To think Dominic Cummings needs a clip round the ear?

[MoltoAgitato]

I mean, really, who does he think he is? He looks like Chris Evans’ scruffier older brother (with apologies to Chris Evans) and behaves like someone who wasn’t allowed into one of those dining societies at Oxford and is now extracting Revenge of the Nerds. And what’s with the privately educated, Oxford graduate bemoaning the high numbers of privately educated Oxbridge graduates in the Civil Service? A complete lack of self awareness to realise he is the problem.

I do think that the Civil Service will have him for breakfast though.

Clever enough to say he wants to hire people who are smarter than he is, but who actually aren’t, because if they were, they would shun him like a coughing heifer.

What makes you say that? Do you think clever young people dislike working for someone with immense power and influence or something?

I think he has a point that we need a lot more STEM graduates in the civil service.

I can forgive him a great deal for his dismissal of the current gender ideology bullshit washing through the other parties. It gave me hope.

Do you think clever young people dislike working for someone with immense power and influence or something?

I think if they were clever they would be wiser to his forked tongue and flattery, and able to see what he is really after.

Oh, I’m sure it will. And who can’t be bothered respecting any policies or laws, or their fellow employees.

This is such a weird attitude. Could you explain why not wanting to go through endless rounds of competency interviewing to join the Civil Service mean means that someone wouldn’t respect policies, laws or fellow employees?

I’ve worked in recruitment for years, and over-complicated recruitment processes DO put good people off applying. Believe it or not that doesn’t make them bad people - it means that you have to be a bit creative about the way you source and attract them to your organisation.

Thejollyroger

I have personal experience of current recruitment practices in big corporates and the public sector. It really does no one any favours how it works now. It limits opportunity for many many good candidates, you can chose to believe that or not 🤷‍♀️

and able to see what he is really after.

They might think they see that but in the confidence of youth feel they could play him.

They’d probably be wrong though.

The failings of the civil service in recent years have a lot to do with the 18% manpower cuts since 2010 and the fact that civil service pay even for highflyers is vastly lower than in business and the popular press mantra that "no public servant should be paid more than the Prime Minister" (regardless of the fact that the big rewards of being Prime Minister come from having once held th office rather than the salary itself).

especially about moving jobs every few years, it means that experience is lost. That's kind of inevitable when pay has been frozen since 2010 and the only way to maintain your salary against inflation is to be promoted...

The way a government works is to have a political class work alongside a civil service. The way our government works. The US has a political civil service - the key decision makers are re-appointed every time there is a change of complexion of President.

It’s a way to ensure a powerful man can be surrounded by people who agree with him and can’t stand up to him.

Oh well if you say so I’m sure it must be true

Crumbs! What a state we are all in! Cummings in charge, Boris enjoying his paid for holiday and the desperate,deranged President in America.

Will the Cummings Youth Army all be wearing the same colour shirts?

Could you explain why not wanting to go through endless rounds of competency interviewing to join the Civil Service mean means that someone wouldn’t respect policies, laws or fellow employees?

I’m sure anyone wants to go through endless rounds of anything. That’s not the point. The point is that people who are happy for a powerful man to tear up established processes in a whim just so they can be hired in preference to candidates who do actually demonstrate the competencies and attitudes required by the institution they are applying to, will often be people who can’t demonstrate them, who just believe they are entitled to jump every line because they’re clever. And those types of people - like Cummings - might well be bullies and egomaniacs. Since they won’t have gone through the interview process, how would we know what they are?

Jillyhilly

Not at all. Just my opinion.

So Dominic Cummings wants to shake things up by replacing older, privately educated Oxbridge grads with younger Oxbridge grads and apparently that’s a ‘refreshing change’? Oookaaaayy....

LaurieMarlow

Exactly. He’s smart enough to know how to use young, clever, enthusiastic people. If they were as clever as him, they’d see through it.

Don’t go underestimating Dominic Cummings. People in education tried to warn you when he took the job of Campaign Director of Vote Leave - look what he achieved there.

He managed to overturn the entire school system - curriculum, exams and mass academisation within 5 years while working for Gove. They used anti-terror legislation to rush through an academies bill - think of proroguing parliament to stop Brexit debate. Cummings doesn’t use proper processes and achieves things quickly.

As for the election, I don't think that was DC. iirc the campaign was run by the young Australians (whose names I can't remember).

Well, jolly if you already know that many posts are advertised in this way within government and that current employment law means people can be fired during probation periods then you were just deliberately lying about how this would impact people's recruitment, employment security, etc. But at least, we all now know you were deliberately lying rather than being confused and misinformed.

Between him and Donald Trump, it feels like we are living in a teen movie.
" Yeah , guys , we can DO this !!"
Cue astonished adult faces .

hamstersarse

So have I. I’ve recruited for corporates. And I know there are disadvantages to very thorough processes that put off good candidates. But they also put off (or weed out) the lazy, the cocky and the entitled.

in a whim just so they can be hired in preference to candidates who do actually demonstrate the competencies and attitudes required by the institution they are applying to, will often be people who can’t demonstrate them, who just believe they are entitled to jump every line because they’re clever.

I think competency based interviews started with good intentions but the problem is who judges what is competent. It’s the same problem you are describing with DCs approach. Exactly the same.

I personally think competency based interviewing has gone way too far and is so rigid it loses any value and am pleased to see some form of levelling

KatyCarrCan

We know neither of those things. I haven’t lied. I believe, if Cummings is allowed to recruit and fire without process and without reference to the Equalities Act, he and others like him will be emboldened, and we will see the impact of that (eventually) across government, the public sector and other sectors. To be fair, I think with this government in power we will see it anyway.

As for the election, I don't think that was DC.

Erm, say what now?

but the problem is who judges what is competent.

The people already doing the job?

Thought this was a good summary twitter.com/natalieperera1/status/1212863386490429440?s=19

"The Civil Service was essentially based on the cult of the amateur or generalist ... Many scientists, engineers and other professional specialists were not given the responsibility or authority they deserved... the Civil Service lacked skilled managers...administrators should become more specialised, and more training in management should be given to scientists and specialists...there was not enough contact between the Civil Service and the rest of the community. ...recommended the use of short term appointments, temporary interchange with industry and commerce..."

Fulton Report, 1968. Dominic Cummins radical and original?