Nir Eyal proposes to abolish the reference check. Instead, he sends email to a candidates reference asking them to write back only if the candidate is outstanding. It's a brilliant method. I've done some reference check that were total failures so this method looks to be more effective to me. None, not one of his reference, told me that working with that guy was like working with your hair on fire. Later, when I asked, they said, I thought you knew that. It's pretty much common knowledge.