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Obtaining references from a successful job applicant's prior employers can be incredibly beneficial. This is because facts about a job applicant's previous experience and performance are typically a good predictor of his or her future performance in a comparable post.
It is perfectly appropriate for an employer to want to ensure that the information provided as part of a job application is correct and comprehensive. Obtaining references from past employers will be a part of that procedure.
It is common practice for businesses to request two written references for each new employee they employ and to condition job offers on such references being satisfactory to the organisation.
Who should references be obtained for, and when?
While some companies choose to obtain references on all short-listed job applicants, this is time intensive and, in some cases, unnecessary. It is regarded best practice to seek references solely for those persons to whom the employer has chosen to provide an offer of employment.
This can be done either before or after the job offer is made, as the offer can be
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This Managers guide to requesting references aims to offer you a versatile and customisable tool, serving as a solid foundation for your needs. Utilise it to ensure consistency, enhance accuracy, and save valuable time.
Adapt it to suit your unique requirements, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in your HR processes.
Yes. The Managers guide to requesting references is designed to be flexible and suitable for organisations of all sizes, including small businesses and charities. It follows UK employment law best practice, so even if you don't have an in-house HR team, you can confidently apply it.
Absolutely. As with the Managers guide to requesting references, all of our templates are drafted with the latest ACAS guidance and UK employment legislation in mind. We review and update them regularly, so you can be confident they remain compliant.
Yes, we highlight the areas of the Managers guide to requesting references that you need to update with your own details, and where you need to make decisions to suit your situation. This saves you time and ensures that you meet best practice.
Yes. Once purchased, you'll be able to download the Managers guide to requesting references instantly. Templates are provided in editable Word or Excel format so you can customise them easily, and in PDF format for easy sharing.
If you're looking for broader support, we also offer toolkits and library bundles that include the Managers guide to requesting references, along with other HR templates and policies for fully managing your situation. These may be more cost-effective if you need deeper advice.
The risk of using a free AI-generated template 'without review' includes your legal exposure, missing context, and no awareness of the wider process, whereas purchasing the Managers guide to requesting references from us mitigates that risk.
Reference request toolkit
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