OK here is brief outline. Guy I know who runs a haulage company thinks he may have some long term probably permanent work for me in a couple of weeks, but to satisfy their insurers they need two work references. I have been working through agencies for the last few years, courtesy of recession, the last eleven months non driving work, but that is OK, they completely fine with that, just need the two references. Contract I have been working on last eleven months won’t give out references due to client confidentiality, haulage guy has dealt with them before so is real cool about it - no problem.
I start going backwards contacting the agencies I have done work to prior to this. First one “What type of job is it you have been offered?” Explain it driving hgv’s, to be subjected to a three minute resume of all the opportunities they could offer me instead. Explain many of those are shops and I am really not interested, to which I then get a stroppy “We would have to go back through our records which could take up to a month and we won’t give telephone references”. Me - “even though you were just offering me work yourself”. Phone put down by Moi. Second agency “Sorry company policy not to give out company details, including who has worked for us, or how long”. This even without asking what my name was, or what work I had done for them?? Third agency. Passed on my details with someone to call me back after lunch. Phone rang a hour later offering me a choice of two short term contracts, errmmmm I was just after a reference for previous work I had done for you. “We’ll call you back”. They did 30 minutes later offering a longer term contract. I asked about a reference for all the long hours I had done for them in the past, a few seconds silence, some muttering in the background, followed by “The person you need is on holiday for another two weeks, but we have got other contacts you may be interested in too”. Told them I’d think about it and guess who rang just 20 minutes later? Needless to say I just ignored the call, I could only stomach so much of their crud in one afternoon.
It does make you wonder if there is truly a driver shortage, if two of them I had done work for in the past are more interested in offering me more work, rather than spent a couple of minutes sorting a reference out?? Tomorrow I will speak to the haulier and tell him I may have to let this one pass by, unless he wants references from ten years ago. Whilst it both annoying and frustrating, it does clearly show some agencies in their true light.
LIBERTY_GUY:
OK here is brief outline. Guy I know who runs a haulage company thinks he may have some long term probably permanent work for me in a couple of weeks, but to satisfy their insurers they need two work references. I have been working through agencies for the last few years, courtesy of recession, the last eleven months non driving work, but that is OK, they completely fine with that, just need the two references. Contract I have been working on last eleven months won’t give out references due to client confidentiality, haulage guy has dealt with them before so is real cool about it - no problem.
I start going backwards contacting the agencies I have done work to prior to this. First one “What type of job is it you have been offered?” Explain it driving hgv’s, to be subjected to a three minute resume of all the opportunities they could offer me instead. Explain many of those are shops and I am really not interested, to which I then get a stroppy “We would have to go back through our records which could take up to a month and we won’t give telephone references”. Me - “even though you were just offering me work yourself”. Phone put down by Moi. Second agency “Sorry company policy not to give out company details, including who has worked for us, or how long”. This even without asking what my name was, or what work I had done for them?? Third agency. Passed on my details with someone to call me back after lunch. Phone rang a hour later offering me a choice of two short term contracts, errmmmm I was just after a reference for previous work I had done for you. “We’ll call you back”. They did 30 minutes later offering a longer term contract. I asked about a reference for all the long hours I had done for them in the past, a few seconds silence, some muttering in the background, followed by “The person you need is on holiday for another two weeks, but we have got other contacts you may be interested in too”. Told them I’d think about it and guess who rang just 20 minutes later? Needless to say I just ignored the call, I could only stomach so much of their crud in one afternoon.
It does make you wonder if there is truly a driver shortage, if two of them I had done work for in the past are more interested in offering me more work, rather than spent a couple of minutes sorting a reference out?? Tomorrow I will speak to the haulier and tell him I may have to let this one pass by, unless he wants references from ten years ago. Whilst it both annoying and frustrating, it does clearly show some agencies in their true light.
a few mates phone numbers and a blag cv bobs your uncle.
You have to be vetted to get into Royal Mail - But once there, even as a full timer for yonks - you’ll not get a reference out of them when you leave. Just a letter confirming you worked there between this and that date…
Any firm requiring references for “high value loads” purposes - is not going to solve the problem by asking for references - since anyone with an eye on the stash would find a way to fake-up a reference anyway…
Pm me and I’ll give you my mobile number to pass on. I’ll then give you a glowing reference, in fact it’ll be that good I’ll wonder why I ever let you go! . Seriously they’ll not know the difference between a reference from an ex employer and a bloke you’ve never met.
I am a newbie class 2 just started doing agency and at the moment i have a 13 week contract with the chance of a job at the end i was planning on staying agency for a while to try my hand oot at other work but should i take the job and stick it for a year or so then try tae get another job? Cos i thought going agency was the only way tae get experience cos when i apply for a job all i get is sorry you need to have had yer licence for atleast 2 years and 6 months driving this year.
Christ it’s 1961 and i’m back in short pants now, Lady Vera has just handed me dad a glowing hand written reference for the next toff he’s going to work for.
No bugger gives written references any more, and no agency bod would give you the pickings of their nose unless they were earning a fat commission for 'em.
A complete and up to date work history is all that’s expected these days, it’s up to the prospective employer to take up references if they want to.
Yeah its alright for old guys like yerself but for us young upstarts its bit hard to get a foot in the door but hey cheers for the helpfull insight!:!:
As juddian said you should only need to give the name and contact details for a referee. why would they accept a piece of paper that may have been written by anyone. If they are daft enuf to accept supplied referances then just Google a couple of now defunct firms and write your own referance
Well if this is the case then its no wonder there are so many folk on this bumpin there gums about crap drivin standerds if all you need to do is b/s your way in whats wrong with proving yourself and gettin the feedback to back it up?
If you worked for any employer (not the agency, I mean whoever you actually worked for…) for a long enough period can you not go straight to them and see if they would help you with a reference ?
Thanks for everyone’s input and suggestions, but it looks like I might have to let this job go, as the employer is asking for something I cannot give - thank you agencies.
I did provide one written reference given to me from a former employer, but it appears they closed down about three years ago (I didn’t even know), so for some obscure reason that is not acceptable. I don’t know how many transport businesses have ceased trading in this never ending downturn, but it must run into the hundreds.
Let’s see what next week and this looming 10th Sept brings eh?
I remember this reference zb.I was self employed for a few years and they wanted a reference from my last employer. E.G. my good self.What do you do when they want something that cant be given.
I wouldn’t employ anyone on the strength of a written reference that they themselves provided…anyone can pinch a letterhead or even create one…without verifying it myself.
I know of employers who have been sued by former employees for saying negative things about them in references and by the next employer for failing to reveal bad things about the ex-employee.
the last reference I wrote for anyone was a very positive one for someone who was good at her job, but quite disruptive to those around her. I wrote her personality would, in my opinion, make her well-suited for work at ■■■…which I knew to be a place where there was a lot of political back-stabbing (which she excelled in) because I’d worked there myself.
Two birds, one stone…and she got the job!
Most sensible employers will ask previous employers for confirmation of employment during the period given on the individual’s CV and a reason for leaving. These days there are CRB checks for sensitive areas of employment which are more valuable than references anyway.
Whilst it both annoying and frustrating, it does clearly show some agencies in their true light.
. Seriously they’ll not know the difference between a reference from an ex employer and a bloke you’ve never met.