Trust Your Gut (But Verify): Checking References & Reviews Before You Hire
Randall Carter
Trust Your Gut (But Verify): Checking References & Reviews Before You Hire
Why Reference Checks Are Still Crucial in 2025
Verifying Skills and Experience
Assessing Soft Skills and Work Ethic
Uncovering Potential Red Flags
How to Conduct an Effective Reference Check
Who to Ask For as a Reference
Setting the Stage for an Honest Conversation
Key Questions to Ask a Designer's References
Questions About Their Work and Skills
Questions About Collaboration and Communication
The 'Million Dollar' Questions
Reading Between the Lines: How to Spot Red Flags
Vague or Generic Praise
Hesitation or Evasiveness
Damning with Faint Praise
Making Your Final Decision
References
Trust Your Gut (But Verify): Checking References & Reviews Before You Hire
You've reviewed the portfolio, conducted the interview, and have a good feeling about a candidate. But before you hire a Figma designer, there's one crucial step left: checking their references. This final verification can confirm your decision or reveal red flags you might have missed.
It's an essential part of due diligence, especially when hiring remote designers from a global talent pool. While your instincts matter, backing them up with solid reference checks creates a complete picture of your potential hire.
Why Reference Checks Are Still Crucial in 2025
In today's digital world, anyone can craft an impressive online presence. Portfolios can be polished to perfection. Interview skills can be practiced and refined. But references? They offer something different—an unfiltered glimpse into how someone actually works.
Think about it. You're not just hiring a set of skills. You're bringing someone into your team's daily workflow. Reference checks give you the insider's perspective on what that really looks like.
Verifying Skills and Experience
A reference can confirm the candidate's role, responsibilities, and specific accomplishments on a project. This adds credibility to the claims made in their portfolio and interview. When a former colleague says, "Yes, Sarah led the redesign of our mobile app and increased user engagement by 40%," that carries weight.
References help you understand the context behind the work. Was the designer working solo or part of a larger team? Did they handle the entire design system or focus on specific features? These details matter when you're trying to match skills to your needs.
Sometimes, references reveal skills that weren't obvious from the portfolio. Maybe the designer also handled user research or collaborated closely with developers. These hidden strengths could make them even more valuable to your team.
Assessing Soft Skills and Work Ethic
References provide invaluable insight into a candidate's communication style, ability to collaborate, and reliability. They can tell you how the designer handles pressure—qualities that are hard to judge from a portfolio alone.
A former manager might share how the designer dealt with tight deadlines or conflicting stakeholder feedback. Did they stay calm under pressure? Did they communicate proactively when challenges arose? These behaviors predict future performance better than any portfolio piece.
Work ethic shows up in the small things. Does the designer meet deadlines consistently? Do they go above and beyond when needed? Are they the type to disappear when things get tough, or do they step up? References have seen these patterns play out over months or years.
Uncovering Potential Red Flags
A hesitant or carefully worded reference can be just as telling as a negative one. This process helps you spot potential issues before they become your problem.
Pay attention to what references don't say. If they can't provide specific examples of great work or seem to struggle when describing the candidate's strengths, that's worth noting. Sometimes the most important information comes from reading between the lines.
Red flags might include patterns of behavior that could disrupt your team. Maybe the designer struggles with feedback or has difficulty working with non-designers. Perhaps they're brilliant but unreliable. Better to know these things now than discover them three months into a project.
How to Conduct an Effective Reference Check
Reference checking isn't just about going through the motions. Done right, it's a strategic conversation that gives you real insights. The key is knowing who to talk to and how to get them talking.
Who to Ask For as a Reference
The ideal references come from different perspectives. Former direct managers can speak to performance and work ethic. They've seen the designer's work up close and understand their strengths and growth areas.
Senior colleagues offer insights into collaboration. They can tell you how the designer works as part of a team, handles peer feedback, and contributes to the overall creative process.
For freelancers, former clients provide a unique viewpoint. They've experienced what it's like to be on the receiving end of the designer's work. They know if deadlines were met, if communication was clear, and if the final product matched expectations.
Avoid references from friends or colleagues at the same level who haven't directly worked with the candidate. While they might speak highly of the person, they can't provide the specific work-related insights you need.
Setting the Stage for an Honest Conversation
When you contact a reference, start by briefly explaining the role the candidate is being considered for. This context helps them provide relevant examples. Assure them the conversation is confidential—people open up more when they know their words won't get back to the candidate.
Phone calls work better than emails for reference checks. People are often more candid when speaking than in writing. Plus, you can pick up on tone, hesitation, and enthusiasm that text can't convey.
Schedule the call at their convenience and respect their time. Most reference checks take 15-20 minutes. Come prepared with specific questions, but be ready to follow interesting threads that emerge naturally in conversation.
Key Questions to Ask a Designer's References
The quality of your reference check depends entirely on the questions you ask. Skip the yes/no questions. Instead, use open-ended prompts that encourage detailed responses.
Questions About Their Work and Skills
Start with questions that warm up the conversation while gathering concrete information. "What was the candidate's biggest contribution to the project you worked on together?" This question often reveals what the reference remembers most—usually the designer's strongest skills.
"Can you describe their design process and their strengths within Figma?" This gets specific about technical skills while also revealing how organized and methodical the designer is. Listen for mentions of design systems, component libraries, or collaborative features.
"What was it like to work with this candidate on a daily basis?" This everyday perspective is gold. You'll hear about communication habits, reliability, and the small things that make someone either a joy or a challenge to work with.
Questions About Collaboration and Communication
Design doesn't happen in a vacuum. Ask, "How did they handle feedback, especially from non-designers?" The answer reveals emotional intelligence and professionalism. Great designers can explain their choices without getting defensive.
"Can you give an example of how they collaborated with developers or product managers?" Look for specific stories here. Did they create detailed handoff documentation? Were they patient with technical constraints? Did they find creative solutions to challenging requirements?
These collaboration questions matter because they predict how the designer will fit into your existing team dynamics. A brilliant designer who can't work well with others might not be the right choice.
The 'Million Dollar' Questions
Save your most important questions for when the reference is warmed up and talking freely. "What is an area you think they could develop further?" Everyone has growth areas, and this question often reveals them in a constructive way.
"What's something about them that isn't on their resume that I should know?" This open-ended question sometimes uncovers hidden talents or important context about their work style.
The most critical question comes last: "Would you enthusiastically hire or work with them again?" Pay close attention here. The word "enthusiastically" is key. A pause, a hedge, or a qualified answer tells you something important. When references genuinely loved working with someone, their enthusiasm is unmistakable.
Reading Between the Lines: How to Spot Red Flags
References rarely say outright negative things. Legal concerns and professional courtesy mean you need to listen carefully for subtle cues. The real information often lies in what's not said.
Vague or Generic Praise
Be wary of answers full of clichés but lacking specific examples. "They're a great team player" means nothing without a story to back it up. Generic praise often indicates the reference doesn't have strong positive memories of working with the candidate.
When every answer sounds like it could apply to anyone, dig deeper. Ask for specific examples. If the reference struggles to provide them, that's telling. People remember great work and great colleagues. Forgettable performances lead to forgettable references.
Hesitation or Evasiveness
Pauses matter. When a reference hesitates before answering questions about weaknesses or teamwork, they're often choosing their words carefully. This isn't necessarily bad—thoughtful responses can be valuable. But consistent hesitation suggests discomfort.
Watch for dodged questions too. If a reference redirects or gives non-answers to specific queries, they might be avoiding negative feedback. A simple "How did they handle stressful deadlines?" shouldn't require verbal gymnastics to answer.
Damning with Faint Praise
Listen for lukewarm endorsements. "He usually got his work done on time" isn't a compliment—it's a carefully worded concern. "She was fine to work with" suggests someone forgettable at best, difficult at worst.
The temperature of the endorsement matters. Enthusiastic references use words like "exceptional," "always," and "loved working with them." They volunteer additional positive information. Lukewarm references stick to facts and use qualifiers like "generally" or "mostly."
Pay attention to what aspects of work get emphasized. If a reference spends most of the time talking about punctuality and following instructions, but can't speak to creativity or problem-solving, you're learning something important about the candidate's strengths and limitations.
Making Your Final Decision
Reference checks shouldn't make your decision for you, but they should inform it. Combine what you learn with your interview impressions and portfolio review. Look for patterns across multiple references. One lukewarm reference might be a personality mismatch. Three suggest a pattern.
Remember that references are just one data point. A designer who struggled in one environment might thrive in yours. Context matters. But when multiple references raise similar concerns, take them seriously.
Trust your gut, but verify with data. The best hiring decisions come from balancing instinct with information. When references confirm your positive impressions, move forward with confidence. When they raise doubts, dig deeper or reconsider.
The time invested in thorough reference checks pays off. It's far easier to pass on a candidate now than to deal with a bad hire later. Your future self—and your team—will thank you for doing this crucial homework.
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Posted Jul 6, 2025
Don't skip the final step! Learn how to conduct effective reference checks for Figma designers to verify their skills, work ethic, and past performance.
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