Are non personal references from HR department acceptable common and acceptable?

kathryn1985 · 11-11-2018 03:26PM #1

Hi,

Got offered a job on Friday and need references from my last 2 jobs including current. I contacted my manager in prior job for a reference and he responded that a new policy was in place and he was unable to give a reference and to contact HR.

The potential new employer has their own questionaire which requires to be filled out, but from what I can gather from my former manager is that HR would issue a standard HR letter stating I worked at a particular position from x to x.

Is this common and would this hamper my chances of getting a firm offer and contract if their statndard questionaire is not completed.

Thanks,
Kathryn

mikemac2 · 11-11-2018 03:29PM

Perfectly normal these days. HR will issue a letter with your start and end dates, your title and maybe a line or two on your duties

I don’t think this will affect your chances at all. The HR in your new place will be aware of these policies

Congrats on the offer

OMM 0000 · 12-11-2018 01:20PM

I think you just need to explain this to the new job.

I've always found it awkward to arrange references for myself.

I think it's the same trouble for everyone.

Misguided1 · 12-11-2018 01:22PM

Shouldn't be a problem at all. Very standard practice these days to only issue a statement confirming employment.

BattleCorp · 12-11-2018 04:37PM

Just for your own benefit, I know of one HR department that give this as a reference if you weren't a good employee.

Mr BattleCorp worked for us from x date to y date.

Regards,

HR.

They won't say anything bad about you in case you'd sue them so they say practically nothing at all. And most prospective employers know that if they get a reference like this, then the employee is bad news.

EverythingGood · 12-11-2018 04:44PM

BattleCorp wrote: »

Just for your own benefit, I know of one HR department that give this as a reference if you weren't a good employee.

Mr BattleCorp worked for us from x date to y date.

Regards,

HR.

They won't say anything bad about you in case you'd sue them so they say practically nothing at all. And most prospective employers know that if they get a reference like this, then the employee is bad news.

Load of ****e. I worked in HR for a huge organisation with worldwide employees - HR do not know the staff at all - these letters are standard practise and completely acceptable.

skallywag · 12-11-2018 04:46PM

This is getting more and more common in my experience.

You may find it difficult to get anything (worthwhile) official in writing, but I myself, as is the case with most other managers I know, will have no issue with having an informal call with a new perspective employer. You don't want to offer this of course unless you are pretty sure that your referee is going to sing your praises, but this can be easily judged beforehand.

I was called myself relatively recently and gave a glowing feedback to a chap who once worked for me and was excellent. The rules themselves may sometimes hamper the way that one would like to do things, but that's not going to stop be helping me someone out who is deserved of it.

BattleCorp · 12-11-2018 05:00PM

EverythingGood wrote: »

Load of ****e. I worked in HR for a huge organisation with worldwide employees - HR do not know the staff at all - these letters are standard practise and completely acceptable.

Eh, not a load of sh1te. Not everybody works in a huge organisation with worldwide employees.

And not all references are written either. Most of the time our HR department make enquiries by phone and receive enquiries by phone.

And their answer over the phone if the employee wasn't a good employee is as I have said in my previous post.

If someone was a good employee, then HR would elaborate and sing their praises.

C3PO · 13-11-2018 02:37PM

BattleCorp wrote:

If someone was a good employee, then HR would elaborate and sing their praises.

Absolutely not - in most mid to large size companies HR will not comment, one way or the other, only confirm that you have worked there, for how long and in what role.

skallywag · 13-11-2018 05:56PM

C3PO wrote: »

Absolutely not - in most mid to large size companies HR will not comment, one way or the other, only confirm that you have worked there, for how long and in what role.

This is also my experience.

If you are looking for someone to sing your praises you need to get a direct line to a former supervisor who is willing to speak off the record for you.

Ferm001 · 13-11-2018 07:39PM

Get the standardised references if that is all previous companies give out, but also ask old manager if he would be willing to give you a written testimonial.

pauliebdub · 17-11-2018 04:29PM

It's the norm now to get reference statements and much more difficult to get personal references from former managers and colleagues due to HR rules. The statement will provide dates of commencement and departure and little else.

Mrs OBumble · 18-11-2018 02:31PM

Whether they're acceptable or not depends totally on the person or company who wants the reference: there are no laws on what they may request or require - except that they have to have your permission to ask for it.

Certificates of employment (which only confirming dates of employment and job titles) are increasing all that some companies will offer. They are useful for some purposes (eg confirming 10-year work history) - but they are not references.

It's a little ironic that many companies that want references checked are the ones that will not issue references, and officially forbid their managers to even give verbal references.

Avatar MIA · 18-11-2018 02:37PM

Ask a company for a reference and expect a company type reference.

However, in my career that would be Dell and GE I'd have to resort to (and they are now too far back to consider) everyone else I'd have the name of a person to call.

_Brian · 18-11-2018 03:57PM

Getting more common.

Are non personal references from HR department acceptable common and acceptable?

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