You can either take a telephone reference or write to the referees provided by your new employee. If you write include a copy of the job description and ask the previous employer to comment on your new recruit’s ability to meet the requirements of the job description. Remember though that some employers will refuse to give a reference at all (which does not necessarily mean that had a reference been given it would have been detrimental), and others will give only the start and end date and the job title.