Is it poor form to ask clients of your company for a reference?

August 7, 2012 2:33 PM

I'm looking for the best way to ask clients of a company for work references, if this is done much, and to identify the risks associated by doing so.

My girlfriend is employed at a small computer company where one of her main duties is account management. She is unhappy and is actively looking for a job. A few clients have given very positive feedack to her boss about her performance and it was my idea to ask those clients for a reference. Being worried that she could be fired for asking at work, I suggested she email the clients from home.

Is that tacky? If you were a client of a company that recieved that request how would you react? What's the best way to approach this?

A data point that may, or may, not be important is she signed a sort of non-compete contract that states she can't work for the company's clients for one year after leaving.

posted by thekorruptor to Work & Money (1 answer total)

Best answer: Where are you located? Not all jurisdictions recognize non-compete contracts equally. I'm not an employment lawyer, but perhaps a look into that will be useful.

Vendors have asked me for a reference and it's sticky. I can write a personal reference, but I cannot write a reference on behalf of my employer. Most big companies are very particular about giving references. If people refuse, then I'd assume it's a corporate policy to refuse to provide references.

Personally, I'd connect with them via LinkedIn and use that to request references if appropriate.
posted by 26.2 at 3:06 PM on August 7, 2012