DWP Recruiting Again - 2012

AlistairFin

Really interesting reading through what everyone has said.
Don't suppose anyone has heard back from the South Yorkshire area have they?

pinkfluffystuff

Ive applied for South Yorkshire too. There has been no change in my status either.

Xena_007

gargantuan wrote: »

I had my interview (for an internal position) at the end of last week.

The interviewers had no access to my competencies before hand. Didn't know how the interview went, seemed ok. Checked my scores (they upload feedback the same day) and I had 3s and 4s, so rubbish!

That's my application for that one out of the window - still waiting for results regarding the external vacancy I also put in for, though not holding out much hope!

Hope you all do better in your interviews if your offered them!

What questions did they ask you?

gargantuan_2

They just asked "can you give an example of how you improved customer service" etc etc.

Basically a question for each competency. I used the competencies that had gained me decent enough marks in the written sift, but unless I didn't talk about enough, they have been deemed to be poor examples.

chara

gargantuan wrote: »

They just asked "can you give an example of how you improved customer service" etc etc.

Basically a question for each competency. I used the competencies that had gained me decent enough marks in the written sift, but unless I didn't talk about enough, they have been deemed to be poor examples.

Thanks for sharing your experience, I am sorry you do not feel you did well. Good luck with your other application.

It does not make sense: if the interviewers had not seen your written competencies but they were good enough to get you to interview, then why were the same examples not good enough at interview? :huh:

krkr786

Panno wrote: »

Mine still awaiting review too, I know several people who have applied for West Yorkshire and not heard anything yet, hoping we hear something soon.

what was your percentile score,mine was 86%, i heard only over 70% were sifted, I dont know how true this is

gargantuan_2

chara wrote: »

Thanks for sharing your experience, I am sorry you do not feel you did well. Good luck with your other application.

It does not make sense: if the interviewers had not seen your written competencies but they were good enough to get you to interview, then why were the same examples not good enough at interview? :huh:

I don't feel I didn't do well, I KNOW I didn't do well, lol. My scores were 3,3,2,2,1 with comments such as "Poor example" "No positive indicators displayed", etc.

Don't know why the competencies wern't good enough. Perhaps I didn't talk about the relevant points they were looking for.

Holly37

Hi Gargantuan - Sorry to hear you didn't do well. Did they ask lots of probing questions after you gave them your comps?

chara

Thanks gargantuan, this makes it all very daunting for external applicants who have no experience of working for the DWP so our examples may be even more irrelevant or considered poor if the interviewers cannot relate to the situations.

My Plan A if I got an interview was to recycle and expand upon written competencies, I need a Plan B......:o

Tasha001

I have read this thread and found it very useful. I was previously an EO at the job centre on a Fixed term contract. I am still working at the JCP but now as an AO as my contract finished last year. I was quite angry that they made people currently on FTA contracts permanent Eos and people like myself have had to reapply. Anyway rant over.If you haven't had an email that you failed the online test, you passed the initial stage.
Thet were going to then cut off the pass mark and fail anyone below the mark set but decided against this as the competences are quite poor.
For example if there are 100 jobs in your district they would sift 500 and then interview 300 as they have not been getting this ratio the pass mark will probably get dropped so they get the right amount at interview stage. Everyone will be told around the same time I'm assuming.
The marks for the competences are from 1 to 9. You need to get over 4 in each one. If you score highly in four of the competences but fail one then you fail all. If this is the case they will look at your other competences and try and up the score of the one you failed by seeing if you have hit any of the indicators in the other comps if that makes sense.
Each district have their own sifters it's not done centrally.
I was told the aim was the 14th of feb but this was before they realised the comps were so poor meaning they are sifting through more and more papers.
You did need to write specific example for each not that "I can do this and that" they like a story, set the scene, what happened and the outcome.
I'm not holding out any hopes for myself as didn't do very well in the test but I hope this helps you all.