If you want to change your employer, you often have the problem that the last assessment was years ago. Applying for an interim certificate can be a solution – but only if the supervisor does not arouse suspicion.
If a position needs to be filled in a company, those responsible for human resources and supervisors usually also ask applicants for references and assessments from their previous employer. These help them to reliably assess the skills and personality of potential employees.
If you want to apply, but are still bound by another employment contract, it can be difficult to submit a reference – after all, a final reference is usually only given after the end of a job. Here, interim references fulfill an important function: They assess work content, job experiences and goals achieved during ongoing operations. In terms of content, they are on a par with final job references, because they specify the activity and period of work and provide an evaluation. The only difference is of a formal nature: interim references are formulated in the present tense – after all, the employment relationship still exists.
Some employers issue such interim references to their employees if necessary and upon request if collective agreements or company agreements contain corresponding framework regulations. If you have such an opportunity, you should definitely take advantage of it – you will then be well prepared for any applications elsewhere.
In many companies, however, there are no such agreements and interested parties have to take care of a regular assessment themselves. This often proves to be problematic: Although you can request an interim reference from your employer at any time, you have no legal right to one. Therefore, given such a request, your managers may suspect that you wish to transfer. The following tips will tell you how you can avoid this impression and any negative consequences and what aspects need to be considered.
Justify your request for an interim certificate
Significant operational changes such as internal restructuring, new appointments to managerial positions, new areas of responsibility, your own promotions or upcoming parental leave are harmless reasons to ask for an interim reference. After all, there is no guarantee that someone in the company will still be able to provide a qualified assessment of your work under the changed conditions or after a longer absence.
If there is no official reason for the interim report, you can use the time factor as a justification: After a few years in the company, every employee wants to know where they stand and how they contribute to the company’s success. Ask for a short one-on-one conversation, present your concerns and openly communicate your situation. You can counter burgeoning distrust and the unpleasant suspicion that you want to leave the company by presenting your own development prospects in the company and showing your boss that you will continue to do your part and that he can rely on you. Finally, interim references can serve as an objective touchstone against which your professional progress can be measured.
Whenever possible, play with open cards
If you have not yet been able to realize your career goals with your current employer because the conditions in the company do not allow this, your request for an interim reference can also be used as a “wake-up call” for your superiors. Of course, you should carefully consider whether you play such a card. In such a case, you could clarify your intentions to apply and your desire to develop professionally. If you were able to convince with your performance in the past, so that the company does not want to lose you and your expertise, your employer may open up internal promotion opportunities for you or make other offers to keep you.
Have your interim report updated regularly
Establish a fixed cycle for written appraisals with your superiors. In this way, you do not have to request the interim certificate under time pressure and unfavorable conditions for a spontaneous application and you always have a qualified proof of activity at hand. A period of three to four years is usual. Anyone who asks questions within this interval will not cause a stir among their superiors, let alone the suspicion of disloyalty.
Offer support
In any case, the issuing of job references means additional work for your superiors and will certainly not be at the top of his priority list. So that you receive your certificate promptly, you can offer to deliver pre-formulated passages. This also offers you the opportunity to design the content of the testimony in your interest. For this purpose, it is helpful to regularly write down experiences, projects and successes on the job. In this way, a subjective personal performance record is created – and in case of doubt, this is still better than no interim report at all.
Conclusion
Even if you can arouse suspicion in your superiors by asking for an interim reference, you should dare to take this step, because positively worded interim references are like letters of reference that can give you advantages over your competitors in the context of an application. In addition, they serve as security in two respects: without any explainable reason, job references that are issued at the end of a job must not differ significantly from previous interim references and in the event of contract terminations or terminations, possible severance payments can be better negotiated with their help. If, contrary to expectations, things do not develop well at work, you have a weighty argument at your disposal.
Prof. Dr. Norbert Rohleder is Professor of Human Resource Management and Social Interaction at the Mainz University of Applied Sciences.
