References contacted before formal job offer (Civil Service)

[Mono1990]

So I'm in a bit of a nightmare scenario.

I have been given a provisional job offer for the Civil Service. I put down my current employer as my professional referee. This is the best one I could think of as I was unemployed for a few years before this job, and before that worked abroad. But I checked a box to say I did not consent for them to be contacted, with the reason being I had not given notice at my job yet. (I would have been fine for them to have given a reference after that though.)

They were contacted anyway about a week ago, so now they know I have another job offer. They have said that they won't let me go before I'm ready, but they've asked that I tell my (stressed, understaffed) colleagues about my plans.

The problem is that I don't know if I'll pass my security clearance as I have only lived in the UK for the last 4 years rather than 5 after time abroad (I am a UK citizen). And I have no idea when I'll find out.

So now I am dreading telling my colleagues as all I can say is, 'I might be leaving, but I don't know when, and also maybe not, who knows.'

I don't know what to do and have been lying awake thinking about it! ☹️

You just say: hey chaps I’m thinking about moving on. Don’t make it a sure thing.

you say to the boss: hey guys no idea when or what is happening

you say to recruitment: nothing until you’re in the door but definitely let them know they cocked up.

I'd protect myself by saying to colleagues I've decided not to proceed. Wait til the new offer is locked in before you tell anyone anything. They might yet decline you so why set hares running?

Also....what a screw up by your new employers - I'd go nuts!

'Hi. My plans throughout my life are to apply for jobs I like the look of. Some I may get, some I may not and some I might turn down. This applies to everyone in most organisations so not sure why telling anyone anything until plans change benefits anyone.'

When you get civil service provisional offer they tell you the next stage is pre-employment checks which includes references, they haven't contacted prior to provisional but they can't exactly move to formal offer without doing the checks so I don't think they've done anything wrong.

I've been through this process in the last few weeks, I told my boss at provisional offer stage and said I would let the team know if and when i passed the checks and it became formal. Can you not do that maybe? If not just say you've had a provisional offer so may be leaving subject to checks and you'll tell them when you know. It's hard when people are stressed but I'm sure they will understand why you are going and be pleased for you.

Congratulations on the offer.
I wouldn't say anything to colleagues other than you're looking, at least until you have a date. . Did they give you a timescale for the clearance process?

Thanks for the replies/ideas.

I mean if they haven't done anything wrong then fair enough, but I don't understand why they ask for consent to contact the referees if they just do it anyway, it kind of caught me off guard.

I have no timescale, from what I've read online it could take weeks or months and there's no way to know.

I just don't know what to say to my colleagues really or how to approach it. There are only four of us and one is leaving in a few months. My boss wants me to tell them because he feels uncomfortable when they try to discuss the rota, again fair enough but I'm not sure this is going to help.

I'm not even paid enough to care this much!! These are two low-paid jobs, I just hate letting people down!

Where I work they always check before getting references to avoid the situation you are now in.

The civil service application process is a nightmare. I’ve just received my security clearance after originally applying for the job in January. Still no start date 🤷🏼‍♀️

Wrt the security check you will hopefully be ok. I've had to do security checks for jobs outside the uk having moved around a lot. It's normally pretty straightforward to get an international statement of criminal history etc. It will only be a problem if you need full clearance. The UK is actually the worst for getting the paperwork!

I mean if they haven't done anything wrong then fair enough, but I don't understand why they ask for consent to contact the referees if they just do it anyway, it kind of caught me off guard.

I would be surprised if it says just that - normally the statement is along the lines of not taking up references unless an offer is made. If someone wouldn't give us permission to contact the employer for references when we made an offer, the offer is withdrawn. We would never confirm an offer without having the references in hand.

Yes surely they can’t give you a formal offer WITHOUT contacting references. What if the employer said you never worked for them? They’d obviously not send an offer to begin with. Getting a formal offer is only after all the checks, including references, are completed

Ignore the people that are saying the recruitment team “screwed up”. They clearly have no idea what they’re taking about. All of this is normal with civil service recruitment - employment history is part of their pre-employment checks. As is the Overseas History checks which OP is worried about. It’s not that Overseas History must be checked before Employment History either. No one gets a formal offer until ALL the pre-employment checks are complete.

Everyone is entitled to move on to a new job- I don’t know why people are made to feel bad?!
i don’t see why you have to tell your colleagues until you are ready to hand in your notice ie you have passed your clearances.
if you don’t pass (fingers crossed you do) then you stay but it doesn’t need to be a big thing.
doesnt mean people HATE their jobs if they apply for another but something better might just come along that’s more suitable or too good to not try.