When do you tell your employer you have a new job?

[Lily2811]

I work for the NHS in a band 5 position. I want to leave my current job, have started applying for others but no interviews yet. Two questions...

1. If I get an interview on a day that I'm working what do I do?

1. When do you tell your current manager that you've been offered a new job? In my last job I ended up accepting a new job and then going to my manager and telling her I had a new job and asking her to be a reference which felt a bit cheeky and not really right.

Thanks :)

[Thequaffle]

I work in business and the usual thing is to find a new job then resign from your current one.

For the interview, arrange it for a day you are not working or on a day when you can take the morning off or something.

[Lily2811]

My issue is that in a situation where I get a new job, how and when do I tell my manager? I want to avoid the situation where I give in my notice and ask for a reference at the same time.

[Lily2811]

*when

[flowery]

”I want to avoid the situation where I give in my notice and ask for a reference at the same time.”

Why? At the point you ask your manager for a reference, you are necessarily also going to be telling them you are leaving. Otherwise you wouldn’t need one!

In which case the only decision is whether to tell them earlier than necessary, possibly months early, depending on how long it takes you to get a new job, causing them to see you as being one foot out the door for ages, or to tell them at the point it actually becomes necessary and relevant, ie when you get a job offer.

If you have a particularly good/friendly relationship with your manager you could mention that you are looking to move on if you want to. But there’s no particular benefit to doing so.

[EBearhug]

I want to avoid the situation where I give in mynotice and ask for a reference at the same time.

Most job offers are dependent on references anyway, so your manager needs to know there may be a reference request if you get an interview. If references are just basic HR ones confirming you worked in X place in Y position from date A to date B, I might not inform my manager. An actual resignation needs to be done no later than your notice period.

[Mumof1andacat]

I would say when you get your letter to confirm all you checks are ok then hand your notice in. Worth checking your notice period. Band 5 and above where I work have to work 8 weeks notice.

[museumsandgalleries666]

If you get an interview on a day you normally work, swap work days that week

[maxelly]

Re what you do about interviews, I ask for a half days annual leave or (if I am entitled to any) time off in lieu or a flexi day - I usually try not to give a reason or if pressed, say something vague about a 'personal appointment' or 'personal commitment'. I'm sure that fools no-one but at least maintains the illusion they don't know I'm looking for another job. I'm lucky in that my job (in HR) is of the nature where I can usually take time off at short notice without much problem. If you are clinical or in a rota job obviously that is harder but then the recruiting manager should be sympathetic to rearranging the interview for a time when you are not working...

Re when you tell your manager, I tell them when I have the provisional offer for the new role (although as above I'm sure they've usually guessed before then due to random requests for half days off with no explanation). I don't however give formal notice until I have the full offer and contract. So this does mean there's a small risk/period in between them knowing I want to leave and official notice-giving but I don't see how this can be avoided. Obviously if you want a reference from them they need to know you have or are looking for another job, and you shouldn't formally resign until you know the references and other pre-employment checks are fine...

[flowery]

"Most job offers are dependent on references anyway, so your manager needs to know there may be a reference request if you get an interview"

But in most sectors references wouldn't be taken up unless and until there was an offer, so there's no need to warn manager beforehand that a reference request might appear. Usually it's perfectly possible to be clear that references shouldn't be approached before an offer.

[gearandloathing]

FGS don't tell your current employer that you are thinking of leaving.. it could create a really bad atmosphere if it takes you a while to find something.

Wait until you get an offer in writing, then resign.

[Lily2811]

My problem was that I wanted to avoid the conversation where I say "hi I've got another job, here's my notice oh and also can you be my reference" at which point they're thinking cheeky b*tch.

[flowery]

If they think you’re a cheeky bitch for asking for a reference, what difference will it make asking them on another day?

[Wetdogloveshubert]

They're managers, so presumably they will have done this before. It's not personal, it's business - you and they should equally treat the situation professionally. Hand in resignation when you have the written offer, and either new manager will ask for reference separately or you ask at the same time. It doesn't hurt to say at the same time what a valuable experience it's been working where you are etc. (if it has), and that you will work your notice period as contracted.

[Pinkprincess1978]

People don't usually think people are cheeky for asking for a reference- unless you haven't worked for them for along time, left under a cloud, not their direct employee etc. Otherwise it is expected as a manager that you will do references.

Where are you applying for? Some industries (for example, Education) it is standard to request references prior to interview but others like the NHS it isn't. Also, you are unlikely to be handing your notice in officially when you ask for a reference as many jobs but certainly NHS the job offer is conditional to pre-emp checks, one of which is references. We never advise people to hand in their notice until checks are complete in case they take longer than expected to come through.

[goldrush2]

You're line manager has to be your reference when applying for posts in the NHS, so you don't necessarily have to ask for permission. Standard practice is wait until you are told you're the preferred candidate for a job and then tell boss you plan on handing in your notice once you receive official paperwork etc.