Civil Service - why won’t they hire me?

[TheWinterChild]

I just wondered if anyone has experience of Civil Service recruitment and could advise on this.
I’ve applied for 5 CS jobs this year. Each of these has been finance / admin / trainee related at EO or HEO level. Each one takes a couple of hours to apply for, weeks on end waiting for updates, I’ve been invited to interview for 4 of them so then I’ve had all of the interview preparation as well. I’ve had to complete numerical tests and judgement tests for each of them and scored in what I would consider to be the high range (see attached photos).
Today I’ve received my 4th notification that despite meeting the requirements I haven’t quite scored highly enough so I’ve been placed on the reserve list. I have already had experience of 2 reserve lists, both expired without any further contact over the course of the 12 month period. I have one outstanding that expires in January, 2 in the summer and this one that I’ve received today is only 6 months so expires in May. On each of the interviews, my answers have scored 5s or 6s. The feedback has been mostly good, with pointers that I have proceeded to apply for my next interview. Ironically, one of the pointers from the last interview, which I took on board for this interview, has a contradictory response in the feedback from this one 🙈
Why will they not give me a job?! Is the candidate pool really so competitive at the moment that in every single one of those interviews (in which some had 4-6 posts available) I have not been even in the top percentage? Surely for Finance positions the numerical test is given quite a high weighting?
I am so fed up and genuinely looking for tips on whether what I’m experiencing is the norm?
Just for clarity, I am referring to the Civil Service behaviours and strengths documents and structuring my answers using the STAR format. The feedback pointers tend to be things like “would have been better if example given was over a longer period of time”.

Sounds like you're doing all the right things! The interview scores are really good so I think you have just been unlucky that you haven't been offered the job.

The tests just mean you move to the next stage in the process so even if you have an amazing score it's likely the interview is what's looked at most.

Keep going, it can take ages in the civil service to move/get a new job

Thanks @VanWeezer! I think I must be very unlucky! I did wonder if there were already internal candidates lined up for the roles - is that something that happens?
If that’s the case I wish they would just not waste everyone’s time (including their own!) and hire that person directly 😔

They already know who they want half the time, it’s not open and fair competition at all. It sounds like you’re doing all the right things, keep going. Or look for a private sector job?

I wonder if you can contact recruitment and ask for more detailed feedback? I had an interview and the feedback said I interviewed well but my answers could have been broader. Crap feedback.

Job applications are first advertised internally. If you're outside the civil service you won't even see them advertised.

If no-one can fill them then it goes external. Internal candidates can reapply again but most people don't try again as it takes so long.

I think you are just unlucky especially as your scores are good

And nope, for finance jobs numerical ability doesn’t necessarily get a higher weighting. Which is totally stupid but there you go.

@CruellaDeVilla
I could apply for a private sector job but to be brutally honest I like the pension, flexibility and WFH options the Civil Service are currently providing. Thank you for your reply, I will keep going but it’s just so frustrating!
@Leah2005 to be fair the feedback from this one was probably the best I’ve had in that it specifically said what I had done well with examples, the negative parts were a bit wishy washy though. I might consider asking for more feedback, thank you!

I agree you're unlucky. Those are great scores and I hire people with 5s and we find it really hard to get finance people!

I'd suggest ringing up if you can and asking about the reserve list. Sometimes they forget about it - I know our Department is rubbish about reserve lists.

I'm a G6 civil servant (although currently on mat leave) and in one of our last recruitment campaigns before i went on leave, there was something like 200 applicants, of which we interviewed 20, all of whom scored 5s, 6s and 7s. So those scoring 5s and 6s just wouldn't score highly enough anymore. Once you get to interview, i wouldn't look at the online test scores, so the fact you scored highly in them would be irrelevant really.

I would focus on improving your interview scores to get 7s - obviously you'll be taking on board the feedback you've been given, but if you are applying for HEO roles, make sure you are reading the G7 competencies / success profiles as well. If you can weave in anything from that level in your answers, you are more likely to score a 7 (HEO / SEO are benchmarked against the same success profile, but SEO are supposed to demonstrate a higher level of competency so looking up a level to G7 can be helpful).

Well done on getting onto reserve lists - i have taken candidates from the reserve list before (eg. when someone's clearances haven't come through) so all isn't lost.

When a post is advertised externally, internal candidates will also be applying so naturally they will have an advantage of having sat CS interviews before. But it's not the case that an HEO job is advertised externally for the sake of it - CS depts have the option to advertise jobs internally first so if it was earmarked for someone in particular, it just wouldn't get advertised externally in the first place.

Meh I worked in the Civil Service for 25 years - some of it in finance. Recruitment was very different then and unless you know the "right" people you haven't got a prayer of getting in nowadays as nepotism is rife.

A lot of the time they have people pegged for the job already but I've heard some jobs "have" to be advertised externally anyway.

@TheWinterChild - lots of good employers are also offering flexibility these days, research the best of those maybe?

If it’s any consolation I was added to a reserve list following an interview and have since been contacted for three roles. I haven’t taken it any further as I’m happy in my current role now but they do use the reserve list.

@AnneElliott that’s encouraging, I’ll keep applying and hope I luck out for one of them!

@GuidingSpirit that’s all really good advice, thank you. I think I’m mostly frustrated because I really don’t know what I can do to improve my scores, for the last interview I came up with my absolute best examples, thought I had prepared really good answers (checked them off against each of the points in the competencies framework) and practised over and over again - I really wanted this particular job! It’s soul destroying that I still didn’t get a 7 🤣
However, I’ll try aiming at SEO level next time and see how I get on, thanks so much.

I agree with guidingspirit the numbers of applications we’ve had recently for HEO and SEO roles has been incredibly high - with a lot of great candidates.

Although 5 CS jobs seems like a lot (and I completely understand the pain and time the application form and tests take), it’s a bit of a numbers game. Just keep trying and concentrate on the interview.

You could also go back to the recruiting team and see if they’d be willing to provide some spot mentoring on guidance about how you could improve.

I would be gob smacked if the civil service recruited by nepotism tbh. It sounds like the sort of thing that people who have no idea say.

I understand cs to be a numbers game op. Keep going, play the long game and you will get there. I was doing this last year so boring on reserve list etc. I think I would have got there eventually, but I got a different job instead so bailed out.

What’s the preference in wanting a civil service job over a private sector job? These jobs are full of red tape, routine and a certain type of culture.

@CruellaDeVilla Unfortunately I also live in a part of the country that doesn’t have great opportunities in the private sector, there’s a very high percentage of public sector workers. I will certainly have a look about though, thanks 😊
@FawnFrenchieMum that’s exactly what I want to hear 🤣 if you don’t mind me asking (and I know it probably differs hugely anyway) how long were you on the reserve list for before you were contacted?
@Rantyrantason @xksismybestletter both very sensible replies, thank you. In my heart I know this is true and I just have to apply for more but the whole process is very draining!

@S2617 I quite like routine and it’s probably my kind of environment. As above though, I would apply for private sector (with the same kind of employment benefits) if there were enough of them in my area, unfortunately there aren’t, the workforce here is very public sector biased. I could theoretically move for the right job but I do have a family so would take quite a bit of consideration.

@Slub

Meh I worked in the Civil Service for 25 years - some of it in finance. Recruitment was very different then and unless you know the "right" people you haven't got a prayer of getting in nowadays as nepotism is rife.

Sorry but this is total bollocks as far as all the departments I've worked in (several) go and I have also interviewed for a lot of cross CS campaigns. It is far more "open and fair" (I'm not saying it is 100 percent this btw!) now than it was 20 years or so ago.

Hate to say this, but I'm in the civil service and they usually know who they want before hand. I've been 'asked' to interview for jobs quite a few times and it's basically a nod to me being ear marked for the job. It's how they get round having to interview publicly for most posts when they already like someone internal for it. I'm not saying they never employ externally because of course they do, but very often there is an existing internal employee waiting in the wings for a promotion. My advice would be to keep at it, you will likely get there in the end with your great scores and positive feedback.

My son successfully applied for a job with CS last year. Absolutely no connection with them or anyone who works there. He got the job on merit alone.

I'm in the Irish CS and my take is that you're applying for positions that have a very limited number of positions available.

Can you enter a general open EO competition? Do they have those?

Over here they do advertise for technical roles separately form the big open competitions where they might place a few thousand EOs and you don't know where you'll be put.

Put all of your effort in to a big OPEN competition for EO. Then if you're placed somewhere after 2 years you're eligible for mobility, internal HEO competitions (as well as external obviously).

Apologies if they don't do it this way anymore in the UK. I'd love to know how it does work.

Once you get in the door you do get the advantage of understanding how it all works.

I only apply for cs jobs that has more than 10 post’s. If there’s only one post I don’t waste my time as I’m pretty sure most already have someone acting up.

It took me a few tries too OP so please don't loose heart! Out of 5 applications I got onto one reserve list, then was rejected twice at interview, then didn't get shortlisted and finally was successful in getting a job which was exactly the same role as the one I didn't get shortlisted for, just in a different department.
It really can be a bit random despite all the recruitment processes in place. If you are getting interviews you are doing something right so hang in there!