Civil service job offers/unsuccesful

[Ilovegiantstrawberries00]

Hi all,

After the interview round does anyone know if the hiring team waits for the successful candidates to accept the positions before informing the unsuccessful ones? (wondering why taking so long to hear anything - surely wouldn't wait 10 working days plus to tell a successful candidate they got the job as they might have accepted another job by then?)

Thanks!

[maxelly]

Hello, yes normally they do wait for successful candidates to accept before letting the unsuccessful ones know - but as to why it's taking so long I don't know. It's possible that interviews were spread out over a number of days (particularly given current circumstances) and/or the panel wanted to take a few days to deliberate and finalise their scores so it may not have been a full 10 days since they made the offer? Or possibly their department still runs on the system where HR/recruitment notify candidates of the result and so it may be still stuck in the system somewhere. Some departments even still write to unsuccessful candidates rather than emailling or calling, or did until a few years ago at least (old fashioned I know) so it's possible something's in the post.

Or, and I hate to say this, sometimes they simply appear to not bother letting the unsuccessful candidates know at all in a 'don't call us we'll call you' type arrangement - I had this experience very recently with a CS department and it's so rude. If you have a email address for the panel or the recruitment department I think it's reasonable to drop a polite reminder that you are waiting to hear in at this point, what have you got to lose after all?

[Dinosauraddict]

I'm CS and do recruitment - things are taking longer than usual right now. I would not send a chasing email after 10 days, we do things as quick as we can. Often it's because one candidate has had to rearrange their interview (atm many obvious causes including illness or bereavement). We can't release results until all results are known. Sometimes that can very unfortunately take a month. And yes it does sometimes mean we lose candidates we wanted. Sit tight and keep hoping.

[Ilovegiantstrawberries00]

ok interesting - thank you for useful answers

[Reginabambina]

I don’t know how long civil service take but I’ve often waited longer than that after interviews. Yours might have been the first of many interviews.

[Wolfff]

I'm civil service and have done interviews and been involved in recruitment.

In my organisation we had to put the details of the scores etc onto a spreadsheet and then upload it and HR would inform candidates of the outcome. We were not allowed to contact them first. If HR were busy or someone was off there could be a long delay.

All candidates were informed at the same time. If people 'passed' but we didn't have enough positions they would go on a reserve list. Normally open for a year.

If none of the candidates was good enough we would not fill the post/s. It wasn't a question of waiting for people to turn it down first and then go down a list.

[devildeepbluesea]

I recently joined the CS after an interview process, a good while before CV.

I was told at interview that it would be a week before I heard, due to interviews being spread out. I was contacted then and said it would be a further week, due to a delay. I was finally offered the job over 2 weeks after interview. Apparently an internal candidate had appealed the result, but either way the process was not swift.

[BestIsWest]

The too two months to tell me I was successful.

[BestIsWest]

*They took

[boothroyd]

As someone who has recently joined the CS, I can attest the recruitment can take a while. I was told during my interview they would get back to me in three weeks once all the interviews were done and they were true to their word.

I imagine if posts cannot be filled, even after interviews, they probably say nowt.

[Isleepinahedgefund]

If it’s done through CS jobs everyone would normally be told at the same time. It’s not quite as simple as successful and not successful. You’re scored after interview. There is a pass mark. Of those who scored At or above the pass mark the top scorer gets offered the job and the others are on reserve list. Those who don’t pass are unsuccessful. If the top scorer turns down the job the first person on reserve list is offered. Scores are entered on to computer, when thy press go everyone is notified at the same time.

Where I work we do phone successful candidates people to make it a bit quicker. We’d never phone the unsuccessful candidates, they’d get an email.

It can all take a really long time though!

[Ilovegiantstrawberries00]

thank you for all this!

in the end i found out i'm on the reserve list - oh well...

behaviours were mainly 4, one 5.

i worked a long time on those answers and wonder if i don't really understand what is wanted from them. can i trouble anyone for any tips on turnings 4s to 6s etc at SEO level please? .
thanks

[Tempjob]

congratulations Ilovegiantstrawberries00 for being on the reserve list!

I understand that many on the reserve list actually get a job in the end... Has this happened to you yet?

[Momoftwoundertwo]

Hi, just wondering if your application was successful in the end? I was informed yesterday that I didn't get the part but been put on a reserve list for 6 months and to keep applying as the panel liked my interview!