I recently applied for a Databricks Architect position and completed an initial AI assessment. To my surprise, I received an automated request asking me to submit my professional references through a third-party platform called SkillSurvey, without having spoken to a single person at the company—no recruiter, no hiring manager, nothing. I felt it was unreasonable to ask candidates to tap into their network's goodwill before the company had even invested time in a brief conversation. So, I decided to email them and withdraw my application, explaining my reasons for doing so. Has anyone else experienced this trend where companies request references so early in the hiring process? Is this becoming the new norm for tech roles?