Ridiculous application process (local authority) worth it?

[Taleotallyhoho]

I am in the middle of applying for a council job for £19,000 a year. So far, it has taken me 2 hours and I still have 10 questions left asking for 1000 word answers in the Star format.

I'm applying because the role sounds interesting. But considering the ridiculousness of this Taleo nonsense, the questions they're asking and the time it's taking, all for a £19,000 per year role I'm considering deleting the whole thing and baking a cake instead.

Is it worth it? I don't think so. It would be a huge pay cut but the role sounds quite interesting to me and my current job is tedious.

Nothing is more tedious than this job application process though - is it a red flag? Should I not bother? They've been advertising and readvertising since August and obviously struggling to find anyone willing to jump through all these fucking hoops 😂

Anyway, is it a red flag? £19,000 a year ffs

If you want the job, persist. If you get an interview you'll be able to judge it better. I assume to take a huge pay cut you must be v. unhappy in your present role.

Well fuck, just went back to Taleo and it had removed half my answers (I had definitely saved!).

Give me strength! I think maybe thats a sign to go and live my life rather than sit here and endure

That was a quick decision. 😳

Ah, well, if you're at breaking point now, fuck them!

Not unhappy. Just boring!

The role at the LA looks like something that would help me reach potential and help the local community.

Which I've probably romanticised too much 😂

LA jobs are almost impossible to get any feeling of satisfaction if helping people appeals to you! Everything is so overcomplicated and slow going.

I think the application form is your hint of what the job is going to feel like!

Nothing is more tedious than this job application process though

Currently applying for visas for a trip to my dad's birth country and it's taken me over 6 hours already. I feel your pain as they've asked for a huge amount of supporting documents. 3 down and 1 to go...

Maybe no one has applied for the job because of the application process?

Thank you @Angelofthenortheast - that's exactly what I needed to hear.

It's just so clunky and red tapey. I think that says a lot about the role.

Pretty sure nobody has bothered applying due to the process.

I've given up and enjoying my freedom from bureaucracy, red tape and ridiculous application processes for the sake of busyness. 😂

Plus, it's in the news that they'll be making redundancies soon anyway.

Now I've stopped the process, I'm wondering why I ever thought it would be a good idea to apply.

I'm my own worst enemy sometimes!!

I have not applied to 2 roles this week due to the ridiculous application forms. Life is too short!

Yes you're so right @Knackeredmommy- probably the same businesses that whinge about the skills shortage 😂

I often see those same jobs later on Indeed as temp jobs, wonder why!

Ask if you will be eligible for the 1900 pound pay raise. I doubt it's counting that.

www.local.gov.uk/our-support/workforce-and-hr-support/local-government-services/green-book-payscales-and-other-7#:~:text=with%20effect%20from%201%20April%202022%2C%20an%20increase%20of%204.04,circular%20dated%2028%20February%202022)

Life's too short to write an application form for a job you want?

Give me strength.

No thanks, I just sent my CV off for a similar role but third sector via LinkedIn. Interview next Monday and the salary is £26,000

I'm sorry that I enjoy spending my time effectively doing things that'll actually benefit my bank, my career and the local community.

The good news is that I have baked a lovely cake and got an interview!

Now that's efficiency and time we'll spent 👏

(Also, I read reviews online and it looks like the local authority is a miserable place to work! So the red flags were spot on!)

I hope that's all the strength you needed to justify my decision? 😉

10 more questions at 1000 words each? Fml who can even be arsed to sift that!
Why on earth do they have such ridiculous recruitment processes?
Inanity

Good for you op.

I've spent too many hours of my life on application forms like this. I'm all for putting in some effort, but when they ask for full, competency based essay responses, it is them asking for you to do all the work with absolutely nothing from them. Applications are just for weeding people out. If they want full responses, they could take the time to interview you, even if only by phone.

Good luck with the interview

@Taleotallyhoho well done & good luck!

I work for a LA, I've recruited lots of people for similarly paid jobs. Who the hell has got the time to sit and shortlist applications that long!

Apart from basic info we ask for:
Education history and results.
Employment history.
Reason for applying (this is where we want people to refer back to the Job description. and sell themselves to us). Max 3000 words.

Much easier to shortlist. Especially when some people just write 'I need a job' in the reason for applying. Got to love their balls though!

I imagine you've dodged a bullet if their application process is that long!

@Florencenotflo that's more like it! That's ideal. X

That’s unusual for a LA application form, all the ones I’ve ever done have just been quite basic education and job history stuff and then one longer section where you describe how your experience fits the person spec.

DH completed a similar application form for a court based job which was really low paid but he really wanted to do it, would have been great at (we think, haha) and he had a huge amount of relevant experience. Spent ages on the application, it looked great but he got an outright reject. Goodness knows what they were looking for. He got a job paying 3x as much instead but really wanted to do that court role!

I won't apply for jobs with:

• no salary advertised
• application forms
• any more than a two stage interview process

It's served me well so far.

It the “employment history explaining any gaps - day month year ” that gets me. I’m 50. I’ve had periods doing 3 jobs at once, overlapping jobs, freelance roles whilst also working part time. Way to complicated for a firm and who removers what day you started after 20 years ( unless you teach 😁).

Well there is a £1900 pay rise coming, rises annually, good conditions, access to internal vacancies once you're in and probably promotion opportunities. Less likely in the third sector. Which is usually offering temporary contracts.