Reference checks

Sehmett
Sehmett Posts: 3 Newbie
in Employment, jobseeking & training
Hi everyone!
I have a question regarding reference checks. My new employer asked me to provide contact details for references. I gave them contact details of my managers and HR in all previous companies i worked for. As I am aware now, they chose to contact different people (they just got some names from websites of companies where I worked) and I wasn't informed about it. Are they allowed to do it?
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 4,176 Forumite
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    Sehmett wrote: »
    Hi everyone!
    I have a question regarding reference checks. My new employer asked me to provide contact details for references. I gave them contact details of my managers and HR in all previous companies i worked for. As I am aware now, they chose to contact different people (they just got some names from websites of companies where I worked) and I wasn't informed about it. Are they allowed to do it?

    Yes, they can ask anyone they want. They went to who they felt was best in the companies you worked in.
  • stclair
    stclair Posts: 6,844 Forumite
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    Most companies will only give a factual now a days.
    Im an ex employee RBS Group
    However Any Opinion Given On MSE Is Strictly My Own
  • Brynsam
    Brynsam Posts: 3,643 Forumite
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    _shel wrote: »
    Yes, they can ask anyone they want. They went to who they felt was best in the companies you worked in.

    ...or chose other names in case you'd set up the people you'd named to give you glowing but inaccurate references (no, I'm not suggesting you did - but you'd be surprised how often it happens).
  • ScorpiondeRooftrouser
    ScorpiondeRooftrouser Posts: 2,851 Forumite
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    Brynsam wrote: »
    ...or chose other names in case you'd set up the people you'd named to give you glowing but inaccurate references (no, I'm not suggesting you did - but you'd be surprised how often it happens).

    They didn't choose who they went to at all. They would just have addressed it to HR, in the normal, proper way. It's up to the old company's HR department to contact anyone else if they see the need, or can be bothered.

    It does amaze me how many people seem to still live in the 1950s and think references should come from named people; they might as well carry around a lot of glowing "testimonials" headed "To whom it may concern" and written by someone who met them twice when they were 17. References haven't worked like that for years.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    Sehmett wrote: »
    Hi everyone!
    I have a question regarding reference checks. My new employer asked me to provide contact details for references. I gave them contact details of my managers and HR in all previous companies i worked for. As I am aware now, they chose to contact different people (they just got some names from websites of companies where I worked) and I wasn't informed about it. Are they allowed to do it?

    More importantly, how did you come to find out about it? It seems like a lot of trouble to look up other information.

    For all you know your named contacts may have turned around and said "I am not authorised to give a reference", and so directed on, in today's time I can actually see this being more the case.

    Are you still working there - is that allowed.
  • Fireflyaway
    Fireflyaway Posts: 2,766 Forumite
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    I've applied for a few jobs recently that have asked for a specific name on a reference. It's hard, not everyone gets on with their line manager, thats why I wanted to leave!
    Having had to apply for many references for people I hired in my last job, the majority provided a standard response of job title and length of service so I wouldn't worry. If the reference did come back uncomplimentary ask to see it.
  • ScorpiondeRooftrouser
    ScorpiondeRooftrouser Posts: 2,851 Forumite
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    Fireflyaway wrote: »
    I've applied for a few jobs recently that have asked for a specific name on a reference. It's hard, not everyone gets on with their line manager, thats why I wanted to leave!
    Having had to apply for many references for people I hired in my last job, the majority provided a standard response of job title and length of service so I wouldn't worry. If the reference did come back uncomplimentary ask to see it.

    Even if you name your manager, they will still almost certainly address the request to HR (assuming they know what they are doing). It's then up to HR to decide whether they contact that person or not.

    In any properly run company any manager receiving a reference request knows that the response need to comply with company policy and will take it to HR if somehow it ends up on their desk by mistake. Managers shouldn't be sending out unvetted responses to reference requests.

    If just asked for a specific name, name the HR department and tell anyone who asks that that's the policy. If asked who your manager was, answer truthfully; it's a different question.

    Just "not getting on with your line manager" should never lead to a negative reference. We honestly don't live in that world any more. If you have on-record disciplinary action, that's a different thing.
  • dominqueobs
    dominqueobs Posts: 14 Forumite
    ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »
    Just "not getting on with your line manager" should never lead to a negative reference. We honestly don't live in that world any more.

    I've seen it happen recently. Sometimes references have a 'would you employ this person again?' question and they put no on every reference of people who raised grievances with pay or poor working conditions.
  • ScorpiondeRooftrouser
    ScorpiondeRooftrouser Posts: 2,851 Forumite
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    dominqueobs wrote: »
    I've seen it happen recently. Sometimes references have a 'would you employ this person again?' question and they put no on every reference of people who raised grievances with pay or poor working conditions.

    What sort of company is doing that?

    There was someone on here before who claimed they answered "no" to that question if they didn't have any current vacancies to suit them, and couldn't understand what they were doing wrong, so in smaller companies staffed by idiots nothing would really surprise me but anywhere that knows what they are doing shouldn't be doing this.
  • dominqueobs
    dominqueobs Posts: 14 Forumite
    ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »
    What sort of company is doing that?

    There was someone on here before who claimed they answered "no" to that question if they didn't have any current vacancies to suit them, and couldn't understand what they were doing wrong, so in smaller companies staffed by idiots nothing would really surprise me but anywhere that knows what they are doing shouldn't be doing this.

    NHS :undecided I don't know if they have a standard reference form but I seen a few that were the same from different NHS sites that asked questions like that with opportunities for a boss with sour grapes to throw a spanner in the works.
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