DWP employment waiting list

sportfan

lauramichelle28 wrote: »

I finally got my start date- 12th May. The lady said they are being held up as the recruitment team in Newcastle are absolutely swamped. I know that doesn't help the feeling of frustration for those waiting though.

Congratsssssss!

lauramichelle28

tlb2201 wrote: »

Hi Lauramichelle28 can I ask when you were interviewed etc and how long you have been waiting?

Hi, yes I apllied in January, had my tests 21st Feb, Interview 28th Feb. Got a successful letter 13th March. On 6th April got a call to send CRB form in. Then waited until last Fri (24th) when I got a letter from the Job Centre in Reading ( I had applied to Milton Keynes) to call them to finalise the process. After that was told my line manager would call to arrange start date, which they did yesterday. So 7 weeks from success letter, and I wasn't on a waiting list. Hope this helps, I know how frustrating it is.

tlb2201

lauramichelle28 wrote: »

Hi, yes I apllied in January, had my tests 21st Feb, Interview 28th Feb. Got a successful letter 13th March. On 6th April got a call to send CRB form in. Then waited until last Fri (24th) when I got a letter from the Job Centre in Reading ( I had applied to Milton Keynes) to call them to finalise the process. After that was told my line manager would call to arrange start date, which they did yesterday. So 7 weeks from success letter, and I wasn't on a waiting list. Hope this helps, I know how frustrating it is.

Hi yes this does help and thank you I just hope that I hear something soon, and congratulations to you by the way, well done! :T

mochi_2

lauramichelle28 wrote: »

I finally got my start date- 12th May. The lady said they are being held up as the recruitment team in Newcastle are absolutely swamped. I know that doesn't help the feeling of frustration for those waiting though.

congratulations xxx

Chi_Chi_4

allthegirls wrote: »

Ive read these posts with interest. Im part of the DWP recruiting team and i could answer a few questions

1 - waiting lists
We decide how many vacancies we initially wish to fill. Say its ten. We take the top ten candidates and offer them a job straight away. Everyone else goes on a waiting list in order of merit and if the govt gives the go ahead to recruit more then we just continue to take from the waiting lists. We have to create waiting lists as the possibility of further recruitment is high and rather than carrying out another recruitment exercise we can just take from the lists. We keep the lists for between 6 months to a year and them scrap them and start again.

2 Perm or temp
There is ongoing confusion about this. Basically the bulk of the jobs are temp with a view to becoming permanent. We cannot say they will become perm as the recruitment is a direct result of the recession. If the economy improves then DWP will look to shed all the staff they have newly recruited. Essentailly the govt is hedging its bets, its a wait and see thing.

hope this helps

Thank you allthegirls, this has been really helpful, although it has knocked my optimism down for thinking i will get a place in the next 2 months.

I think I read from someone that all the waiting lists tend to get used up in the end and the majority, if not all, are usually offered posts within their waiting time (especially with the recession). I am just wondering if this is accurate? (Obviously I know it is not guaranteed, but I'm just wondering if things tend to be working out that way and lists are being used up quickly).

Sorry to be lazy but, rather than looking back, has anyone had an actual 'waiting list' letter sent in March and already received a start date?

thanks xx

JoeBreakdown

Just a l'il update for you..

Got a phone call from the DWP last Wednesday (22nd), asking me to confirm my preferences. They than asked me if I would be able to start on May 5th. I declined as I am being made redundant on May 29th and am working my notice currently. I informed them I was on holiday from 23rd until 1st May and was told they would contact me again upon my return.

Received another phone call today, offering me a start date of June 1st at my preferred location. Hooray! I accepted asnd have been told it will be confirmed in writing next week.

Rather pleased, it has taken only 7 weeks since my initial interview to get an offer.

Looking forward to starting...and receiving my redundancy pay out!

Cheers to everyone who has offered advice, it's been most useful. I must also say that the communication I have had with the DWP has been fantastic. They have always been helpful, even jovial at times.I think if you make it clear to them that you understand what a mammoth task they have on and appreciate all the help they can give you, they can be rather magic!

Now, just off for a tour of Spain with the band and a few Summer festivals- it's going to be a splendid season!

Adios,

Joe

JoeBreakdown

Oh, and I have been offered a permanent position, not fixed term.

suseh97

lauramichelle28 wrote: »

Hi, yes I apllied in January, had my tests 21st Feb, Interview 28th Feb. Got a successful letter 13th March. On 6th April got a call to send CRB form in. Then waited until last Fri (24th) when I got a letter from the Job Centre in Reading ( I had applied to Milton Keynes) to call them to finalise the process. After that was told my line manager would call to arrange start date, which they did yesterday. So 7 weeks from success letter, and I wasn't on a waiting list. Hope this helps, I know how frustrating it is.

Congratulations!
Gives me a bit of hope now. Oooh and the fact that Disclosure Scotland are processing an application by DWP

lili2008

tlb2201 wrote: »

Hi Lilli2008 have you heard anything today? This waiting process gets to me from time to time, I feel positive one minute and then I get a niggly doubt that in actual fact I am living in a false hope of this job ever materialising. I have now been made redundant and when I went into the job centre one of the ladies started talking to me about recrutiment and I told her my position and she said that the branches in Cornwall are crying out for staff and it is the recruitment process that is holding them up, it is quite frustrating.

Oh yes, *hollow laugh* I heard from the DWP this morning.

I feel now is the time to set out my tale in full, as much for my clarification as anything else, but first I would like to offer my humblest apologies to anyone here whom I've accused of being impatient.

In Jan, I did the sift test, passed. In early Feb I did the lit/num tests, passed at EO level, in early March I went for the interview. So far, so good.

Shortly after, I recieved a letter telling me I'd been successful at interview and pending security checks, would be allocated a post soon. Wonderful stuff! I don't qualify for any benefits (except stamp) so have been living off savings. That's OK, except for I don't get to splash out much. I did that day! Treated myself to some little luxuries in anticipation of an income soon.

So, a few days after that, I got another letter saying sorry, we can't allocate you a post. You're now on a waiting list but no guarantees. Wind taken firmly from sails!! So I phoned up and said that I would have applied for 3 further EO posts (still open for a day or so after my first letter but closed by the second letter). The HR officer apologised and said I would be forwarded for those vacancies despite they were closed, as the error had been theirs. I never was, and never will be now, despite emailing in all the required information, as asked. Sigh...

So, I applied for the HEO online test. There was a fairly tight deadline on that. Ho hum...I checked my emails (in box and spam) several times a day, as the deadline drew nearer, for the links to the test. I checked on here and Samr confirmed that he had had his. Very strange! I emailed Newcastle asking where they were. No reply. Then at midnight, 48 hours before the deadline to complete the tests, I received an automated email reminding me to complete the tests asap. What? Without the links? So I sent an urgent email to the named officer at Newcastle and again got not reply. I looked a little closer at the automated response and realised that there was a link to 'forgotten password?' which thankfully also contained my allocated test username. That's how I finally was able to take the test. Heh, passed that little initiative test then. That was almost 3 weeks ago and still no word on the results, but enough of that for now.

So, I also applied for 5 AO posts and have since had 2 interviews (no word on the other 3). First interview, fine, all very efficient. Not sure how I did and don't expect to know yet. But the second turned out to have different competencies than those advertised!!!:eek: So I had to think on the hoof (which oddly, seemed to improve my performance. Perhaps a cautionary tale about doing too too much rehearsal..)

So, back to the initial EO application. Whilst ringing on another matter last week (in fact, chasing the other 3 EO vacancies, though rather forlornly by now), I was told that a post had now come up on the initial EO vacancy and that I'd have a confirming letter by last Saturday. If It hadn't arrived, I was to ring up Sunday (yes, they're working a lot of overtime) to check, they told me. No letter Sat, no answer Sun, so I rang Monday, left a message, was promised someone would call back. They didn't. Rang again Tues, was assured a letter would be witth me 'in the next couple of days'. Those days went by, nothing.

Then this morning, dear readers and fellow travellers in the DWP recruitment process, this morning I had a letter. And do you know what it was? Was it a letter confirming a job? NO!! It was another letter about the test results I took in February. And not just any old letter. Oh no. A WRONG letter. A letter saying I had only passed up to AO level when my results were 13/15 lit and 18/20 num, above the pass level for EO. Face. PALM.

Really...I do have symathy for the size and scale of this exercise BUT...if I had that letter confirming my EO post I wouldn't be clogging up the system with other applications, taking up the time of interviewers, markers and HR admin. And if they under such pressure, why on earth waste time sending letters about test results when I actually did as asked and kept the original copy safe and have produced it at all subsequent interviews.

If nothing positive, useful and accurate has arrived by Monday, I really am thinking about the complaints system myself. I really do NOT blame individial staff, all of whom without exception have been polite and helpful by phone, but the system is just nonsense.

AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaarrghh *facepalm*. I just don't know what kafkaeque move to expect next. There's a fine line between waiting patiently and being treated like a muppet. At the moment, I feel it's been crossed.

Anyway, thanks for listening. Lol.

lauramichelle28

lili2008 wrote: »

Oh yes, *hollow laugh* I heard from the DWP this morning.

I feel now is the time to set out my tale in full, as much for my clarification as anything else, but first I would like to offer my humblest apologies to anyone here whom I've accused of being impatient.

In Jan, I did the sift test, passed. In early Feb I did the lit/num tests, passed at EO level, in early March I went for the interview. So far, so good.

Shortly after, I recieved a letter telling me I'd been successful at interview and pending security checks, would be allocated a post soon. Wonderful stuff! I don't qualify for any benefits (except stamp) so have been living off savings. That's OK, except for I don't get to splash out much. I did that day! Treated myself to some little luxuries in anticipation of an income soon.

So, a few days after that, I got another letter saying sorry, we can't allocate you a post. You're now on a waiting list but no guarantees. Wind taken firmly from sails!! So I phoned up and said that I would have applied for 3 further EO posts (still open for a day or so after my first letter but closed by the second letter). The HR officer apologised and said I would be forwarded for those vacancies despite they were closed, as the error had been theirs. I never was, and never will be now, despite emailing in all the required information, as asked. Sigh...

So, I applied for the HEO online test. There was a fairly tight deadline on that. Ho hum...I checked my emails (in box and spam) several times a day, as the deadline drew nearer, for the links to the test. I checked on here and Samr confirmed that he had had his. Very strange! I emailed Newcastle asking where they were. No reply. Then at midnight, 48 hours before the deadline to complete the tests, I received an automated email reminding me to complete the tests asap. What? Without the links? So I sent an urgent email to the named officer at Newcastle and again got not reply. I looked a little closer at the automated response and realised that there was a link to 'forgotten password?' which thankfully also contained my allocated test username. That's how I finally was able to take the test. Heh, passed that little initiative test then. That was almost 3 weeks ago and still no word on the results, but enough of that for now.

So, I also applied for 5 AO posts and have since had 2 interviews (no word on the other 3). First interview, fine, all very efficient. Not sure how I did and don't expect to know yet. But the second turned out to have different competencies than those advertised!!!:eek: So I had to think on the hoof (which oddly, seemed to improve my performance. Perhaps a cautionary tale about doing too too much rehearsal..)

So, back to the initial EO application. Whilst ringing on another matter last week (in fact, chasing the other 3 EO vacancies, though rather forlornly by now), I was told that a post had now come up on the initial EO vacancy and that I'd have a confirming letter by last Saturday. If It hadn't arrived, I was to ring up Sunday (yes, they're working a lot of overtime) to check, they told me. No letter Sat, no answer Sun, so I rang Monday, left a message, was promised someone would call back. They didn't. Rang again Tues, was assured a letter would be witth me 'in the next couple of days'. Those days went by, nothing.

Then this morning, dear readers and fellow travellers in the DWP recruitment process, this morning I had a letter. And do you know what it was? Was it a letter confirming a job? NO!! It was another letter about the test results I took in February. And not just any old letter. Oh no. A WRONG letter. A letter saying I had only passed up to AO level when my results were 13/15 lit and 18/20 num, above the pass level for EO. Face. PALM.

Really...I do have symathy for the size and scale of this exercise BUT...if I had that letter confirming my EO post I wouldn't be clogging up the system with other applications, taking up the time of interviewers, markers and HR admin. And if they under such pressure, why on earth waste time sending letters about test results when I actually did as asked and kept the original copy safe and have produced it at all subsequent interviews.

If nothing positive, useful and accurate has arrived by Monday, I really am thinking about the complaints system myself. I really do NOT blame individial staff, all of whom without exception have been polite and helpful by phone, but the system is just nonsense.

AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaarrghh *facepalm*. I just don't know what kafkaeque move to expect next. There's a fine line between waiting patiently and being treated like a muppet. At the moment, I feel it's been crossed.

Anyway, thanks for listening. Lol.

You have my sympathies- that sounds like a complete farce!