The best time to discuss references is during the final round of the interview process, when the employer is serious about you as a candidate. The hiring manager might ask you who to contact. Or you might suggest that you have names to share.  Then follow up with a note to the interviewer, providing the name, email, and phone number of the person (or persons) who have agreed to act as references.

It’s sometimes tough to get references, because some companies are reluctant to put themselves in a position where they might be considered legally liable for preventing a job seeker from getting a role. But persist, because good references can be golden for job candidates.

Below are the questions a hiring manager should ask the person serving as a reference. If you’re a job seeker, understanding these questions will also be important, because they can guide you in finding the best person to ask for support.

I spoke with Amanda Luthra, a seasoned corporate recruiter for over 20 years, and she shared with me this list of key questions that a referee should be asked, as well as the thinking behind them.

1. HOW DO YOU KNOW THE CANDIDATE?

This is a basic but important question. As Luthra says, “the hiring manager or recruiter wants to make sure the person providing the reference is not a family member or friend or colleague who might be overselling the candidate.”

The question clarifies the relationship, and ideally shows that the referee is in a good position to judge the candidate’s skills.

2. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CANDIDATE AS A PERSON?

This is a broad question that, according to Luthra, can provide insight into the job seeker’s values, work ethic, accountability, and problem-solving skills.

It’s also an open-ended question, so the reference may pick any quality that comes to mind. They might note that the candidate has a strong work ethic or follows through on projects. It’s best if the reference can share a specific example that illustrates this quality.

3. HOW GOOD ARE THE APPLICANT’S INTERPERSONAL SKILLS?

Soft skills are one of the most important qualities for employees to have at all levels.

Any company hiring for a managerial or leadership role will want to find out whether the candidate has emotional intelligence, listens well, meets regularly with direct reports, and builds rapport with team members. If it’s a more junior role, executives might ask whether the candidate builds relationships easily, supports others, or communicates well in meetings.

4. DOES THE CANDIDATE FIT THE ROLE?

This is an important question that, according to Luthra, requires the hiring manager to “drill down to explain what’s needed in the role.”

If it’s a management role, she advises that hiring managers “ask whether the candidate knows how to identify problems, and set context. If there is a problem at hand, does the candidate know how to identify what the problem is? And solve it?” Companies also want to know if the job seeker can connect with relevant stakeholders and maintain those connections.

In one search, Luthra notes, “we were hiring a data scientist who would be expected to go out and explain to the leaders in the company how his projects work. The person we were interviewing didn’t want to deal with anything outside his area. He said his ideal day was doing ‘the work’ and not having to deal with anything ‘political’ or ‘outside data science.’” Clearly the candidate didn’t fit the role.

5. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS AREAS FOR THE CANDIDATE’S DEVELOPMENT?

Companies never want to ask a reference whether there are reasons not to hire the candidate. Such questions would probably go unanswered, since according to Luthra, references can be squeamish about saying anything negative about the candidate. So hiring executives and recruiters should stay on positive ground.

To find out what shortcomings a candidate might have, Luthra suggests they might ask “what would be the areas for the candidate’s development?” The answer should give insight about whether the candidate would have issues on the job or need improvement in one or more areas. The answer would also help the hiring company ensure that the candidate, if hired, is successful in the role.