Sigh - just don't know what to do. WWYD?

Hootie19

I am working for a local authority through a temp agency. They advertised that there were four permanent full time and one part time position available and the temps got an email from the head of service, encouraging us to apply (there are three temps in our section - two of the jobs will be in our section, the rest in another).

We all applied, and the head of the section was in the process of going through the applications, when she was told that they were not allowed to take anyone "from outside" as there had been candidates identified via the redeployment scheme.

Having read the redeployment policy on the intranet, it seemed to me that there was not a cat in hell's chance of us temps getting a look in (paraphrasing, but along the lines of "if a redeployment candidate is a close match for the job, even if they are not the ideal candidate, they should be offered the position"), so I told my agency to keep a look out for a new position for me, asap.

However, we have had a meeting at work today and have been told that the head of our department will NOT be accepting anyone who is not ideal for the job, despite what the redeployment policy says.

The jobs have been readvertised on the intranet, for redeployment candidates only, with a closing date of 5th October. The head of department said that if the positions were filled by redeployment candidates, we would be given as much notice as humanly possible - this was in response to someone saying that as temps we are very vulnerable and she didn't want to be told the week before Christmas that she was out of work. An exaggeration given the timings, but wanted to illustrate the point.

Anyway - trying to get to the point! I really do want to continue working there. I love the job, I fit well into the team, I can do the work standing on my head and it's very conveniently placed for commuting.

I can't work out if the head of department was giving a coded message to us temps or not. I don't want to encourage the agency to find me something else if I've got a good chance of getting one of the jobs, but neither do I want to be scrabbling for work if I don't.

Not asking for advice, as such, as it's not something that anyone else can decide for me. But I'd welcome opinions, and to hear what YOU would do if you were in this position. Would you stick it out and keep your fingers crossed, or would you take anything else that the agency might find? I am looking for permanent work, but putting up with temping until something comes along.

mountainofdebt

Personally I would be looking for something else pdq.

Reason for this is that whilst the HOD may say that they will not accept anyone just for the sake of filling the role with a redeployed person this assumes that everyone who is currently under redeployment won't tick the boxes and I would suspect that the HOD will be told that they have to choose from the redeployed candidates.

ceridwen

Personally - I would think the head honcho there is throwing a "hissy fit" to try and stop H.R. putting in place a redeployment candidate that they dont want (ie by saying they wont take them if they arent suitable).

Frankly - I think the head honcho knows they'll HAVE to take whoever they get (however suitable that person is or isnt) and they know this - but have just said they wont in order to put on pressure to get a "suitable" candidate for redeployment. Probably all other head honchos there are also saying something similar about not taking anyone they dont want - but the facts are that they wont have much choice in the matter.

So - keep on doing your temp. job - and keep on looking for a permanent job.

paulwf

I can't see them making staff redundant whilst at the same time taking on new staff. It wouldn't be cost effective and it would cause an uproar.

A lot has changed in the public sector in a very short space of time, it's taking a while for everyone to get their heads round it but I'm sure the head of department will be given a gentle nudge from HR soon.

Hootie19

Thank you. When the head of the department told the temps about not being allowed to recruit from outside, she told me that I had put in a very strong application and that I would have been shortlisted for interview. There were 38 applicants for the positions (not sure if that included any redeployment candidates at that point) and she had identified 15 for interview.

At the meeting yesterday, the head of department said that she had rejected redeployment candidates in the past as they were not what she was looking for. The department I'm in deals with referrals from police, GPs, schools etc regarding neglected/abused children, so she said she wants to get the right people. And of course, not all redeployment candidates will want to work in that environment.

To be honest, even before putting in my application, that word "redeployment" had been mentioned and I said then that I wasn't even going to bother (been there, done that, and been let down at the last minute due to redeployment in another local authority), but my line manager nagged and nagged and nagged me into it! I knew deep down, even then, that there wasn't really much of a chance of getting a look in.

Anyhoo - thank you for your replies. I think I will tell the agency to keep looking for something else, whilst keeping my fingers firmly crossed.

Hootie19

Well, thought I'd update on this.

I have been speaking to the agency on a weekly basis - but there is just nothing else available - either temporary or permanent (not with this particular agency anyway).

On Wednesday this week, I spoke to the manager who is doing the recruiting and asked if she had been interviewing from the redeployment pool and if so, could she give the temps any ideas of timescales. She said that they had just two interviews to do (so it doesn't sound as though the job was all that appealing, even to those under threat of redundancy) this week. She said that if those candidates turned out to not be suitable, she didn't know if they would be able to go back to the original shortlist of candidates or if they'd have to try again for more redeployment people.

I also asked if they would be "piggybacking" the new people alongside the temps, or if the new people would be expected to "hit the ground running". Again, she didn't know.

However, much to my surprise, when I got home from work on Friday, I had an email inviting me to an interview for the job on 3rd November! I am stunned and amazed, to coin a phrase.

Of course, as there were four positions available, it could be that the two redeployment people have been taken on, and the remaining two positions are being fought over by the three temps and anyone else identified from the original pool.

I'm not sure which would be worse - me getting a job and my two temp friends not, or them getting the jobs and me not!

Keep your fingers crossed for me folks - I *really* want this job!

SevenOfNine

Fingers crossed, hope you get it.

HoD would have no choice if any staff for redeployment actually met 60% of the criteria for the jobs and could be 'trainable' within a set length of time for the remaining 40%. LA staff at risk don't have to meet all the criteria to land a vacant posts. HoD can hissy fit all she likes, she'd have been given absolutely no option and would have been told that in no uncertain terms.

Sounds like no at risk staff are interested in the positions, so good for you. TBH that's no unheard of, I wasn't interested in 4 posts I was offered and preferred redundancy.

PS Don't take anything for granted at interview. Answer the questions as if they don't know you or what you're capable of. We couldn't stand a temp in our dept, when his job was up-for-grabs he was obviously shortlisted. He didn't expand on any of his answers (presume he thought our boss knew what he was capable of), boss didn't encourage him to respond better to the questions.........therefore he was NOT the best candidate on the day and didn't get the job.

Savvy_Sue

SevenOfNine wrote: »

PS Don't take anything for granted at interview. Answer the questions as if they don't know you or what you're capable of. We couldn't stand a temp in our dept, when his job was up-for-grabs he was obviously shortlisted. He didn't expand on any of his answers (presume he thought our boss knew what he was capable of), boss didn't encourage him to respond better to the questions.........therefore he was NOT the best candidate on the day and didn't get the job.

:rotfl: Good advice, all so true, like the approach!