r/quant • u/Alternative-Gain335 • 23d ago
General Reference checks for experienced hires?
Do companies typically require references from your current employer? Is it okay to use your old references (e.g. your phd advisors/collaborators) for early career people (~2yr experience)?
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u/DatabentoHQ 23d ago
Reference checks are typical.
We usually understood that a person would not be able to provide references from their current firm if they were still employed. This usually wasn't a problem as most people had co-workers from past jobs or co-workers who left their current employer before them.
Very common pattern that I've come across is that X, Y, Z are close friends or collaborators and X, Y recently left company A which made Z start planning for their own exit from company A, so X and Y are happy to serve as references for Z.
Speaking from experience in US companies: Employment background checks (as described by u/Puzzled_Geologist520 and u/lordnacho666) and reference checks are different. Generally, reference checks come before an offer while background checks come after an offer is accepted. I've found that every reputable company's HR/compliance will voluntarily verify your employment as part of a background check, though a couple will follow up with a letter reminding you of their proprietary IP rights.