[stubish]

In the last few decades, it seems rarer and rarer for companies to give references, or at least meaningful ones beyond 'Yes, they worked here. No, we have nothing bad to say about them.' I'd wager the companies with a culture that allows PIPing also won't give you a wager. You are left with personal referrals from colleges.

[alphazard]

Refusing to give detailed references is another practice of Adult Day Cares. It's usually limited to an acknowledgement that the subject of the reference did indeed work there. This is to limit liability, they don't want to get caught up in a libel suit.

Meanwhile, serious professionals primarily use word of mouth and their networks to recruit for important roles. For less important rank-and-file roles, references are one way to de-risk new hires. Anyone applying for a senior position should be able to write down a few phone numbers that lead to glowing reviews. Never having impressed anyone is a red flag for a senior role.