DWP employment waiting list

lili2008

Hmm.. I don't know if it really has changed. The initial stages of my applications were in January. Here we are in May. Who knows when or if I will finally start work. It's still far too long-winded.

BuddyBonthenet

lili2008 wrote: »

Hmm.. I don't know if it really has changed. The initial stages of my applications were in January. Here we are in May. Who knows when or if I will finally start work. It's still far too long-winded.

But aren't you on the waiting list for the first post you applied for? I would imagine that could be for up to 12 months until a vacancy arises and that should have been explained to you. I know you are very frustrated by your experience, but let's be honest you are not exactly a typical candidate having applied for jobs at all three grades and not that many people will have applied for as many posts as you.

It is clear though that a lot of people are not having a great experience, but the scale and scope of this exercise is huge and the logistics are horrendous. The PTB have kicked all this off without any real thought of -

a. The recruitment process - Not just how the small number of HR staff would manage to cope, but also how many benefits staff are available and trained to do recruitment interviewing (hardly any as recruitment happens so rarely and many of those who were trained have gone). Carrying out the checks alone (identity, age, health, nationality, employment history, character references, right to work in the UK & CRB) take time and some of these checks are carried out for all applicants, not just those who are successful.

b. The office space required - Literally where anyone will actually sit as there is little or no space for new staff in most offices (the new call centres took up loads of office space and other space was sold off, let go or let out) and of course that means a shortage of desks, chairs, PCs, phones, etc. too.

c. The training implications - How many trainers are available, where could the training take place, where will the furniture & equipment come from (desks, chairs, PCs, phones, etc.,) and how many new people could be trained at one time bearing in mind the training periods are extensive (not just a couple of weeks) and different for each grade.

It has been a nightmare for a lot of the staff involved and they hate how people have been messed about too, as they don't want to appear unprofessional or inefficient! In my area it sounds like after a very rough start they have now got everything running smoothly and my fingers are crossed for everyone on here getting good news soon, but you'd better get used to this kind of thing because when you start working for the DWP you will quickly realise that just as things locally are running smoothly the PTB will come along and rock the boat! You will never be bored!

twentypenceoff I don't know if you were applying for a job in a local London office, but recruitment for London offices has always been dire and the turn over of staff is extremely high.

twentypenceoff

BuddyBonthenet wrote: »

twentypenceoff I don't know if you were applying for a job in a local London office, but recruitment for London offices has always been dire and the turn over of staff is extremely high.

Hello i was told it could be anywhere nationally and i said this was ok as i can move, so they said when they contacted me in april that if i was successful i would get a list of locations.London was one of the locations and i am not surprised that people cannot manage if they have to commute in to work there because of prices and train fares.
but if i get the location, i will make sure i move near there and dont have an expensive journey

BuddyBonthenet

twentypenceoff wrote: »

Hello i was told it could be anywhere nationally and i said this was ok as i can move, so they said when they contacted me in april that if i was successful i would get a list of locations.London was one of the locations and i am not surprised that people cannot manage if they have to commute in to work there because of prices and train fares.
but if i get the location, i will make sure i move near there and dont have an expensive journey

The cost of living is a big part of the staff retention problem. What grade are you trying to go in at? I wondered if you were applying for a Civil Service post through Capita RAS in Basingstoke, rather than directly with the DWP (I'm so nosey!).

twentypenceoff

BuddyBonthenet wrote: »

The cost of living is a big part of the staff retention problem. What grade are you trying to go in at? I wondered if you were applying for a Civil Service post through Capita RAS in Basingstoke, rather than directly with the DWP (I'm so nosey!).

yes that is correct, it is at heo level.i do not think i will get in though, lol, the assessment was very difficult but it was also very interesting

BuddyBonthenet

twentypenceoff wrote: »

yes that is correct, it is at heo level.i do not think i will get in though, lol, the assessment was very difficult but it was also very interesting

I thought that might be the case. You'll be going through a different recruitment process for a post as a fast tracked manager (fast as in skipping grades not the recruitment process!). I do hope you get through although I'm not sure I would choose the DWP as my first posting as it could be a bit of a baptism of fire for the next few years! If I had my time again I think I would head for HMRC as it collects money in rather than gives it out! Good luck!

lili2008

twentypenceoff wrote: »

yes that is correct, it is at heo level.i do not think i will get in though, lol, the assessment was very difficult but it was also very interesting

Yes, it was difficult! Blimey, it was very tough. Haven't had the results of it yet, have you? (I did the 'siftability' run by Capita)

BuddyB, yes the wait (6 month waiting list for that post) was explained..but not the wait whereby I am told I have a post and will have written confirmation within days, then get nothing (except, inexplicably, another copy of my test results). That, to me, is just creating more work for the HR admin, as until I have something tangible I'll keep applying. I don't think my situation is that rare, tbh. I know quite a few who're adopting the same approach.

Another thing...when people get results of the HEO tests and start going towards the next stage, there'll be a bunch of people pulling out of EO posts too. This, by the look of the time scale, will be after the 6 month waiting list for EOs (6 months seems typical for London posts) has ended, which will mean DWP have to begin more EO recruitment from scratch. I don't think they've thought about the timing of that, either.

I've been a recruiter in Government, albeit nowhere near on this scale. I know what the poor staff are going through. I think 'my' HR officer deserves a medal for maintaining a professional and helpful demeanor despite the pressure she must be under. But the recruitment system itself has become an unweildy behemoth and I strongly suspect that even staff at the very top have lost control of it now.

Anyway, here's hoping I get 'the letter' next week.

twentypenceoff

lili2008 wrote: »

Yes, it was difficult! Blimey, it was very tough. Haven't had the results of it yet, have you? (I did the 'siftability' run by Capita)

.

hello good luck to you too, no i think they must be having some real problmes because first they said results end of march, then in april, they said it would be mid may, then again in april a couple of weeks later, they said they will be given at start of june.

lili2008

twentypenceoff wrote: »

hello good luck to you too, no i think they must be having some real problmes because first they said results end of march, then in april, they said it would be mid may, then again in april a couple of weeks later, they said they will be given at start of june.

Oh? Where did you hear that? Was it the Capita siftability test you did?

twentypenceoff

lili2008 wrote: »

Oh? Where did you hear that? Was it the Capita siftability test you did?

they sent me several emails saying it, it was the siftability test i did but i also did an essay test, an email test and an interview and group excerices. over several months.