Confirm permission and scope
Record the candidate’s consent, approved contacts, role, timing, and channel before outreach. Do not contact an unapproved reference or disclose more candidate information than necessary.
Use the same question set
A structured set improves comparability across candidates and keeps the coordinator from leading the conversation. Preserve direct answers separately from the recruiter’s interpretation.
Route concerns without conclusions
Flag conflicting dates, missing responses, or serious concerns with the source and context. Hiring decisions and candidate communication remain with the recruiting owner.