Job offer contingent on background checks??

LittleVoice

To add:  Companies have staff resigning quite often (unless they are tiny with exceptionally good rapport with their staff).  They will be used to receiving reference requests and having some uncertainty until a formal resignation letter arrives (or doesn't) and you'd have to live with the general potentially "unpleasant" situation for however long your notice period is in any case - you can't just decide to walk out without working during your notice period.

[Deleted User]

All my jobs have been subject to satisfactory references, so they have all needed to be completed before a unconditional offer was on the table. 

How are you expecting to move on if they can’t get the reference? 

AW618

When people say to be sure you have passed background checks, I presume they are speaking of criminal type checks.  As the poster above says, you need to have handed in your resignation to your current employer before the reference request arrives on their desk.  If anything does go wrong, then yes, you could be left without a job, but then if you think the reference from your current company is going to be so bad that they withdraw their offer then you won't be staying long at your current company in any case.

LittleVoice

AW618 said:

When people say to be sure you have passed background checks, I presume they are speaking of criminal type checks.  As the poster above says, you need to have handed in your resignation to your current employer before the reference request arrives on their desk.  If anything does go wrong, then yes, you could be left without a job, but then if you think the reference from your current company is going to be so bad that they withdraw their offer then you won't be staying long at your current company in any case.

That is not true.  But it is polite to have forewarned a referee that a reference request is on its way.  You don't even have to say you have been offered a job (as some potential employers like to collect references from previous employers even before interviewing a candidate).

AW618

Not true in what way?  Once it arrives, they will know.  So you ought to tell them before it arrives, or they will not be happy.  What gain do you think there is in not doing so?

No doubt there are a tiny number of companies who try and get references before interview; they will be vanishingly small as anyone with any sense will not give them permission to do so.  I have never encoutered it personally.

sharpe106

Not sure why you would not tell them if your job looking, it is obvious at some point somebody is going to ask for a reference.

LittleVoice

AW618 said:

Not true in what way?  Once it arrives, they will know.  So you ought to tell them before it arrives, or they will not be happy.  What gain do you think there is in not doing so?

No doubt there are a tiny number of companies who try and get references before interview; they will be vanishingly small as anyone with any sense will not give them permission to do so.  I have never encoutered it personally.

What I had emphasised was the statement that "you need to have handed in your resignation to your current employer before the reference request arrives on their desk".  That is you don't need to actually resign before the reference request is received.  Not only might the potential employer rescind an offer but you might decide you don't wish to accept it.

Employers within the NHS often seek references before interview.  As the NHS is the largest employer in the country that could be a lot of reference requests.

LittleVoice

Lurker1 said:

LittleVoice said:

To add:  Companies have staff resigning quite often (unless they are tiny with exceptionally good rapport with their staff).  They will be used to receiving reference requests and having some uncertainty until a formal resignation letter arrives (or doesn't) and you'd have to live with the general potentially "unpleasant" situation for however long your notice period is in any case - you can't just decide to walk out without working during your notice period.

Yeah, this is my first time resigning, I have been in the company for less than a year, so I do feel a little bad resigning. Of course I am planning to work until my notice period. I did plan to discuss with my manager first, but reading online everyone says you either hand in your notice or keep your mouth shut.

You can "keep your mouth shut" until you have to speak.  And the imminent arrival of a reference request is when you need to speak - being able to chose a moment for a quiet word is better than being faced by a boss walking up to your desk with the letter in their hand and asking "what's this all about?"

AW618

LittleVoice said:

AW618 said:

Not true in what way?  Once it arrives, they will know.  So you ought to tell them before it arrives, or they will not be happy.  What gain do you think there is in not doing so?

No doubt there are a tiny number of companies who try and get references before interview; they will be vanishingly small as anyone with any sense will not give them permission to do so.  I have never encoutered it personally.

What I had emphasised was the statement that "you need to have handed in your resignation to your current employer before the reference request arrives on their desk".  That is you don't need to actually resign before the reference request is received.  Not only might the potential employer rescind an offer but you might decide you don't wish to accept it.

Employers within the NHS often seek references before interview.  As the NHS is the largest employer in the country that could be a lot of reference requests.

I am speaking of the private sector, I have no knowledge of the NHS, where people may behave differently as it is often a matter of people moving within the organisation.  So your advice may well be fine there.  However, in the private sector I can assure you that almost no employers will tolerate somebody asking for a reference and clearly planning to leave if the reference is successful without proffering a resignation.  In many places such behaviour would mean your days were numbered. 
References should not, and in my experience never are, requested before the offer has been accepted.
Could it be rescinded?  Yes, of course.  That is not your current employer's problem, and they are not going to thank you for trying to make it theirs.  In addition, you will need to serve out your notice if required, and you seem to be assuming the new employer will be willing to wait as long as is most convenient for you, which is not only an unsafe assumption, but far from the best way to start off at a new place.  Trying to arrange everything out of fear that the offer might be rescinded is a very unproductive way to proceed.

LittleVoice

AW618 said:

LittleVoice said:

AW618 said:

Not true in what way?  Once it arrives, they will know.  So you ought to tell them before it arrives, or they will not be happy.  What gain do you think there is in not doing so?

No doubt there are a tiny number of companies who try and get references before interview; they will be vanishingly small as anyone with any sense will not give them permission to do so.  I have never encoutered it personally.

What I had emphasised was the statement that "you need to have handed in your resignation to your current employer before the reference request arrives on their desk".  That is you don't need to actually resign before the reference request is received.  Not only might the potential employer rescind an offer but you might decide you don't wish to accept it.

Employers within the NHS often seek references before interview.  As the NHS is the largest employer in the country that could be a lot of reference requests.

I am speaking of the private sector, I have no knowledge of the NHS, where people may behave differently as it is often a matter of people moving within the organisation.  So your advice may well be fine there.  However, in the private sector I can assure you that almost no employers will tolerate somebody asking for a reference and clearly planning to leave if the reference is successful without proffering a resignation.  In many places such behaviour would mean your days were numbered. 
References should not, and in my experience never are, requested before the offer has been accepted.
Could it be rescinded?  Yes, of course.  That is not your current employer's problem, and they are not going to thank you for trying to make it theirs.  In addition, you will need to serve out your notice if required, and you seem to be assuming the new employer will be willing to wait as long as is most convenient for you, which is not only an unsafe assumption, but far from the best way to start off at a new place.  Trying to arrange everything out of fear that the offer might be rescinded is a very unproductive way to proceed.

I have worked in the NHS - which isn't one single employing body - including involvement in recruitment.

I have been employed by a couple of non-departmental public bodies.  I have been employed in the private sector (multi-nationals, third sector, large and small and medium size British enterprises.  In none of those did receipt of a reference request produce a demand for a resignation - it might even have sometimes led to negotiation of improved t&c.  Perhaps you have worked for more organisations than I have over a 50-year working life.