Checking a reference these days often will only get you verification that the prospective employee worked where they said they did. One wouldn’t list a reference unless they were sure their reference was going to say the prospective employee was great.
With that in mind, I have found some interesting answers from work references to the question, “Can you tell me an area you would have liked to work more on with the prospective employee.” I adjust the question to the circumstances, but in general I find it tends to get detail—and I prefer it to the usual “What is their weakness?” type of question.
