Census Jobs

Frankandann

Nice to see so many of you have got lucky. Unfortunately I must have kicked a black cat because it has just been a shambolic waste of five months for me. I applied in October,did the siftability test in November and had the telephone interview in December. I then got the 'be patient' e-mails' as others had done in Jan and Feb before being invited to do the e-training 3-4 weeks ago. I passed and was told I was on the 'reserve' list and asked to send off docs. which I did.As time crept closer I had almost given up hope 'til receiving a phone call last Thursday which went something like" We are sorry to say that all the vacancies in your area have been filled but if you are prepared to travel arond 25 miles there are areas we are struggling to fill". I do not have access to transport during that period hence requesting areas close to. The areas they asked me to go to are not easily on public transport routes and also I have no knowledge of street layouts etc. so though desparately needing the job I reluctantly said no thanks.Then just to rub salt into the wounds I got exactly the same phone call the following day from a different person. "Sorry your records haven't been updated" he said. What an absolute shambles. One only hopes the Census itself is more professionally done

surreysaver

Frankandann wrote: »

so though desparately needing the job I reluctantly said no thanks

Should have said 'Yes', then just not bothered to turn up just to waste their time!

Kirsjude

Have finally received my final offer of employment today - only took 6 months to get there!

looking-up_2

I've just received a conditional offer - after being on the reserve list. Its for a different area (actually nearer to me) and less hours than I applied for but it all helps.

My only minor problem is they tell me I need to do classroom training before I start on Wednesday, but when I click on the link..it says ' no slots available'. Another phone call is required, I suspect.

So don't give up - offers are still coming through..

velissaria

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

"Then why exactly did Capita's email say that I scored "well" in the test?:think: ...
If you really think its in your interests to answer the questions the way that first occurs to you rather than the way you think your employers will want it answered that's up to you. I can assure you that Capita does not want to employ people who will say that they would go home at the first sign of rain or teenagers hassling them or because some of the addresses were hard to find or read on the list or because they felt like meeting their co-workers at the pub. They want you to press on in all weathers and hit your targets and to be completing your expenses form on the very day they want it in (even though this is unreasonably a day on which you are also still out collecting census forms so will be too tired to feel like filling out an expense claim) and not a day late (even though we all know in the real world that there shouldn't be a big hurry to get expenses forms in)" .../QUOTE]

You seem switched on, so the reason you were not offered the job is more likely that you live 9 miles outside the area. I was invited to do the Siftability tests for both the Census Enumerator and the Census Collector posts. The former application was for a neighbouring council and guess what? Within 15 days they sent me a rejection email exactly like yours ("you did well" etc.). Although both siftability tests were the same and I replied the questions in a very similar way, I did get an interview for the Collector's post. So, I definitely wasn't crap at it.

It's rather naive that people believe you must reply honestly to these tests. These psychometric tests are used also by the NHS and the Police and have specific structure and aims. One possible action to test situations will always be "do nothing" and you must definitely reject this one, and one other possible reply will be "exaggerate in your actions" and you must also reject this one, because they don't like what they perceive as "troublemakers" in a business set up. Then you must choose the best actions in between. For some people it comes natural, for others it does not. For example, there always is a situation where you must think whether you will "snitch on" a colleague or not. In real life, I'd prefer to confront the colleague myself initially than snitching on him/her to the boss. In psychometric tests they always want you to snitch your colleague on to your line manager (but not to the directors' board, as this would be exaggerating). Since I'm not a snitch, I must lie to this and similar questions in order to pass the test. This makes my point I think.

For future reference: to prepare myself for the Siftability test I used this book

"Succeeding in Your GPST Stage 2 Situational Judgement Tests ( SJT ) / Professional Dilemmas"
by Nicole Corriette and Matt Green (Author)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Succeeding-Situational-Judgement-Professional-Dilemmas/dp/0955674697

After reading that, it was obvious where the Siftability test was going.

velissaria

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

...

I'm detecting a working class solidarity thing here in the use of the Thanks button since I have obviously revealed myself by now as an educated public school type.

Thank God for "working class solidarity"! I went to a public school too and never got any solidarity from anybody.

Tamara_D_2

I really am fed up with this whole census recruitment process.
I applied six months ago when the jobs were first advertised. I first applied to be a con-ordinator. I did all the online tests. They told me I hadn't got the job but I had done very well and was in reserve and might be called upon.
Then I applied to be a collector. I went through another round of tests. Then i waited and waited and waited. Then they sent me an e mail saying that if I wanted to be a collector I could go straight through without doing the collectors tests as I had passed the ones to be a co-ordinator. I wish they had told me that before I wasted my time.
Next I had a phone interview from someone in a call centre that asked me basically nothing other than was I ready willing and able to do the job, apart from a generic question at the end that went something like 'how would you engage the public?'

I waited some more and then some more, with lots of e mails in between telling me to be patient. Then I got an e mail to say I was in reserve and would probably be called on. I did the online learning and posted out the stuff they asked for. Round two starts in two days and I still haven't heard any more, and I would have to do classroom learning and they would have to take up references if i was taken on so it's not looking likely. They wanted the documents and the online learning within five days pronto even though they had my application six months ago.
I feel really fed up, upset and angry. I have done the census before as an enumerator (there was no opportunity to tell them this). I have worked in community engagement (they didn't ask about my experience). I have a good level of education, am computer literate and an ECDL and physically fit.
Last time I did the census I had a proper interview, it was a really nice job. I enjoy walking and meeting people. This time it's been nothing but frustration. I have wasted so much time on this I have joined this forum just to vent my feelings. Not just at not getting the job but at the whole miserable chaotic process.

ex-dmp

Just done my classroom training for a collector today, all of us in the class only heard of a conditional offer late last Friday with most of us having done the telephone interview late last year. So had to read a huge manual (pdf only), do the e-learning, get all the necessary doc's posted and book a class all in about one day!.

General discussion with other people today, seems to show that

1. A lot of collectors have dropped out
2. They seem to have been waiting to see the response rate from the general public in returning their census forms before deciding on actual people required for collectors
3. There are still a large number of vacancies to be filled with ads with a closing date of 6th April being seen.

So the recruitment process has been at best a complete mess

first78

I'm starting my role as a collector on Weds 6th, had my e-mail from my co-ordinator today giving details of the first meeting so it all looks promising.

I've read that you get a bonus at the end if you return all the equipment the issue you...does anyone know how much you get??

Lil_Me_2

My advertised bonus for the Census Coverage Survey Interviewer is £75 (taxable).