DWP Recruiting Again - 2012

mommarat

Xena_007 wrote: »

What was your feedback score mommarat if you don't mind me asking?

I had 23/24 and 233/336. We were told that there wont be another test as it said on the original job descriptions if you get through the test (after cut off) and the sift it will be straight to interview. Also you wont get interviewed in each area you apply for you will get 1 interview but the interviewers will be made aware you have applied to multiple areas. On the application form it asked if you work or live in the area you are applying for so I presume if you said yes on the form this is were you will be interviewed but that part is just a guess with me being logical but nothing has been straightforward so far so the interviews will probably be miles away

Xena_007

Well done

I got a mark of 20/24 and 220/336..... 68%

I have found with these results that in absolute terms the difference is minimal i.e one person getting say 22/24 and 228/336 would probs be getting a % of 83% which maybe creates a false illusion making those with lower %'s feel worse lol

Daedelus

22/24 and 245/336 got 92% for me - But daft to judge everything on this test. I was convinced that one question had a typo - asked about expecting 89% efficiency when previously expected 85% which meant the difference between true or false.

Only hope that gets me to the next round but why not ask about degrees or A levels - weird.

Druagh

mommarat wrote: »

Also you wont get interviewed in each area you apply for you will get 1 interview but the interviewers will be made aware you have applied to multiple areas. On the application form it asked if you work or live in the area you are applying for so I presume if you said yes on the form this is were you will be interviewed but that part is just a guess with me being logical but nothing has been straightforward so far so the interviews will probably be miles away

I don't want to quibble, your points are perfectly cogent, but I was not asked whether I worked or live in any of the areas I applied to.

I assume this is because my applictions were external (my FTA ended last June) and yours internal. It would make sense that management don't want current Civil Servants traipsing all over the country interviewing for what is essentially an internal promotion. Whereas there is no way that one district would accept external applicants being interviewed by another, perhaps at the other end of the country.

As it happens I've applied for six districts as far apart as North Scotland and South London, so a single interview covering all my applications would be marvelous. However, I think this might be too much to hope for.

Drew

tsimehC

Daedelus wrote: »

22/24 and 245/336 got 92% for me - But daft to judge everything on this test. I was convinced that one question had a typo - asked about expecting 89% efficiency when previously expected 85% which meant the difference between true or false.

Only hope that gets me to the next round but why not ask about degrees or A levels - weird.

The roles you're applying for here don't really require level 3 or above qualifications. It's more to do with people management and how you can positively engage with random people continuously for the whole day. Even the numeracy part of the test is redundant on that note although I guess counting the number of referrals you make to a decision maker might help in your job.

gettingready

drwho - I hear you loud an clear BUT trying not to waste time for whoever is reposnsible at DWP for the recruitment.... time of thousands of people was wasted on a really pointless exercise that really proves nothing as the true "value" of applicats can not be judged correctly till the interview stage.

So... I believe there could have been some happy middle here re time wasting

tinshed

scooterchick wrote: »

Incorrect. Your score is measured against a test group of 300 people who took the test previously. It's the only fair way. Everyone is measured against the same group meaning your score will not change regardless of how many people take the test.



Incorrect. See above. It's a control group you're being measured against, not each other.

Well how do they decide who go's on to the competency sift for each district? You have to be compared against each other. There not going to compare me against you if we havent applied for the same district. Think its you whos incorrect.

scooterchick

tinshed wrote: »

Well how do they decide who go's on to the competency sift for each district? You have to be compared against each other. There not going to compare me against you if we havent applied for the same district. Think its you whos incorrect.

They decide by setting a passmark for each individual district. This will be dependent on number of vacancies and number of applicants. Your percentile NEVER changes. For example baby growth charts, this are based on a group of babies who were weighed and measured for the purpose of providing a benchmark against which other babies were measured. When a baby is weighed it's weight is plotted on a growth chart and you get a corresponding percentile. It's exactly the same in this situation. 300 took the test with the purpose of creating a benchmark with which to compare all other people who take the test. Why do you think your score has never changed? If you were being measured against each other it would fluctuate on a daily basis. It does not and it will not.

cloe23

drwho2011 wrote: »

Traditionally JCP employees going for promotion in external exercises don't fare as well as external applicants.

A number of reasons for this, i.e its harder to make a competency sound good if your interviewer knows what you would have been required to do . Another reason is they don't like to "promote" in this fashion as they are not guaranteed to get the staffs original position filled as most of the allotment for staff within a district will be decided in advance of the advertisement. Another key point is the calibur of staff will generally be better educated, be better critical thinkers and have a enthusiasm to aspire up the career ladder (not realising how hard this is) and as a result work harder and more efficently. They also aren't as backward thinking and their training and knowledge of the guidance will be to a higher standard than a lot of the existing staff.

Which is why the PCS union opposes the external recruitment process.

I work for the DWP at HEO grade and for this exercise this is completely not true, the department is massively over on there headcount at the lower grade (band and need to promote internally to get the balance back between the two grades. And there are a lot of educated, critical thinking graduates/ex professionals at band B grade who took the job because 'they needed any job' in the last wave of recruitment who are all going for promotion.

SpiralGalaxy

Hello all. First post here.

Does anyone know when any of us can reasonably expect to hear whether we've been selected for interview? Cheers.