Job Interview with DWP

Thanks for the advice Fivefootsix,

The job i've gone for is team leader/decision maker, EO grade. I will keep you all updated on my progress but i wont hear anything else untill the 27th when i have my interview, and it will probably be weeks after that aswell!

Did you get the job Fivefootsix? if so what was the job and where? I'm going to take your advice and go through the thread picking out the questions, sounds like a good idea and now the interview has been moved, i have plenty of time! So if anyone has had an interview recently, please post the questions you were asked!!

Thanks!

A lot of this stuff is covered on the other DWP thread - which is much much longer!

Just in case anyone is a newbie or confused, the process is as follows:

You apply for the job and do some form of online assessment, and if you pass you get the letter inviting you to the actual interviews. That letter more often than not will include all the forms you have to fill in (Medical questionnaire, CRB check forms, Civil Service Pension forms and so on).

Some of the interviews are run by third party agencies like Manpower and Capita at hotels, football grounds and so on, and at these ones you may have to do the numeracy and literacy tests - as mentioned for numeracy it is good to brush up on doing percentages if your maths is not brilliant - they do provde a calculator but thats not much use if you don't know how to use one. After these 2 short tests, you wait while they are marked and those who pass generally stay behind for their interviews.

If your interview is with the department agency rather than Capita or Manpower, you will probably have done the enhanced online OCAT tests and these include numeracy and comprehension tests so you wont sit additional tests at the interview.

In the original job listing there would have been a list of the required behavioural competencies - you can find them again here (scroll down to see all 5 behavioural listings):
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/about-dwp/working-for-dwp/how-to-apply/knowledge-skills/

You may only need some of these, so check your interview letter or the original job advert to see which ones, and at which level.

You will only be asked one question per competency,

As an example one competency is "Delivering a Customer Focused Service" For EO/SEO grade jobs you need level 2.. which has 2 headings:

1)Responding to customer needs
2)Providing excellent customer service

In each of these are several sub headings, and the interview question will be based on one of the sub headings - in category 2 there is a sub heading of: Sharing good practice and identifying opportunities for customer service improvements. so a typical question might be

"Give an example where you have identifed a potential improvement to customer service and how you shared that with others"

There are no trick questions, so it is relatively easy to pick and prepare examples of your work, school, or home/social life to meet each of the possible options - I would suggest using a broad example that you can adapt to fit most of the questions - then you have less to remember on the day, and fewer notes to refer to if you forget or get "lost".

I would also say that an example from home life or voluntary work is no less valid than a work related one, so always pick one you are comfortable with and which will be easiest to adapt on the day!

Do not panic if you dont think you have a good example.. this is a competency interview not an honesty interview! The interviewers (there will be 2 - one will take written notes, one ask the questions) are not checking up on you so you can in fact fabricate your examples or "enhance" your role within them if you feel comfortable doing so.

In one question I was asked how I personally went out of my way to deliver exceptional service - in the example I used I was a line manager for a staff member who had a problem and asked for help resolving it. I could have used that in its own right having helped someone - but I combined my role as line manager with my colleague who was more customer focused and incorporated my action and his actions in to one example making it seem that I had found the problem and the solution, and been responsible for delivering it to the customer.

Some folk have reported back after interviews that they were heavily "prompted" with their answers and this made them feel they had not done well. In fact the interviewers are looking for key words and phrases so they will steer you towards that. They can only make notes on what you say, not what you imply..

"I had a good idea, and the team did well" gives the reader a suggestion that person 1 was responsible for the team doing well, or that person 1 only contributed 1 idea but the team still did well.. in a competency interview you have to express the competency literally..

I had an idea to improve team performance, I shared it with my team and as a result our performance levels improved the important bit is I!! I had, I shared and so on..

After the interviews, you will get a letter or email confirming (hopefully) that you are successful and that your CRB's and other checks are being carried out. Assuming these are all ok, you should (but often dont!) get another letter or email telling you that your details are "on the list" also known as the merit list. This is NOT a job offer!

Many of the jobs share an IRC reference but may have been advertised singly - for example there was an IRC for EO grades within Jobcentre Plus for the whole of the Northwest from Manchester to Cumbria. At the interviews for these types you will probably be asked to fill in a preference form where you can select any offices you would be happy to work at.

Central Recruitment (In Newcastle) carry out all the pre employment checks - and when you pass those your details are sent to the local recruiters. In my expereince, they seem to pass on the successful candidates in batches.. so maybe 10 at a time. I am on a merit list for a JCP EO role, and 2 other forum members are on the same list at the same position though their interviews were on different days. Because the list is a generic one, the 50 people ahead of you may all want to be placed in other areas, so you could be a long way down the list, but still get an offer before those ahead of you.

If the job you applied for is a specific department or location you will most likely be interviewed on site, and the managers will contact the successful people direct so you may have a clearer idea of whether you got the job. One I went to before Christmas needed a number of people for immediate (well, end of Jan - thats immediate for DWP!) starts. I got a letter confirming my interview success, but another person got a letter saying they had passed interview and references were being checked.. which implies they get a job, and I as yet have not.

Whether your letter is for a specific or a generic job, it will say that your details are kept on the list for up to 6 or 12 months.. so even if you dont get an immediate offer, you may get one subsequently - But that is only for the specific role you apllied for.. so if another job is advertised at the same grade elsewhere, you will not automatically be considered you have to go through the whole recruitment process again.. None of your previous application stuff is shared, so you will find that you have to fill in all the same forms, do all the same competency tests, and online applications.. the one exception is if you do a separate Numeracy and Literacy test where you get a letter confirming your pass scores. If other jobs you apply for need the same test, your letter will exempt you for 12 months as long as you pass is at the required standard.

From the other thread, many if not all folk get little or no warning of a start date. A lot seem to get a phone call on thursday asking if they still want the job, and can they start Monday - very few get offer letters before commencing, and on the whole the process is a mire of incompetence and inefficiency - for example the person invited to begin on the Monday who turned up at the building and was not expected.. and the department had been relocated 5 miles away over the weekend! The manager didn't know they had a new starter..

Very few folk seem to get "on the list" and start soon after.. most seem to be waiting 3 - 6 months.. Although many jobs were advertised as 18 month contracts, from what many say the 18 months starts the day the job is advertised, not the date you start the job.. If your job was advertised August 2009 it expires Feb 2011 even if you don't get an offer until March 2010.

If you are one of the people looking to get in to the Civil Service as a "good employer" be wary of giving up reliable permanent or temporary work for a fixed contract as your offer may be for a considerably shorter timespan than initially suggested. The DWP has a BAD reputation for dealing with contract people.

As an example my local JCP took on a number of long term unemployed people at AA and AO grades as part of the back to work intiative for people out of work 6+ months and NEET's. Those contracts are all running out and the people are back on the dole while the same JCP recruits and trains another 10 AO/AA grade folk on 12 month contracts.. wasting training, time and money when they have capable reliable trained people in the building they are terminating contracts for..

Good luck to all who have looming interviews, patience to those who have passed and still hanging on for a job offer.. :rolleyes::D:D

Fivefootsix wrote: »

Sore subject, lol. I was "successful at interview" back in Oct/Nov I think it was and top of the merit list. Have been fobbed off ever since and was told after constant pestering that the DWP were in recruiting position until December and if I don't hear then, I will hear in January.

Considering it is always me that has done the chasing for any sort of progress rather than them keeping me informed, I don't even hold much hope to even hear off them this month.

I think you will find that response is an almost standard one that everyone gets if they pester for news/updates.. (I mean it's used to fob people off, not sent to pests!) Almost everyone who has followed up and asked for updates gets it more or less verbatim.

jmilli2 wrote: »

Does anyone have the number to give them a ring? I've moved and lost all my paperwork. I assume the same department deals with them all... I believe if memory serves my Disclosure form was sent to Newcastle. Any help would be appreciated.

Hi Milli

telephone numbers are IRC specific. You could do a search on this or the other thread. Alternatively try emailing [EMAIL="RESOURCING.CUSTOMERSERVICES@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK"]RESOURCING.CUSTOMERSERVICES@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK[/EMAIL]
They are usually quick to give you an answer.
Hope this helps.