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General Labourer reference check template

A short reference check form for general labourers on construction, landscaping and industrial sites. It adds eight questions on site safety, work rate, taking instructions and turning up.

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  • Editable Word file
  • 8 general labourer questions

What to focus on in a general labourer reference check

For labouring roles, ask the site supervisor or foreman two things above all: did they turn up, and did they work safely? Keep the form short so a supervisor can finish it on site.

8 reference check questions to ask about a general labourer

Ask these after the standard verification and performance questions. They are already in the Word and PDF template.

  1. 1.What kind of sites and work did the candidate do for you?
  2. 2.How safely did the candidate work? Did they wear PPE and follow site rules?
  3. 3.How was their work rate across a full day?
  4. 4.How well did they follow instructions from the foreman and trades?
  5. 5.Did they use any tools or machinery? How confident and careful were they?
  6. 6.How reliable were they with start times, weather days and travel to site?
  7. 7.How did they get on with the rest of the crew?
  8. 8.Would you have them back on your site?

What a strong reference sounds like

  • Turns up early and works the full day
  • Follows safety rules without being told
  • Takes direction well
  • Foreman would rehire

Red flags to follow up

  • Unreliable attendance
  • Ignored PPE or site rules
  • Conflict with the crew
  • The referee hesitates

Download the general labourer reference check template

Free, no sign-up. The Word version is editable; the PDF is ready to print.

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Want more questions? See 35 reference check questions to ask references. Prefer referees to answer online? HiveRef sends the form, chases replies and builds the report. Start with 4 free checks.

General Labourer Reference Check Template

For phone or written reference checks. Use the same questions for every referee so answers are comparable.

1. Candidate and referee details

  • Candidate name
  • Role applied for
  • Referee name
  • Referee job title and organisation
  • Referee email and phone
  • Relationship to the candidate (for example, direct manager)
  • Date of reference check
  • Checked by

2. Consent

Confirm the candidate agreed to you contacting this referee. Tell the referee their answers are used only for this hiring decision.

  • Candidate consent confirmed (yes / no)
  • Date consent was given

3. Verification questions

  1. 1.How do you know the candidate, and what was your working relationship?
  2. 2.What were the candidate's start and end dates, as far as you remember them?
  3. 3.What was their job title, and did it change while you worked together?
  4. 4.Did the candidate report to you directly? If not, how often did you see their work?
  5. 5.What were the main reasons the candidate left, as far as you know?

4. Performance questions

  1. 6.Which parts of the role did the candidate own day to day?
  2. 7.Tell me about a deadline the candidate missed or nearly missed. What happened next?
  3. 8.Give an example of the candidate producing good work with incomplete information.
  4. 9.What result improved while they were in the role, and what was their contribution?
  5. 10.When results were below expectations, how did they respond to feedback?
  6. 11.What skill did the candidate develop most while you worked together?

5. General Labourer questions

  1. 12.What kind of sites and work did the candidate do for you?
  2. 13.How safely did the candidate work? Did they wear PPE and follow site rules?
  3. 14.How was their work rate across a full day?
  4. 15.How well did they follow instructions from the foreman and trades?
  5. 16.Did they use any tools or machinery? How confident and careful were they?
  6. 17.How reliable were they with start times, weather days and travel to site?
  7. 18.How did they get on with the rest of the crew?
  8. 19.Would you have them back on your site?

6. Working style and integrity

  1. 20.Describe a disagreement the candidate had with a colleague. How did they move the work forward?
  2. 21.How did the candidate ask for help when they needed it?
  3. 22.When the candidate made a mistake that affected others, what did they do?
  4. 23.What would you tell a new manager about working with this person?

7. Closing questions

  1. 24.Is there anything we have not asked that you think we should know?
  2. 25.What kind of manager or team would get the best out of this person?
  3. 26.Would you hire or work with this person again? Why or why not?

8. Recommendation

  • Overall: recommend / recommend with reservations / do not recommend
  • Strengths confirmed
  • Concerns or follow-ups
  • Signed and dated

Do not ask about health, family, age, religion or other protected personal information, and check the law where you hire.

Frequently asked questions

How many references for a labourer?

One recent site supervisor is usually enough for casual roles; ask for two for longer contracts.

What if the candidate worked through a labour hire agency?

Ask for the site supervisor at the host business, not only the agency, because they saw the work.

Can referees answer on their phone?

Yes. Site supervisors rarely sit at a desk, so a mobile-friendly form gets faster replies than email attachments.

Send these general labourer questions online instead.

HiveRef emails the referees, chases them for you and puts every answer into one report. First 4 checks free, no card needed.

Start freeSee a sample report