How References Work in Humanitarian Hiring: The Complete Process

The Reference Check Timeline

Understanding when references are checked helps you prepare and manage expectations. The timing varies by organization type and role seniority.

• • At application stage: Some organizations, particularly those using online portals, ask you to provide reference details when you submit your application. This does not mean they will be contacted immediately. Most wait until after the interview.
• • After shortlisting, before interview: A minority of organizations (usually smaller NGOs) check references before inviting you to interview. This helps them narrow a large applicant pool.
• • After interview, before offer: This is the most common timing. The panel has decided you are their preferred candidate, and references are the final verification step before the offer is made.
• • After conditional offer: Some UN agencies and large organizations make a conditional offer first, then complete reference and background checks. The offer can be withdrawn if references raise concerns.

Regardless of the timing, you should have your references prepared and briefed before you apply. Being caught off guard by a reference request creates unnecessary delays and can slow down an offer.

How Reference Checks Are Conducted

Phone Calls

The traditional method. The hiring manager or HR representative calls your referee and asks a structured set of questions over 15 to 30 minutes. Phone checks tend to produce more candid responses because the conversation flows naturally and the caller can probe with follow-up questions based on what the referee says. This is the most common method for NGO roles and many UN positions.

Online Reference Forms

Increasingly used by larger organizations and those using HR management platforms. Your referee receives an email with a link to a structured form. They rate you on various competencies using a scale (often 1-5 or "exceeds expectations / meets expectations / below expectations") and provide written comments. The advantage for organizations is standardization. The disadvantage for you is that written forms tend to produce shorter, less detailed responses.

Background Verification Services

Organizations like Sterling, HireRight, or ClearCheck contact your previous employers to verify employment dates, job titles, and reasons for leaving. This is separate from the qualitative reference check and is standard for UN agencies and many international NGOs. It catches discrepancies between what your CV says and what your employer records show.

Informal Channels

The humanitarian sector is small. Hiring managers frequently know someone who worked at your previous organization. Informal inquiries happen more often than you might think, especially for senior positions. These conversations are not structured, but they influence decisions. There is little you can do to manage this beyond maintaining a professional reputation throughout your career.

The Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme

Since its launch following the 2018 safeguarding scandals, the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme has fundamentally changed how references work in the humanitarian sector. If you are applying to a participating organization, here is what you need to know.

• • What it is: A system where participating organizations share information about staff who have been found to have committed sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment (SEAH). When you apply to a participating organization, they contact your previous humanitarian employers to ask whether you were the subject of any substantiated misconduct findings.
• • Who participates: Over 100 organizations, including most major UN agencies, the ICRC, MSF, IRC, Save the Children, Oxfam, and many others. The list continues to grow.
• • What they ask: Your previous employer is asked whether you were subject to any investigation that resulted in a finding of misconduct related to SEAH. They are not asked for general performance feedback through this channel.
• • Your consent: You will be asked to consent to the disclosure check as part of the application process. Refusing consent typically disqualifies your application.
• • Timeframe: The scheme covers your entire employment history with participating organizations, not just the most recent role.

The scheme runs in parallel with traditional reference checks. It is specifically about misconduct history, while standard references cover your broader professional performance. Both are required for most humanitarian roles.

Formatting Your Reference List

When an organization asks for your references, provide the information in a clean, consistent format. Include the following for each referee:

• • Full name and title
• • Organization (at the time you worked together and current, if different)
• • Relationship to you (e.g., "Direct supervisor at [Organization], 2021-2023")
• • Email address (professional email preferred, but personal is acceptable if they have moved on)
• • Phone number with country code
• • Best time to contact and any scheduling notes (e.g., "Currently based in Kabul, GMT+4:30")

If you are submitting references through an online portal, double-check that the email addresses are correct. An automated system will send the request directly, and a mistyped email means a missed reference, which delays your process.

Managing References Across Multiple Applications

If you are actively job searching, you may have several organizations contacting the same referees within a short period. This requires careful management.

• • Warn your referees upfront. Tell them you are actively searching and that they may receive multiple requests. Give them a rough estimate of how many organizations might reach out.
• • Rotate referees if possible. If you have four or five available references, distribute the load so no single person is contacted for every application.
• • Prioritize for your top choices. If there is one role you particularly want, make sure your strongest referee is reserved for that organization. Reference fatigue is real: by the fourth call, even a supportive referee may give less detailed responses.
• • Keep a tracker. Note which references you provided for each application, when they were contacted, and whether the check has been completed. This helps you follow up if there are delays.

What Happens If a Reference Is Negative

Not all references will be glowing. Here is how organizations typically handle less-than-positive feedback.

• • Minor concerns: If a referee mentions a development area but is otherwise positive, most organizations will proceed. Everyone has growth edges. The concern becomes how you have addressed it, which the panel may explore with you directly.
• • Conflicting references: If one reference is strong and another raises concerns, organizations usually seek additional information. They may ask you for another reference, or they may contact someone from the same organization informally.
• • Serious red flags: If a reference describes integrity issues, safeguarding concerns, poor conduct, or dishonesty, the offer will almost certainly be withdrawn. These are non-negotiable in the humanitarian sector.
• • A referee who refuses to give a reference: This is itself a signal. If you suspect someone may decline, replace them proactively.

You are unlikely to be told exactly what a referee said. Most organizations treat the content of reference checks as confidential. If your offer is withdrawn based on references, you may receive a general explanation but not a verbatim account of the conversation.

Being a Good Referee for Others

As you progress in your career, you will be asked to give references. Doing this well matters for the sector and for your professional reputation.

• • Be honest. If someone asks you to be a reference and you cannot give a positive one, tell them directly. It is kinder to decline than to give a lukewarm reference that costs them the job.
• • Prepare before the call. Review the job description they share with you. Think about specific examples of their strengths. Prepare a balanced answer for the inevitable "areas for development" question.
• • Respond promptly. Reference delays hold up hiring decisions. If you agree to be a reference, commit to responding within 48 hours of being contacted.
• • Answer safeguarding questions directly. Do not be vague or evasive. A clear "no concerns" is what the hiring organization needs to hear if it is true. If there were concerns, you have a professional obligation to disclose them.

Reference Etiquette

• • Always ask before listing someone as a reference. Never assume.
• • Send them the job description and a brief note about why you are interested in the role.
• • Remind them of specific projects or achievements you worked on together.
• • Let them know when to expect the call or email.
• • Follow up with a thank-you message after the check is complete, regardless of the outcome.
• • Let them know the result. Referees invest their time and professional credibility in supporting you. They deserve to know how things turned out.

Frequently Asked Questions