How long would you expect to wait for a work reference?I know it’s the summer holidays and people may be away but even so I’ve been surprised over the last month or two that I’ve been waiting up to 4 weeks to receive references for employees that our clients have offered jobs to.

It seems unreasonable to take so long to respond, as both the employee and new employer are left hanging on. When the references arrive they’ve all been great so it’s not a case of being unwilling to write the reference in the first place.

How long would you expect to wait for a reference you’d requested?

How quickly do you respond if you receive a reference request? Personally I aim to provide it within 48 hours.

Do people simply place less stock in references these days or have I just been unlucky with my timing over the last couple of months?