Getting a reference now the manager has left

w00519772

My line manager is leaving mid January. I have worked with her for about 11 years.

Say I wanted to leave next year (it is a big if), then how would I get a reference? The person we are reporting to in the interim does not really know me very well.

Is this something I need to think about now or will I just receive a standard reference from the company?

If I had plans to leave i.e. I was under offer now then I would probably ask for a reference before she leaves. However, this is not the case.

boo_star

You'd probably receive a standard reference even if you manager wasn't leaving.

I'd say it's much less common nowadays for managers to give references for their staff. Either way getting a "standard" reference is not a negative, it's what most prospective employers would expect to receive.

marlot

Are you both on LinkedIn? That can be a good way to stay in touch.

Fireflyaway

Reference requests differ a lot. Some references will ask very basic questions such as job title and length of service whilst others I have seen ask how the person gets on with others, how do they cope with stress, would you hire them again etc.
Same goes with the person who completes them. Some companies will refuse to answer questions and just provide a statement ' Bob was employed by ABC engineers as a cleaner from 1999-2018 and his leaving salary was £x'.
Stay in contact with your manager and ask if she will provide a reference. You may find companies will want someone who currently works there though. Either way I wouldn't stress too much unless you have done something really terrible!

TELLIT01

Many companies will not allow staff to provide references for other employees. Requests have to be forwarded to whoever is responsible for the HR function. More common is the type of reference outlined above by Fireflyaway.

jackboy1

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Many companies will not allow staff to provide references for other employees. Requests have to be forwarded to whoever is responsible for the HR function. More common is the type of reference outlined above by Fireflyaway.

But not all. My manager is encouraged to give references for staff that she was the line manager for, as she has first hand knowledge of their work and attitude.

TELLIT01

The OP can ask their current manager if they would be willing to provide a reference in the future. Whether a future employer would accept it as they are no longer with the current employer is something only they could answer.

robatwork

jackboy1 wrote: »

But not all. My manager is encouraged to give references for staff that she was the line manager for, as she has first hand knowledge of their work and attitude.

I bet she's never had to write a bad reference.
Suspect the company policy will change if that happens, and it will end up as "Wrongun worked here from x to y"