Lack of diversity in interview panel in civil service

[JoanJettsBlackheads]

I currently work for the civil service, am a G6, and recently had an interview for a job in another department. They wanted someone with strong experience of leading large teams, and I was asked if I would consider applying for the job, as I’ve previously headed up departments of 80 and 60 staff.

I was one of the last two. The interview didn’t go well, and I could tell from body language that they weren’t really interested. I found out later that the job went to a male G7 in his mid 30s, on promotion. He’s never had to manage more than four people. (This job is managing a department of 70+)

The interview panel consisted of two fast stream G7s, both Oxbridge, in their early 30s, and the SCS hiring manager who was in his early 40s. I’m in my late 50s. I also realised after the interview that there was no independent panel member, as both the G7s work directly to the SCS man.

The SCS officer has offered me feedback, which I’ve accepted. Would it be wrong of me to point out the lack of diversity in the panel (although one of the G7s was a woman), and the fact that there was no independent panel member? I know I could have appealed this within 24 hours of the interview, but wasn’t really in any position to do so - I’d only had 48 hours notice of the interview. Should I also complain to HR?

Alternatively, has anyone any advice on how to interview with the confidence of a 30 something Oxbridge man? As I keep being beaten for jobs and 9 times out of 10 it’s to someone who fits this profile. I’ve also interviewed men with this profile for jobs and while a lot of them can talk the talk at interview, they’ve been arrogant disasters actually doing the job!

This!!

No one has to let him try. He’s not owed further promotion. And if he wants to go from managing 4 people to leading 70, he should probably be pursuing development and roles that allow him to demonstrate he has done it, not just that he thinks he can.

Christ. How depressing and unprofessional. I hope you challenge this.

hence why he applied and got this role to then prove he can do it, otherwise how else would he get the experience ?

Perhaps people are finally waking up to the fact that women are generally not HR problems waiting to happen. A lot more likely to keep their hands to themselves.

It's often a confidence thing. Younger men can be full of themselves. They talk a good talk.

But it sounds like you were tired and lacking energy?

Thats a kick in the teeth as you have more experience but if you came across indifferent I'd hire someone who had energy and drive over experience in some roles. Male or female.

There are always opportunities to stretch oneself at the current level, or take a sideways move that bridges the gap and develops further experience. But lots of these young men just fancy having a go at the big jump up and don’t think they should have to prove ability through experience. Lots of recruiting managers seem to agree, until it turns out Confident Young Man was full of hot air.

well then thats the fault of the one that believed the hype and took the chance if it was all talk and no walk

There are always opportunities to stretch oneself at the current level, or take a sideways move that bridges the gap and develops further experience. But lots of these young men just fancy having a go at the big jump up and don’t think they should have to prove ability through experience. Lots of recruiting managers seem to agree, until it turns out Confident Young Man was full of hot air.

I agree. And depressingly I think this can be encouraged by a (sometimes subconscious) assumption that men can and should be ambitious when applying for jobs - so aiming for, at least, a level up from their current role. But that women need to prove they can do a role before they’re considered capable of doing it - so essentially working their way up and taking on the responsibilities of the senior role while employed in a (lower paying) junior role.

I’ve seen some spectacularly mediocre men get promoted into a role way above their ability level. But sometimes these overly confident but lacking in ability young men do crash and burn.

Google the concept of ‘failing upwards’!

Absolutely not true.

Let's be honest many CS roles go to the better bullshitter and not the person who has been tried and tested and already proven to have the skills required for the role. The whole recruitment system is flawed.

*Kneidlach *

Spot on. And once there, any error or shortcoming in a man is seen as 'he's still finding the ropes' and the same in a woman as 'knew she couldn't do it'.

How did you know their grades and what university they went to? Stalking them online or just profiling them? Either way, quite unprofessional and bound to be wrong - my sisters Linkedin says she’s a G7. She’s an SCS2 in a different department.

I hear you, OP, and I understand your frustration at the process, regardless of outcome.

God only knows why you want to be a G6 though 🤣

@LandSharksAnonymous from the office directory?

Interesting- what makes you say that?

@stripeystripedstripes that's the rule in my part of CS. I checked recently and was sorting panels. We had a candidate complain also as one of the panel was sand grease as jib

Didn’t realise civil servants putt their university on an ‘office directory.’

Sounds odd tbh.

How did your written application score?

Do you think they knew the successful candidate?

What was the process to get it down to two people?

It seems to be you have various things you could complain about ( diversity of panel, short notice, potentially ageist views) but it will unlikely make any difference to you although it might improve things for future candidates. It could also make you feel a little better to push back a little.

Office directory would say grade but couldn't you just see their uni from LinkedIn?

I've not been in the CS long but G6s in our dept seem to take a lot of the flak - it looks quite a jump from G7 - and the OP also said she's considering early retirement, so sounds to me a bit like a good time to not take on too much more responsibility 😁

@Elsbetka that's the kind of thinking that creates ageism like the OP experienced. Not everyone is looking to 'slow down', it's a great time to take a leap because it doesn't really matter if it fails! You can always step back down anyway. I enjoy being a G6 and having a wider impact.

Well it’s not in mind. Don’t understand your second sentence!

It sounds like there were issues with the process which I would consider escalating: lack of proper notice, feedback not related to the questions asked but subjective, no independent panel member etc but not diversity.