Civil Service pay help (SEO)

[cshelp]

I'm applying for an SEO role in a non departmental public body. It was described as £35,175. Because it's a public body it advertises its salaries, in the salary organogram(sp?) it described its SEOs as being on a minimum of £35,175 and maximum of £41,999 (or thereabouts). So am I to assume the salary range is actually £31,175-£41,999, incremental depending on appropriate PDRs? I'm not talking about negotiating, I'd happily start on £35,175, just hoping I can progress up to £42k eventually. Sorry if this is a stupid question, the fact it was only described as £35,175 has me worried.

This website shows you the contribution rate - about 26% generally for employers contribution. www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/members/contribution-rates/

Thanks for all your help everyone, I didn't bring up pay! I had the interview today, it didn't go as well as I hoped, I'm not sure why but I just didn't leave with a good feeling. I feel deflated and like I didn't showcase myself as best as I could (the interview structure also wasn't quite what I was expecting, not particularly competency based). But there we go. In previous jobs I've always heard at the end of the day or first thing the following working day, if I've been successful (longer if not obviously!), is this similar to what you've experienced? Do I give up hope after lunch time tomorrow?! They just said by the end of the week (as they usually do!) and that it needed to be ratified by HR.

I've only ever heard about interview outcomes on the same/next day in the Cs when they've been internal only and a small number of interviews, and even that was an informal notification. Standard is longer depending on how far apart other interviews are

Im sure you were fine. Depending on the job and how many applicants they have, it could be a week before you hear anything. Depending on the level of security clearance required, if you're offered & accept, this could take a few months I got stung when I joined the CS. When interviewed, yes there's progression etc etc but it had changed and no-one told the interview panel. I w asnt told about it until i queried it 6mths in..........

I don't know about other departments NDPBs etc, but our HR moves VERY slowly. Even if all the interviews were on the same day then it's not unusual for it to be another one to two weeks before HR approve the results.

Thank you, does HR usually contact you rather than the interviewer? I've never had that before. He said HR would be ratifying it whatever that means!

In our department, yes. The lead panel member (usually the recruiting manager) sends the panel report to HR. HR then approve it and co ntact all the candidates to say yes or no. THe recruiting manager is not allowed to contact the candidates at all until that has happened.

@nonevernotever thank you, do they call or email?

The answer about transferring in is right, if you came in from another dept on a level transfer then the new one would match your existing salary if it was within their range, otherwise you would go to the top of their salary range. If you are a new recruit at that grade then I think you start at the bottom of the range.

Email usually for us. (Also often written in gobbledegook unfortunately, but that's another matter...)

Thank you, I'm assuming as it's been 48 hours and as they said they were making the decision Monday, and letting us know by the end of the week that I've been unsuccessful. Just waiting for the rejection email while they confirm everything with the successful candidate, joy lol. Quite disappointed but there you go.

You might still hear something good- it can take time to convene recruitment panels so deadlines often slip to let people know! Otherwise hope you get something else soon.

It’s really not unusual not to be told the outcome for several days in the civil service, so 48hrs is nothing. Do you know whether they were doing any interviews after the day you interviewed? Eg they might have seen a candidate today.

With the last recruitment I did (for G7s), I had to send HR all the scores plus comments for them to upload to CS Jobs, for all candidates, before they could release the emails offering the successful candidates the jobs, which obviously took quite a while - first for me to write up all the scores and comments, then for HR to do the uploading.

Or there might also be a few days while the panel reconvenes to discuss final scores - you don’t always have time during the interviews to agree ranking of the candidates, and that meeting might well not have been possible to schedule immediately, if people’s diaries are busy.

Or they are actually working out if they have an additional vacancy and want to finally establish that before moving to offer jobs (that’s happened recently in my team).

So loads of reasons why you might not have heard by now.

@Wigeon thank you. All candidates were seen Monday and they said they were making the decision that day and would be in touch by the end of the week. It wasn't an electronic application, they're a quango so it's not the formal CS process, so I guess that's why I am dubious!

Wow. I just got the phone call to say the job is mine. Shell shocked, ecstatic, but now terrified. I have a very good relationship with the people I work with here and fantastic flexible working, I'm so scared at the thought of the unknown!!!!!

Well done!!! Congratulations. Now you can get asking those difficult questions :-)

Well done! You can get good flexible working in CS too :)

Congratulation! 🙂 Yes, often very good flexible working - we have part time, job share, working from home, flexi hours, different start/end times, and that’s just in my team!

Congratulations! Don't be too deflated at the thought of no incremental pay rises, where I am it's quite normal to be promoted to G7 (£48K) within 2/3 years. We have extremely flexible working patterns too.

Thank you so much!

I've already had a brief word with a HR, she said the salary scale is up to £41,999 but that it's very limited atm due to government or something, as many said. So trying to see it as a whole package, with the pension it's significantly more than what I am on now.

Sounds like they're very flexible, can do flexi time and can discuss regular home working once I've done 6 months which is fair enough. So I'm definitely going to go for it. Thanks for all your help and info!

I've worked in civil service for about 10 years and I absolutely love it. Yes you could earn more in the private sector but so many other good points. It's still a great career and I hope the pay situation might improve soon, the FDA just put a new pay offer together for Treasury!

Congratulations on your new job Op!!