Compliance services

Professional reference checks for employers

Structured, consistent reference checks that uncover real performance insights beyond the resume. Standardized questions, applied the same way to every candidate, delivered as a written report in 2 to 3 business days.

Request reference checks (866) 440-0302

2 to 3 business day turnaroundPBSA member agencyFCRA-compliant process

Colleagues in a relaxed meeting discussing a candidate

Every reference interview is run by a Catapult screening specialist, not an automated form.

The problem

References that actually tell you something

Most reference checks are a formality. A quick call that confirms dates and title tells you nothing you did not already have on the resume.

The call confirms what you already knowDates and job title are already on the application. A reference check that stops there has cost you time and told you nothing about how the person actually worked.

Every candidate gets asked something differentWhen hiring managers freelance the questions, you cannot compare candidates to each other, and you cannot defend the decision later if it is challenged.

Nobody probes the uncomfortable partsReference conversations tend to stay polite. Getting to reliability, conflict, and areas of concern takes a specific line of questioning and someone willing to ask.

It never gets written downVerbal impressions fade and do not transfer. Without a written record there is nothing for the rest of the hiring panel to weigh.

Catapult background screening team on a client call reviewing a report

What we ask

Structured questions, consistently applied

Catapult builds a question set around the role you are filling, then asks every reference for that candidate the same questions in the same order.

Verification of the basicsEmployment dates, job title, reporting relationship, and eligibility for rehire, confirmed against what the candidate told you.

Quality and consistency of workHow the person’s output held up under normal conditions and under pressure, and whether it needed rework.

Reliability and attendanceWhether the person could be counted on to be there and to follow through without being chased.

Working with other peopleHow the person handled teammates, disagreement, feedback, and people outside their own team.

Role-specific competenciesQuestions written for the job at hand. What matters for a controller is not what matters for a plant supervisor or a client-facing manager.

Areas of concernA direct invitation for the reference to raise anything a future employer should know, asked the same way of every reference.

Process

How a Catapult reference check runs

You send the referencesGive us the candidate’s reference list and tell us which role they are being considered for. We build the question set from there.

We make contactA Catapult screening specialist reaches out and follows up persistently. Chasing an unresponsive reference is the part that usually stalls an internal process.

We run the structured interviewThe same questions, in the same order, for every reference on that candidate, with follow-up probing where an answer is vague.

You get a written reportA detailed written report, typically within 2 to 3 business days, that your whole hiring panel can read and compare against other candidates.

Your report

What lands in your inbox

Reference-by-reference detail

Each reference written up separately, with their relationship to the candidate and how long they worked together, so you can weigh the source.

Direct quotes, not just ratings

What the reference actually said, so your hiring panel forms its own view instead of inheriting the screener’s.

Discrepancies flagged

Where a reference contradicts the resume or another reference, the report says so plainly rather than smoothing it over.

A defensible, consistent record

Because every candidate was asked the same questions, the file supports the hiring decision if it is ever questioned.

Who uses it

Where reference checks earn their keep

Reference checks matter most where a bad hire is expensive, hard to reverse, or carries risk beyond the role itself.

Leadership and management hiresWhere the cost of a mis-hire is measured in the team’s turnover, not just the salary.

Finance and accounting rolesWhere judgment and integrity matter more than anything a skills test can show.

Safety-sensitive positionsWhere reliability and adherence to procedure carry real physical risk.

Client-facing and business developmentWhere the hire represents your organization to people outside it.

Healthcare and human servicesOften run alongside FACIS Level 3 sanctions screening for clinical and administrative staff.

Any role you have hired badly for beforeThe pattern usually shows up in references. It rarely shows up on a resume.

FAQs

Reference check questions

What is a professional reference check?

It is a structured conversation with people who have worked with your candidate, run by a screening specialist rather than the hiring manager. Catapult asks a consistent, role-specific question set and delivers the answers as a written report. The goal is performance insight, not just confirmation that the person worked somewhere.

How is a reference check different from an employment verification?

An employment history verification confirms the facts: employer, dates, title, and eligibility for rehire. A reference check is a qualitative conversation about how the person actually performed. Most employers run both, because each answers a question the other cannot.

How long do professional reference checks take?

Typically 2 to 3 business days, delivered as a detailed written report. The variable is almost always how quickly the references themselves respond, which is why we follow up rather than leaving one voicemail.

How many references should we check?

You decide. Catapult contacts the references you provide and runs the same structured interview with each one. Tell us how many and which relationships matter for the role, and we work from that list.

Are reference checks covered by the FCRA?

Yes. When a consumer reporting agency conducts reference checks for employment purposes, the resulting report is a consumer report under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act. Catapult Services Corporation is a licensed consumer reporting agency, so the disclosure, authorization, and adverse action requirements apply and we build the process around them.

What if a reference will not comment beyond dates and title?

Some employers have a policy of confirming employment only. When that happens the report says so explicitly, so you know the difference between a reference who had nothing to add and a reference who was not permitted to add anything. That distinction matters and it is easy to lose in a verbal handoff.

Can you check references for out-of-state or remote candidates?

Yes. Reference interviews are conducted by phone, so location does not change the process or the turnaround.

Pricing

Reference check pricing

Priced per search. The member rate applies to Catapult member companies.

Search	Member	Non-member
Personal reference	$10.00	$12.00
Professional references	$10.00	$12.00

A $3 applicant fee applies to every person screened. See full background check pricing.

Catapult is a proud member of the Professional Background Screening Association, upholding the highest standards of accuracy, compliance, and consumer protection in background screening.

Screening services

Related screening services

Most employers combine several of these into one screening package.

Pre-employment screening→FACIS Level 3 healthcare screening→Continuous criminal monitoring→Employment history verification→Education verification→MVR monitoring & driver screening→Volunteer background checks→Military service verification→Paperless I-9 verification→I-9 audit & remediation→Drug screening services→Background check pricing→Professional license verification→Name and SSN verification→Credit history checks→

Get better references

Structured checks that reveal what resumes cannot. Talk to a Catapult screening specialist about adding reference checks to your screening package.

Request reference checks (866) 440-0302

*Catapult Services Corporation is an investigative agency licensed by the Private Protective Services Board of the State of North Carolina specializing in corporate pre-employment background screening. Our corporate agency license is BPN 001473P11M, Qualify Agent, Kevin von der Lippe, PI, 2891. Catapult Services Corporation is a consumer reporting agency that supplies applicant screening services for employment, volunteer and student screening, to authorized organizations under the conditions of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Human Trafficking

If you feel you are a victim of Human Trafficking, click on this link to learn more about your rights as it relates to your background screening report.

Personal Information Disclosure: United States or Overseas

Personal information submitted to Catapult Services Corporation for background screening is not transferred to third parties outside of the United States or its territories unless the completion of a background report about the person requires gathering information about that person from outside the United States (ex. international criminal check, verification of employment records outside the United States or verification of education records outside the United States.) All personal information will be transmitted and stored in a secure manner in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Brielle EarleyBackground Screening Specialist

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