anon22334's journey

I've been navigating a tough job market lately, specifically looking for per diem work. I recently had two interviews for such positions. One of the companies requested an outrageous number of references—four in total, with three needing to be managers. They gave me a tight 24-48 hour deadline to gather them, which felt overwhelming, but thankfully, my contacts came through for me. Unfortunately, after that, HR went silent on me. The second opportunity is asking for five references, including two managers, which seems excessive for a per diem role. I'm feeling frustrated and a bit overwhelmed by the demands. I really don't want to keep bothering my references for what feels like overkill. Despite the hassle, I’m considering taking the job if offered, even though I know it won’t significantly boost my income since I might not get called in often. I’m wondering if anyone has experience asking HR to lower the reference requirements? It seems like a reasonable request given the nature of the job.