Referee asking for job description

agrinnall

getmore4less wrote: »

You should not be giving out the new companies job descriptions to anyone.

(exception may be to get legal opinion.)

Surely if the job description formed part of the advertisement for the vacancy (we don't know if it did but it's not unusual) then there would be no problem providing it to anyone as it's already in the public domain.

Hillbilly1

Thanks BorisThomson

I just felt it was a little presumptuous to ask me to provide the JD when surely that should be a conversation between the company asking for a reference and previous employer? They may not even ask for that type of info.

It also conflicts with what they have provided for previous staff, and from what they told me they would provide.

sangie595

agrinnall wrote: »

Surely if the job description formed part of the advertisement for the vacancy (we don't know if it did but it's not unusual) then there would be no problem providing it to anyone as it's already in the public domain.

Quite. And contrary to some of the statements on here, in fact many employers do write references based on job descriptions, and if the potential employer doesn't send it, being asked for it would not be at all uncommon for some people.

That said, I agree that since an employer doesn't have to write a reference (except in some specialist circumstances) it is up to them what they ask and when they ask it.

BorisThomson

Hillbilly1 wrote: »

Thanks BorisThomson

I just felt it was a little presumptuous to ask me to provide the JD when surely that should be a conversation between the company asking for a reference and previous employer? They may not even ask for that type of info.

It also conflicts with what they have provided for previous staff, and from what they told me they would provide.

They could ask the new employer for it, but it would be courteous for you to do the legwork. Remember they are not obliged to give you a reference, if you expect them to do the chasing they may choose not to.

What happened with other people is not relevant to you, and unless you have an agreed reference as part of your settlement/ leaving package, then anything previously said is not enforceable.

Try not to over think it. They've said they will give a reference and it's unlikely there is any sinister motivation behind their agreement. Put their details down and if you are offered the position then drop the ex employer an email to let them know they'll be hearing from your new employer. That leaves communication open for them to ask you if they need more information.

getmore4less

agrinnall wrote: »

Surely if the job description formed part of the advertisement for the vacancy (we don't know if it did but it's not unusual) then there would be no problem providing it to anyone as it's already in the public domain.

Pointing at that is fine, in a lot of sectors that would be a condensed version not the full job description which can be commercial sensitive documents.

Jemima09

If it helps, I just did a reference for someone, and the company who requested the reference also sent me a brief job description and a list of characteristics that they would expect this person to have. It must have helped them understand the person, but it also helped me to write the reference as I could point out where the person met the criteria.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Again, I don't know if my experience is unusual, but I don't see why people are getting involved in asking former employers for references. Is this normal? I've never done anything else but provide, on my CV, a list of previous employers. I have no idea how many of them have ever been approached, or how it happened, or what they did about it.

Hillbilly1

To be clear, again, I'm asking for their permission to put forward their name as a contact for a reference.

I think it's polite to say to a previous employer that they may be contacted.

Although from here people are saying they don't do this?

Jemima09

Hillbilly1 wrote: »

To be clear, again, I'm asking for their permission to put forward their name as a contact for a reference.

I think it's polite to say to a previous employer that they may be contacted.

Although from here people are saying they don't do this?

I think it's polite, but you don't have to.. If you don't feel comfortable giving their name for whatever reason, then just say references can be obtained via HR Dept...

[Deleted User]

Hillbilly1 wrote: »

I think it's polite to say to a previous employer that they may be contacted.

Although from here people are saying they don't do this?

Yeah if you are on the terms that you've pop in for tea/coffee every so often. Once people leave, people have left.

Only ever done a round robin email heads up a reference is coming once in 2016 - the results were the people I least thought would respond did and those I thought would reply didn't.
I even regretted doing this in a way as it only helped cause a when's this reference request coming when they hadn't heard in what appeared clearly a timely enough manner to them! Lol.
Why would I want to disturb each time I'd move on.

I've only been asked to get involved twice in my own reference back chasing and the last time it happened I ignored it as I suspected the business was no more. For all it's worries perhaps when background screening and the likes of DBS checks either go hand in hand or in addition to reference checks perhaps it will be the right thing to happen. Last two offers human references have taken a back seat.