and decide. Check the answers against the CV and documents. Business.gov.au says an employer who still wants to check references can give a conditional offer and send a written offer once no issues are found.
Questions that travel well across languages
Short questions with one idea work best when either side is speaking a second language. Avoid idioms and double questions. Good openers ask the referee to describe, not to agree:
- What was your own role, and how often did you see this person's work?
- What were their main duties in a normal week?
- What equipment, systems or processes did they use?
- Can you describe a task they did well, and one where they needed help?
- When did they start and finish, and were they full time?
- Would you employ them again in the same role?
Silence or a careful pause is normal when someone translates in their head. Wait before you rephrase, and never lead the answer with a yes or no question such as "He was a supervisor, right?".
When the referee cannot be reached
One missed call is not a red flag. After two attempts by phone and one by email over a reasonable period, ask the candidate for another referee who saw the same work, or for HR at the same company. Employment New Zealand says that if referees are not suitable, employers should ask the applicant whether there is someone else they can contact.
If an agency says it has already spoken to the referees, ask for its notes: our guide to pre-screened overseas candidates shows what a provider's reference check should record.
Documents can fill some of the gap: a contract, payslips or tax records, and a practical skills test for the role. A candidate who builds a verified profile can also help you in advance. On Talent Tabloid, a candidate can ask for each role to be confirmed by a person they nominate or through document review, and the verifier's name and role can appear next to the badge while their email and phone stay private. Employers can see how this works on the employer page, and agencies on the recruitment agency page.
If the candidate has also worked in Australia, see our guide to employment verification in Australia for the records that confirm a local job and how to check them with consent.
Keep your notes fair, secure and short-lived
Under APP 11 an organisation covered by the Privacy Act must take reasonable steps to protect personal information it holds, and to destroy or de-identify it once it is no longer needed for a permitted purpose. Keep reference notes with the candidate's file, limit who can see them, and set a date to delete notes about unsuccessful candidates.
Write as if the candidate may read your notes one day. The OAIC says the right to access personal information includes information relating to a referee's report, with limited exceptions. In New Zealand, the Privacy Commissioner says a job applicant can request a copy of a referee's comments, although employers may withhold evaluative material provided in confidence.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change: check the official government website, or get advice for your situation, before you act.
Common mistakes with overseas reference checks
- Calling only the mobile number on the CV, without finding the company's own contact route.
- Calling referees before the candidate has agreed in writing, or calling people the candidate did not name.
- Reading a short or formal answer from a second-language speaker as a negative reference.
- Asking yes or no questions that let a friend of the candidate simply agree.
- Sending candidate details to someone abroad to make the calls without checking how they will handle the information.
- Keeping notes on unsuccessful candidates long after the role is filled.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the candidate's permission to call an overseas referee?
Get it in writing. The Fair Work Ombudsman's template says to get permission to contact referees, and in New Zealand, Employment New Zealand says employers should only contact referees the applicant has provided.
Can I use a service abroad to make the calls for me?
You can, but the OAIC gives this as an example of a cross-border disclosure under APP 8, so if your business is covered by the Privacy Act, check how the provider will handle and protect the information.
What if the overseas referee does not answer?
Try by phone and email at times that suit their time zone, then ask the candidate for another referee who saw the same work, or for HR at the company.
Can a candidate see what an overseas referee said about them?
Often, yes. The OAIC says the right of access includes information relating to a referee's report, with limited exceptions, and New Zealand's Privacy Commissioner says applicants can request a copy of referee comments, although employers may withhold them if they were given in confidence.
Should I make a job offer before the reference check is finished?
You can make it conditional. Business.gov.au says an employer can give a conditional offer of employment and send a written offer when no issues are found through the referee checks.
Key takeaways
- Get written permission and check references for shortlisted candidates only.
- Find the company and the referee yourself before you trust any answer.
- Book calls in the referee's time zone and use short, open, one-idea questions.
- A missed call is a reason to try another route, not a reason to reject.
- Keep notes accurate, secure and only as long as you need them.
