Reference from current employer

lukin

I know this has been asked before here, sorry about that, I searched for it alright but I couldn't find the exact right answer. I am thinking of changing job and I have been working in my current role for eight years. The place I worked before that (which was my first job) have a policy of not giving references if the employee has left the company five years before the date the reference was asked for.

So I can only give a reference from my current employer. I can't put that down on my CV if I apply for a new job. Is there a way of saying in a job application "Contact my current employer for a reference but don't do so unless the job is being offered to me"?

So that the reference is just a final check before I am offered the job? Obviously my current employer could still mess it up for me by giving me a bad reference and the job offer could be retracted but I think that is unlikely.

Xander10

………………

Jim2007

There is no need to mention references at all on your resume. You can either just delete the section on simply state: References will be provided once a mutual interest has been established. Referees are valuable and an excellent way to loose one is to give their details on every application and have them be disturbed by lots of calls that waste their time. It's also a good idea to call your referees before giving out their details to keep them in the loop so they will be expecting the call.

As regards your previous employer, all you can do is explain their policy and submit the written reference they gave you at the time. If you still have contacts with some of the people you worked with there, you could perhaps ask one of them to a act as a personal referee, the chances are your perspective employer will not bother following up on it, but by doing so you show that you are being open about that employer, so it should not be an issue.

Good luck with the job hunt.

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122642959#Comment_122642959

Thank you for your reply, I will take that advice.

F1ngers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122642959#Comment_122642959

References will be provided once a mutual interest has been established.

I like that, going to use it myself.

Was going to go with "available on request".

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122644224#Comment_122644224

The problem with "on request" is that a junior in HR may be given the task of following on it, or even worse validate the reference with the referee.

splashman

What if you're going for a job and is specifically asks for 2 references and their contact details? I think this is symptom of a larger problem, the elephant in the room is that applicants are terrified to say or so anything that might get their application binned.

youtheman

In my previous job a 'reference' was only confirmation that a person worked for this company between date x and date y. That was it, no more information was forthcoming. Presumably they were worried that there could be some comeback if that person turned out to be a 'head the ball' and there was some comeback on whoever gave the reference.

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122654640#Comment_122654640

if I was asked for a reference for someone who worked for me and he was a 'head the ball' I'd say that to the person who asked me for the reference. Some people don't want to give a bad reference for an employee who wasn't good because they don't want to scupper their chances of getting the job, they are too nice. That's admirable but it's not fair on who is employing the person. If he or she turns out to be stone useless they might have to let him or her go and then it has been a waste of time and money for them. I'd be fairly p###ed if someone gave me a good reference for someone who turned to not be good.

As an aside I actually found my own reference after I started a new job. It was from the previous boss I had. He only said two comments about me, it was short. One comment was good and the other was bad. I still got the job though.

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122654608#Comment_122654608

Not for me; I just wouldn't want my current manager to know I am looking for a new job. If he gets asked for a reference for me and it is just the last step before I am offered the job then it doesn't matter because I have the job.

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122655358#Comment_122655358

Problem is that can create legal issues for yourself or your company if found out. Unless you can prove what you said was true it could be classed as slander. This is why most companies don't give references except letters confirming start, end, and title.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122655358#Comment_122655358

In that case you could end up costing your company or even yourself a considerable amount of money. The wise approach would be to either refuse to give a reference and simply confirm the employment record.

skallywag

You will find very few written references which contain anything really worthwhile. If I am in any doubt I will have a short call with the referee, you will generally know within 30 seconds what that person really thinks about the potential employee, even just from the tone used more than the content. I would always ask a candidate if it is OK that I have a short call with the referee, and would also advise any candidate to give the referee a quick heads-up that a call is imminent.

lukin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122655438#Comment_122655438

Another reason for it is that the managers can't be bothered their a### giving references. If he/she has a lot of people working for him there could be a lot of them leaving over a certain period of time. So if he lets them all use him a a referee he/she is getting a lot of phone calls etc. from people he doesn't know asking for references. That can be a bit irritating ("Who was that guy again, I can't remember").

skallywag

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122655679#Comment_122655679

Good point there, I would always only name a referee who I got on well with, and who I know will give me a good report.