Referee etiquette

[LakeFlyPie]

I'm on an interview panel next week and was surprised to find on reviewing the application forms that I'm the named referee for 2 of the applicants, neither of whom approached me to ask if this was ok.
I would always ask someone's permission before naming them as a referee, is this rather strange (and rude) behaviour?

Yes, it is incredibly rude, and unprofessional.

You presumably would need to share with the other interviewers that they have written your name down as referee, without asking you first.
Surely it should be obvious you can't act as a referee and and interviewer.

Only way it might be reasonable is if the request for referees specifically states it needs to be current manager, and you are their current manager, of course.

Not sure what the policy is at your work, but when I was going for another job at my work I wasn't allowed to use my current boss as a referee as he was on the interview panel.
And yes, they should've asked you first before putting you as a referee. Pretty bad form.

I am a chartered surveyor and work in ethics and compliance. Yes, I think it's rude and unprofessional for someone to list you as their referee without even asking you. Depending upon your firm's policy, I feel that it means you are not an independent interviewer. Ethically, you should step down from interviewing them.

Thanks for replies, v helpful

Happened to me this week!
I was one of two on the interview panel, interviewing for 2 posts in the same location. Current employee who is temporarily seconded to fill the position has applied for it.
When I looked over her application as she came in the door, I noticed she had put my details as her 1st of 2 referees.

Pointed it out immediately as a possible conflict of interest and it was swapped out for another managers details, who was later informed - not ideal but meant we could carry on the interview and subsequently offer her the job.

And, no, she hadn't asked - that was the first I knew of it.
I did mention that I thought the correct etiquette was to ask before offering up someone as a referee. She just laughed

Does depend on the role, and level of skill / knowledge / education needed for the role, (after all, people have interviews for all sorts of things at all sorts of levels) but the fact a person didn't ask before putting a referee's name down would very much go down as a negative point right before the interview started from me - it is SO unprofessional.

My dc have had people who have given more like character reference type referees for them before, say to them "any time", but they still know to specifically ask again for any particular role.

Very unprofessional. I'd never dream of just putting someone's name down without asking first.

It is usual/considered polite to ask beforehand, although I can see a benefit to that not being the convention (i.e. to referees not being primed and candidates not moving on to a more promising referee if they suspect there could be issues with someone they have approached).

WhatWouldTheNeighboursSay
When I looked over her application as she came in the door, I noticed she had put my details as her 1st of 2 referees.

Intrigued by this. Was it the first time you had looked at the application, or had you not noticed before that you were listed as a referee?

I have listed current managers and colleagues as references without asking, if offer a position I ALWAYS have asked if they are happy to referee. Applications normally ask if you are happy for referees to be contacted prior to offer precisely because of this surely? I would hate for a boss to know I was actively looking before having an offer.

Excuse the puss poodle grammar and spelling. I'm knackered and obviously a bit dim.

Christ on a bike. Piss even......

fascicle :
^WhatWouldTheNeighboursSay
When I looked over her application as she came in the door, I noticed she had put my details as her 1st of 2 referees.^

Intrigued by this. Was it the first time you had looked at the application, or had you not noticed before that you were listed as a referee?

Area supervisor shortlisted candidates and invited for interviews, I didn't know who and when until on the day.
(Although I knew this person was going to be there as I knew she had applied for the permanent post and she told me she had an interview)
So no, I really hadn't seen her application until there and then.

I would have just thought it made good sense to be able to prep referees before hand.

Also, to check if they are actually available to give referee. I’ve had potential employees were the referee has been overseas and uncontactable.

If you’ve provided references for these people before then I don’t think it’s rude.

As a graduate I’d have to list two referees on every single application and it was normal to send out around 30-50 per year. To save contacting the referees 30-50 times per year, I’d only ask them once I got through to second round interviews.

WhatWouldTheNeighboursSay
Area supervisor shortlisted candidates and invited for interviews, I didn't know who and when until on the day...so no, I really hadn't seen her application until there and then.

It may well have been out of your hands, but not looking at applications until the last minute is pretty poor practice.

it may well have been out of your hands, but not looking at applications until the last minute is pretty poor practice.

My apologies that what is standard practice for a large organisation, employing thousands at over 300 different establishments; doesn't meet your standards

As I previously said, I had no input in the shortlisting process.
Due to GDPR, the pack containing the applications for the shortlisted candidates are kept in locked storage (at a different location from me).
So I am at a loss as to quite when you expected me to access them?

My apologies that what is standard practice for a large organisation, employing thousands at over 300 different establishments; doesn't meet your standards

Not just my standards - a basic standard for decent recruitment practice.

Due to GDPR, the pack containing the applications for the shortlisted candidates are kept in locked storage (at a different location from me). So I am at a loss as to quite when you expected me to access them?

Not sure why you are taking this personally - I have already anticipated that this may well have been out of your hands. GDPR does not mean an organisation is required only to accept hard copy data, kept under lock and key. How about asking candidates to apply electronically and sharing files securely between colleagues? Even if you were truly restricted to one set of hard copy applications (with no trusted means of distributing copies to other members of an interviewing panel), time could be factored in on the day of the interviews to look at the applications properly beforehand.

As illustrated by your example of looking through a candidate's application as she came through the door and spotting a potential issue at the last minute, you cannot possibly be properly prepared, and are unlikely to do the candidate or interviewing process justice if you have not spent time familiarising yourself with applications.