Sammy T

Sorry to hear of your hassles and completely gob smacked by it! It sounds totally mad, if it is common practice in Oz, why has job I've gone for required 2 or 3 professional references?

Makes no sense at all

Hope you get the new job

Sam

homewardbound

Hmm i'm wondering that myself Sammy... if no one can get references and employers require references how is anyone to get a job?

I know when i got my job where i am now they required 2 work references... its a joke! Certainly makes me think less of a company in the top 100 times companies to work for.

Petals

Some firms just supply a statement of service ie .................worked at............
from ...................... to ....................

Defamation laws are alive and well in Aus and people use them.

Personally I never worried about references and we never checked them at work as most employers who would give one give glowing references for terrible people.

Just think about it who is going to slate someone, no they are glad the person has left. Also people are aware of others doing the references for them.

IvanM

The company can stop them giving a reference in their name. They cannot stop a personal reference from the person. Quite often companies will only give a list of positions held and when rather than a reference.

AlliF

The practice of not handing out work references is alive and well in the UK in bigger companies too. My last two companies in the UK refused to give work references as standard policy - complete pain in the proverbial as that was over 13 years of work experience and nobody in jobs before that would have remembered me (or still been there!)to give me a reference.
It is a litigation thing - if the company gives out a good reference for somone who is rubbish then the hiring company might sue you, if they give a rubbish reference the indivdual might sue you for defamation if they dont get the job.

I have found in the past that if you go to the hiring company and explain the situation - ie this is the company policy and they can only confirm dates I have worked there and my position then provide a personal reference from someone in a respectable position, that usually works. My last boss agreed to give me personal references but explains within them that it is not a company one.

DadAgain

The way to get references is to have people who have moved jobs!

I have given references for people who worked with me in previous jobs, and I have a number of people I *used* to work with who I can ask to be referees for me regardless of who they are currently employed by.

Once free of the shackles of the employer that we shared that reference can be given without any adherence to corproate policy and since Mr X *was* my team leader at the time of my employment he *is* the best person to give a reference to cover my time there.

Of course this isnt much help if you havent been around for years and built a network of contacts.

FWIW I agree references are a load of rubbish - they're either a mate helping someone out - or a boss keen to rid themselves of an unproductive staff member. I've never asked for references from anyone I've employed and prefer to base my hiring decision on how well someone conducts themselves at interview (and *that* is mainly a 'gut feel' for social fit thing rather than skill based decision)

Tooterelli

Many of the big corporations in the UK also have a policy of no references and I can understand this.
Agencies I registered with on arrival in Brisbane wanted to check my references immediately. They wanted to phone up my ex managers to confirm they had written my bearer references. They just didn't seem to understand that people running companies probably wouldn't be disturbed by a sales person (and that's what agency workers are). I ended up writing on my references that no one was to be contacted without my written permission - and that seemed to work.

Deutschmaster

One of the blokes I work with asked the boss to give a reference because he was applying for other jobs.

Boss said no because he didn't want to lose him. Now that sucks

homewardbound

Seems to be all sorted, the Agency has agreed to email my old m anager in the UK who is on Maternity leave... So after my medical today and the return of the 2nd written reference I should have my job offer... fingers crossed.

Sammy T

Good luck

I had an interview today and was offered the job

But have got another interview on Monday, so will see what happens with that one before committing myself!!

Sam

homewardbound

hey well done sammy... I failed my medical on the hearing... now have to wait for the employer to see if they will refer me to an audiologist. Really didn't expect to fail... so am totally bummed at the moment!

Sammy T

I'm sorry to hear that

Were you aware of a hearing problem?

Hope you get it sorted soon.

Sam

Broad Shoulders

you might need to type in CAPS as she might not have heard what you said ;-)

breezeboylan

My OH failed his first medical when we came over for his hearing. He was deemed to have lost 40% hearing in one ear and 20% in the other. He was sent for a speech hearing test, which involved the examiner saying words while backround noise played. He passed this with 100% and got the job. When he left 18 months later they retested his hearing to ensure it hadn't deteriorated any. It hadn't it was still a 40% and 20% loss. Hopefully you will get an audiologist test and be fine.

Tracie

homewardbound

Well its only a 7% loss... but if anything I am sensitive to noise so yeah this is totally out the blue... I'm sure they could just turn the phones up for the job... or else I'll sue for discrimination hahaha