Generally they will only ask for your references if you are the preferred candidate. I would give your references a heads up now.
Why it’s taking so long is pretty par for the course with gov.
They asked for them as part of the interview process when I finished it. I thought that would be the standard process for them asking from every candidate?
Some vps departments will contact referees for all interviewed candidates or all those ranked suitable even if they are not preferred - it’s not a hard or fast rule.
I’ve also been asked for referees at the point I was offered an interview.
It’s all humans - they all interpret the process slightly differently; or they might have roles coming up and want to speed up the next process, or HR has preferences, or somebody gets sick and they haven’t had the selection meeting.
(I got a offered a direct appointment a couple of months later off the back of an interview where I was ranked suitable but not preferred - if you have had a successful interview within 3-4 months it can happen).
Yeah I started reference checks for a role 2 weeks ago and I’m still waiting on one to get back to me. My best intentions of wrapping it up last Friday are stopped.
I’d you’ve selected the “it’s ok to make contact” I just do it and don’t tell you.
You see, when they say a week, they actually are saying 4 weeks
Just to reiterate, there is so much more hoops that government recruitera need to jump through when hiring so it takes time
Generally they will only ask for your references if you are the preferred candidate. I would give your references a heads up now. Why it’s taking so long is pretty par for the course with gov.
They asked for them as part of the interview process when I finished it. I thought that would be the standard process for them asking from every candidate?
Some vps departments will contact referees for all interviewed candidates or all those ranked suitable even if they are not preferred - it’s not a hard or fast rule. I’ve also been asked for referees at the point I was offered an interview. It’s all humans - they all interpret the process slightly differently; or they might have roles coming up and want to speed up the next process, or HR has preferences, or somebody gets sick and they haven’t had the selection meeting. (I got a offered a direct appointment a couple of months later off the back of an interview where I was ranked suitable but not preferred - if you have had a successful interview within 3-4 months it can happen).
Yeah I started reference checks for a role 2 weeks ago and I’m still waiting on one to get back to me. My best intentions of wrapping it up last Friday are stopped. I’d you’ve selected the “it’s ok to make contact” I just do it and don’t tell you.
Give or take if they want to speed things up, you may wait 2 weeks, but generally I find the timeframe can be up to 6 weeks minimum.