Are agents allowed to send your entire CV to your references??

[Peter Loew]

In reference checking me for the past 3 years, I have just discovered that the agent has sent my entire CV to each of my references asking them things like, "has he performed according to what is on his CV", "would you hire him again", "did he do his duties well, etc.?"

Are they allowed to do this? The CV is my personal document and I don't want it sent to anybody without my permission. Also there could be conflict of interest between one company and another (potentially).

Any thoughts or experiences on this?

P

[malvolio]

In reference checking me for the past 3 years, I have just discovered that the agent has sent my entire CV to each of my references asking them things like, "has he performed according to what is on his CV", "would you hire him again", "did he do his duties well, etc.?"

Are they allowed to do this? The CV is my personal document and I don't want it sent to anybody without my permission. Also there could be conflict of interest between one company and another (potentially).

Any thoughts or experiences on this?

P

No he shouldn't, but 99% of companies won't answer those questions anyway for fear of being sued for defamation or restraint of trade. Check the guy out on LinkedIn, I'm guessing he's not been doing this for long...

That said, as a contractor your CV isn't your personal document (think of it as a sales tool) and shouldn't contain anything that isn't in the public domain already. And if you think your referees won't support your version of events, perhaps you shouldn't be using them?

[BrilloPad]

Once I worked with a particularly useless coder. He got very sacked. An agent sent his CV in to a director who showed it to us all. And then quipped "Look at what he did for us. We should rehire him".

[Peter Loew]

No he shouldn't, but 99% of companies won't answer those questions anyway for fear of being sued for defamation or restraint of trade. Check the guy out on LinkedIn, I'm guessing he's not been doing this for long...

That said, as a contractor your CV isn't your personal document (think of it as a sales tool) and shouldn't contain anything that isn't in the public domain already. And if you think your referees won't support your version of events, perhaps you shouldn't be using them?

He's relatively new (few years exp.) but mostly gained outside the UK I think. My refs do support my version of events (with a little extra padding in one or two places, I'll admit), it's just that one company I worked for were extremely unprofessional when it came to things like how they treated their contractors and their general attitude and work ethic, and I am concerned that they might not a) respond at all or b) favorably. Though I am probably just being paranoid..

[rurffy]

He's relatively new (few years exp.) but mostly gained outside the UK I think. My refs do support my version of events (with a little extra padding in one or two places, I'll admit), it's just that one company I worked for were extremely unprofessional when it came to things like how they treated their contractors and their general attitude and work ethic, and I am concerned that they might not a) respond at all or b) favorably. Though I am probably just being paranoid..

Agencies asking for references always pisses me off!!!!

[northernladuk]

Agencies asking for references always pisses me off!!!!

Unfortunately if you opt in they are obliged to do so as part of the placing process.

Just have to spot the fishing requests from the real

[kevpuk]

For my next contract, due to start next week after a princely-one-day-chosen-benchtime-to-doss, the agency's paperwork mentioned 2 referees on - I simply put the details of my Accountants in one and left the other blank, agent was happy with paperwork

[craig1]

Unfortunately if you opt in they are obliged to do so as part of the placing process.

Just have to spot the fishing requests from the real

That's not entirely accurate. That's usually just something invented by the agencies to con people into opting out. Also, being pedantic, you're not opting in.

Here's the relevant bit from the regulations:

19. Neither an agency nor an employment business may introduce or supply a work-seeker to a hirer unless it has obtained confirmation—
(a)of the identity of the work-seeker;
(b)that the work-seeker has the experience, training, qualifications and any authorisation which the hirer considers are necessary, or which are required by law or by any professional body, to work in the position which the hirer seeks to fill; and
(c)that the work-seeker is willing to work in the position which the hirer seeks to fill.

On point B, that's solved in two stages: 1. By submitting my CV and giving an implied warranty to the agency that they're accurate and 2. by interview with the end client. I never opt out and genuinely cannot remember any legitimate agency asking for references before submission to a client. If an agency got pedantic about it before submission to the end client then I'd just decline to apply, none have so far.

As clarification though, I understand that there are certain secure industries where the agency must get prior references, that's perfectly fine but they're not where I work.

[SueEllen]

Unfortunately if you opt in they are obliged to do so as part of the placing process.

When I've explicity opted-in my references haven't always be checked up on by the agency. If it is required most of the time the client does it themselves likewise with verifying ID.

[jmo21]

I'd certainly be surprised if they did that without telling me.

That being said, the only other alternative is them asking "Can I send your CV to your references so they can verify the content?".

If you say no, they will immediately be suspicious and your application will end there.

If you say "only the bit relating to that reference" they will probably still be suspicious and you may get canned anyway.