DWP employment waiting list

Martin_Jones

tr82 wrote: »

The thing which ought to have been explained better is that even though people were successful , they simply get put on a waiting list which can last up to a year.

You might get the call straight away, you might wait 10 or 11 months. You might wait past the 12 months and be back at square one again because at that point your application lapses.

This is just standard Civil Service recruitment procedures, it's nothing particular to DWP.

As far as I know, the current position is that all external recruitment is frozen until the "headcounts" are sorted out. Casual staff are being paid off when their contracts expire. Fixed term staff are to be paid off later in the year when their contracts expire. Staff transfers between offices are currently frozen, although there's a bit of leeway to transfer staff from Benefit Delivery Centres to local Job Centres.

Telephony staff at Benefit Delivery Centres have been transferred (on paper) to the new Call Centre Directorate ... once the new Call Centres are up and running, those folk answering calls in the Benefit Delivery Centres are going to be transferred back to benefit delivery to process benefit claims.

Which might provide for the possibility, later in the year, for recruitment from the waiting lists for call handlers in the new telephony centres. But it's a big might ... because between now and then there's every chance there'll be a new government with different priorities for social security.

It's hugely frustrating being on a civil service waiting list, I know, been there & done that. You should maybe keep an eye on the PCS trade union website for new information.

The point that Im trying to make, is that surely the DWP could keep the people who have gone to the time & trouble of applying for so-called vacancies up to date with the position. At no time have they informed me about positions being frozen, at no time have they explained a waiting list to me - I HAVE HEARD NOTHING!!!

The only information I have received is off this site, and from the union website. To my way of thinking that is a complete disgrace.

Jamie1210

DWP Department for
Work and Pensions Employee Services
Part of Shared Services
Employee Services Resourcing
Room BP9252
Belsay House, Block 9
Benton Park View
Newcastle Upon Tyne NE98 1YX

Tel: 0191 2168940

Fax: 0191 2162187

Date: 25 January 2010


Dear Sir/Madam


Re your application with Jobcentre Plus for – IRC60811

We are currently updating our records and wanted to remind you that you are still on our waiting list for the above vacancy.

Unfortunately Jobcentre Plus is not in a position to offer you a job at this time. I appreciate that this may come as a disappointment to you however the waiting list does not expire until 30/06/2010 and we will be in touch during this time if an opportunity arises. If you have not heard from us by this date then unfortunately we will not be able to offer you a post.

If of course your circumstances have changed so that you no longer wish to be considered for this post I would be grateful if you could notify me by email at
JCP.LETTERSW-L0-6MTHS31.6.10@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in working for Jobcentre Plus.

Please note you will receive a similar letter(s) if you have applied for other Jobcentre Plus vacancies

Yours sincerely

50Twuncle

Jamie1210 is about three weeks behind the rest of us.....
I received an absolutely identical letter in the new year !!!

sportfan

tr82 wrote: »

Fixed term staff are to be paid off later in the year when their contracts expire.

What do you mean? Wont the FTA's have the opportunity to see out their contracts and rather they will be dismissed early? :S

Fivefootsix

21Twinkle wrote: »

Jamie1210 is about three weeks behind the rest of us.....
I received an absolutely identical letter in the new year !!!

I received it today.
Have been expecting it for ages but thought they weren't going to let me know until I contacted them first, as that's what I've come to expect off them so quite surprised it came without prompting.

Fivefootsix

Martin_Jones wrote: »

The point that Im trying to make, is that surely the DWP could keep the people who have gone to the time & trouble of applying for so-called vacancies up to date with the position. At no time have they informed me about positions being frozen, at no time have they explained a waiting list to me - I HAVE HEARD NOTHING!!!

The only information I have received is off this site, and from the union website. To my way of thinking that is a complete disgrace.

EXACTLY what I was thinking. It doesn't take much to send mass emails to people on the merit list and waiting lists. They are good enough to do that if you pester them.

The annoying thing is that I received my success letter which said they were awaiting security checks and then I had my CRB in the post a couple of weeks later with no letter explaining what was happening or anything. Just the CRB itself. From then on I have heard nothing at all apart from me doing the chasing on the phone where all I got off them was "I don't know" then email responses that were just as uninformative.

I totally understand that there may not be jobs that they advertised for, fair enough that can't be helped, but the total disregard for all the people who had taken the time to apply for the jobs and all the money it has cost to recruit people, you would at least thing they would have the decency to explain themselves properly in their success letter, that's all it would take.

As I've said before, at least we all knew roughly what the situation was and what to expect with the recruitment process, think of all the poor people who got their success letter and never heard off them again months down the line.

I think something definitely needs to change if they ever start a mass recruitment process again.

123lins123

Apolonation wrote: »

The DWP have been clear now that there are no jobs for those waiting.

I would suggest people still expending energy on what might have been, put their efforts into finding a job.

Sorry if this sounds blunt to those that were waiting, but I really think it's time for you to be moving on. It's clear that you have not been successful with the DWP.

Hi, I applied for two positions - EO IRC64174 and received a letter on 30/12/2009 and AO IRC64178 and recieved a letter on 23/12/2009. Both letters advised I had been successful and was on the waiting list.

I am currently unemployed and have been for two months. I would really like one of these positions to come up for me but I have been actively seeking employment through other avenues as well.

The thing that annoys me most about this whole debacle is the total disregard that has been paid to applicants. I understand that this was a large recruitment drive and therefore the 'personal touch' was missing. However, I think it is such a kick in the teeth to anyone who is already unemployed in these hard times. They are playing with people's emotions.

I search every day for suitable job roles. I was excited to find the DWP jobs as they appeared to fit the bill and I fitted the person spec in return. I spent a lot of time on both applications, considering my responses to questions to ensure I was selling myself in the best way I possible, while still answering all sections honestly. I then played the waiting game, hoping that I would get through to the next stage and be invited to an interview and assessment. Then of course, there was the excitement of getting invited and which got my hopes up even more. Before I attended each of the days I read the job description thoroughly and prepared various responses to potential questions, typing them up in the STAR format so that I would feel fully prepared when I attended and wouldn't get stuck for examples of my skills. I also spent time researching the best route to go to the interview and ensuring I had collated all the relevant docs that were requested. On each day of the intereviews I spent extra time making myself look presentable and travelled an hour away, through rush hour traffic, using fuel that is paid for by my limited job seekers allowance. To ensure I wasn't late I arrived half an hour early. I then spent three hours at each assessment centre, and this came with the obvious associated nerves and anxieties. At the end of the day I was sent off with a scrap of paper and told to ring in a month for an update. At this point, I had to question what sort of operation takes a month to advise an applicant if they were successful or not and so this came with the emotions of doubt and made me start to wonder if I had wasted my time. However, when the letters arrived I obviously perked up and felt more positive. I phoned Newcastle to check on the process but was met with a non-committal response that the Job Centre had put a freeze on recruitment and would be writing to all applicants in January to update them.

Eh???

I find the total ineptitude of the DWP to be able to forecast staff levels and to recruit accordingly absolutely astounding. No doubt the person that has made these decisions is sitting pretty on a fat cat wage.

I find it amazing that these are the people that are supposed to be helping me back into work. As far as I am concerned they have wasted my time, money and emotions. And it's not just me, there are obviously hundreds of us in the same boat.

I really hope that Apolonation doesn't work for the DWP as he is a shining example of the disregard and callous attitude I have come to expect. Maybe you should work on your empathy skills a bit, mate.

Good luck to the rest of you on your job hunt and I hope you and I have some success soon.

whiskyman

123lins123 wrote: »

Hi, I applied for two positions - EO IRC64174 and received a letter on 30/12/2009 and AO IRC64178 and recieved a letter on 23/12/2009. Both letters advised I had been successful and was on the waiting list.

I am currently unemployed and have been for two months. I would really like one of these positions to come up for me but I have been actively seeking employment through other avenues as well.

The thing that annoys me most about this whole debacle is the total disregard that has been paid to applicants. I understand that this was a large recruitment drive and therefore the 'personal touch' was missing. However, I think it is such a kick in the teeth to anyone who is already unemployed in these hard times. They are playing with people's emotions.

I search every day for suitable job roles. I was excited to find the DWP jobs as they appeared to fit the bill and I fitted the person spec in return. I spent a lot of time on both applications, considering my responses to questions to ensure I was selling myself in the best way I possible, while still answering all sections honestly. I then played the waiting game, hoping that I would get through to the next stage and be invited to an interview and assessment. Then of course, there was the excitement of getting invited and which got my hopes up even more. Before I attended each of the days I read the job description thoroughly and prepared various responses to potential questions, typing them up in the STAR format so that I would feel fully prepared when I attended and wouldn't get stuck for examples of my skills. I also spent time researching the best route to go to the interview and ensuring I had collated all the relevant docs that were requested. On each day of the intereviews I spent extra time making myself look presentable and travelled an hour away, through rush hour traffic, using fuel that is paid for by my limited job seekers allowance. To ensure I wasn't late I arrived half an hour early. I then spent three hours at each assessment centre, and this came with the obvious associated nerves and anxieties. At the end of the day I was sent off with a scrap of paper and told to ring in a month for an update. At this point, I had to question what sort of operation takes a month to advise an applicant if they were successful or not and so this came with the emotions of doubt and made me start to wonder if I had wasted my time. However, when the letters arrived I obviously perked up and felt more positive. I phoned Newcastle to check on the process but was met with a non-committal response that the Job Centre had put a freeze on recruitment and would be writing to all applicants in January to update them.

Eh???

I find the total ineptitude of the DWP to be able to forecast staff levels and to recruit accordingly absolutely astounding. No doubt the person that has made these decisions is sitting pretty on a fat cat wage.

I find it amazing that these are the people that are supposed to be helping me back into work. As far as I am concerned they have wasted my time, money and emotions. And it's not just me, there are obviously hundreds of us in the same boat.

I really hope that Apolonation doesn't work for the DWP as he is a shining example of the disregard and callous attitude I have come to expect. Maybe you should work on your empathy skills a bit, mate.

Good luck to the rest of you on your job hunt and I hope you and I have some success soon.

If you attend an interview you can (before attending) ask at the jobcentre for expenses to attend. That comprises train/bus fare or 25p per mile if you use your own car.
You are also allowed to get money for clothes if needed. If you have not claimed previously and require clothes to start a job again you can claim for a pair of trousers and a couple of shirts and a tie or equivalent.
JSA is not a fortune so you may as well get that bit extra.

123lins123

Thanks Whiskyman, being new to this whole unemployment thing I didn't realise until after I had attended that I could claim for mileage but I know for next time now. I wouldn't normally begrudge the money as I would see it as an investment in my future but as there was never a job in the first place, it was just a waste of money.

Baseley09

I phoned up today and actually got through to the Newcastle number. The guy said I should recieve an email in early feb telling me what will be happening.

I.E the bad news I guess.

I am now actively applying for other jobs.