A lot of places with those policies also have a policy that all reference requests go to HR, even if they're received by your manager, again, for liability reas

A lot of places with those policies also have a policy that all reference requests go to HR, even if they're received by your manager, again, for liability reasons. EDIT: just noticed that you expect former managers to risk their job to provide a positive reference for you, despite the fact that you left them. I'd gladly write recommendations on former employees linkedin profiles if requested, but when my former employee's new employer is contacting my employer (via me) for a reference, I'm not risking my job for theirs, and I don't think that makes me an AH. If they do, I've sorely misjudged them.