DWP interview and reserve list query

Yorkshire_Anne

Hi. I wondered if anyone had any experience or could offer any advice following the interview process from the DWP.

I applied for a grade 7 position within the DWP - 20 positions available with interviews throughout June.  I felt the interview had gone well.  This morning I received an email which said that I'd met the standard and within the next couple of weeks will be contacted to gather information regarding posts I'd be interested in.  There will then be a posting meeting in late July to determine which candidates will receive an offer and which will be placed on a reserve list.

I was pleased with this, but literally within a minute of receiving this email, a second email came which was titled as application update and said that I've reached the required standard but they are unable to offer me a job immediately and I'll be put on the reserve list until January 2022 from which future appointments may be made.

I checked the online application centre which also says I'm on the reserve list.  I was able to see feedback for my interview - I scored '7' for each of the 4 behaviours being scored and '14' for strengths.  My presentation wasn't scored separately, so is is included in the other scores. Experience wasn't being scored in this interview.  My total score is 42 and the comment was that I was an 'exceptional candidate'.  Prior to the interview my online test said I'd scored better than 75% of applicants and my personal statement and CV was judged as '4' - I don't know if this has held me back

I'm left a little confused - am I on the reserve list and do I just hope they'll have something or should I still expect to be asked about posts I'd be interested in?  Any advice or experience from anyone else would be most welcome.  I have always worked in education where recruitment is very different.

[Deleted User]

I’d say if you are on the reserve list then don’t just hope you will be offered a role in the future as there is no guarantee. However, because you got the two emails together I can see the confusion, could you email the recruitment team for clarification? 

Yorkshire_Anne

Thank you for your response - it's definitely the two emails coming so close together that's causing the confusion.  All contact has been through the application centre or via emails from a 'no reply' address.  I did have to send copies of my ID to a different address, so I could start by asking there and seeing if they can point me in the right direction.

[Deleted User]

Yeah give that address a email and see if they can assist or forward on the email to the correct team. 

caronc

This happens quite often in the Civil Service pending the meeting(s) to decide who is offered posts and everyone is initially put on the reserve especially where there are numerous posts. Sometimes geography as well as scoring etc. impact on the decisions and sometimes candidates decline posts if offered. I suspect any enquiry is likely to result in an (honest) it's yet to be decided reply so unless you wish to withdraw I'd sit it out. You may find more emails arrive in coming days. 

Yorkshire_Anne

caronc said:

This happens quite often in the Civil Service pending the meeting(s) to decide who is offered posts and everyone is initially put on the reserve especially where there are numerous posts. Sometimes geography as well as scoring etc. impact on the decisions and sometimes candidates decline posts if offered. I suspect any enquiry is likely to result in an (honest) it's yet to be decided reply so unless you wish to withdraw I'd sit it out. You may find more emails arrive in coming days. 

Thank you very much for your response (and giving me some hope!) I did wonder with the timing if everyone was on the reserve list, but I hadn’t been able to find anything to suggest this was a common practice. I’ll sit it out for a couple of weeks and hope to get further emails. 

caronc

Yorkshire_Anne said:

caronc said:

This happens quite often in the Civil Service pending the meeting(s) to decide who is offered posts and everyone is initially put on the reserve especially where there are numerous posts. Sometimes geography as well as scoring etc. impact on the decisions and sometimes candidates decline posts if offered. I suspect any enquiry is likely to result in an (honest) it's yet to be decided reply so unless you wish to withdraw I'd sit it out. You may find more emails arrive in coming days. 

Thank you very much for your response (and giving me some hope!) I did wonder with the timing if everyone was on the reserve list, but I hadn’t been able to find anything to suggest this was a common practice. I’ll sit it out for a couple of weeks and hope to get further emails. 

I certainly wouldn't be losing hope at this point far from it. It's very clunky recruitment system and often emails reflect only that you are being moved to the next step in the post interview system, but yes it's very confusing for candidates. (My son has recently been on both sides of this process!) You've nothing lose by waiting a bit unless what might be a better offer comes up for you. I hope it all works out  and you get the post you want. 

Yorkshire_Anne

Thank you. I’m in the process of changing careers from education management. I’m so used to a system with very specific dates and a quick turnaround including usually finding out about a post within 24 hours of the interview and often on the same day. I knew it was going to be very different and to some extent had anticipated that, but I hadn’t known fully what would happen if the interview was successful. You’ve really helped and now I can focus on being pleased with the feedback whilst I wait to see what happens next. 

antonic

Don`t build your future on actually getting a job as you are dependant on a job actually being available for you to take (and where geographically it will be based) and the reserve list may expire.
But let`s be positive because you did well enough to get on the reserve list and I hope you actually do get a job.

General_Grant

The reality is, in my opinion only, that there is very little between the two replies.

First - you may be offered something but may be on reserve list (so everyone is effectively on the reserve list right now)

Second - you are on the reserve list but could be offered something as early as July (looking at First option) but this would only apply up to 6/7 months (depending on whether or not January 2022 is included).

TELLIT01

I'm not surprised by the two contradictory e-mails within a short time.  It's a few years since I joined DWP but they messed up letters then.  One person I worked with was called by DWP to ask why they hadn't turned up on their start date.  The explanation was very simple, the person had received a letter telling them they hadn't got the job!  I waited over 3 months for any response after my interview and was given a start date right in the middle of the period I had told them I would be away on holiday.

I have little faith in any HR department and DWP did nothing to change that opinion.

Do not assume you will be offered a job if placed on the reserve list, keep looking.