The One Question That Reveals More Than Any Resume

Every small business owner knows the pain of making a bad hire. The resume looked strong, the interview went smoothly, but once the person was in the role it became clear things were not clicking. It happens more often than people like to admit, and the costs in time, money, and momentum are especially tough for small teams.

So how do you cut through the polish of resumes and rehearsed interview answers? The answer is not always another round of interviews. Often it is the reference check.

The problem is that most reference checks are wasted opportunities. Hiring managers ask questions like “What was it like working with them?” or “Would you recommend them?” Those questions invite safe, scripted responses. You will hear things that sound nice, but they do not actually help you predict future performance.

That is why I recommend one question that rarely fails to surface the truth:

“If you were starting a company tomorrow, would you hire this person again, and if so, for what role?”

This deceptively simple question, shared publicly by Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, works because it forces the reference to move past polite generalities.

• It requires specificity. A reference cannot simply say, “Yes, they were great.” They have to think about what role this person would actually play on their team.

• It reveals true value. If someone says, “Absolutely, I would hire them again as a team lead,” that is a much stronger endorsement than a generic compliment.

• It surfaces hesitation. A vague answer or long pause tells you there may be limits to the candidate’s performance.

And then comes the follow-up that rounds out the picture:

“What specific qualities make them someone you would want on your team again?”

This second question shifts the conversation toward strengths. It invites the reference to pinpoint the unique attributes that made the candidate valuable, whether that is reliability, leadership, creativity, or the ability to stay calm under pressure. Those details bring depth you would never find in a resume or a polished interview response.

For small businesses, where every hire carries weight, this kind of clarity is critical. Resumes and interviews show you what a candidate wants you to see. The right reference questions show you what it is actually like to rely on them day in and day out.

Want to make reference calls more than a formality? The Reference Check Playbook gives you the full set of questions and a simple scoring system to help you hire with confidence.