I am very surprised to see the existing answers. I have always been asked this in every role I have applied for over the last 20-odd years. These roles have been with Ernst & Young, PwC and senior roles in various banks.

In fact for the most recent roles, the requirement is much more onerous than a simple reference: they also include leadership camps, psychometric testing and intelligence testing, as well as role play.

I have a feeling that is because I work within security and risk functions in heavily regulated industries, where vetting of the individual is key (including credit, criminal and residency checks) but as part of the checks I do when hiring, references are part of the package - and I always ask for them.

(Their value is variable, however, as in more recent years they have tended towards a summary, "yes, person X worked here from date to date, and their job title was y.")

My background is as a developer, then sysadmin and network admin, and more recently information security. I have always been asked this in every role I have applied for over the last 20-odd years. These roles have been with Ernst & Young, PwC and senior roles in various banks.

In fact for the most recent roles, the requirement is much more onerous than a simple reference: they also include leadership camps, psychometric testing and intelligence testing, as well as role play.

I have a feeling that is because I work within security and risk functions in heavily regulated industries, where vetting of the individual is key (including credit, criminal and residency checks) but as part of the checks I do when hiring, references are part of the package - and I always ask for them.

(Their value is variable, however, as in more recent years they have tended towards a summary, "yes, person X worked here from date to date, and their job title was y.")