Genealogy Chat

I don't know what I did before, but have now got to the first stage and answered all those daft questions about telling tales on my chums and contacting head office instantly if anything bothers me. Cos Mark Thompson is clearly a prat, and not to be trusted.

Will see what happens.

Yes, all the jobs were advertised some time ago, but it is was only in early November - at least for our area - that applications were starting to be accepted.

Just had an email today saying though I am on a reserve list for Special ennumerator, I can ring to say if I'm interested in a post of household ennumerator. Depends on the dates now, I'm going on holiday mid April.

IGP, It was an extremely basic interview just asking the same questions that the online form asked - will you be available between these dates etc. The only different question was what experience have you had working with the general public. The interviewer seemed to be from a foreign call centre.
I'm curious that your question is dated 5/12/10 but it only showed up on my threads today. I check them daily. Another glitch??

Thanks. The interview lasted around five minutes. They did ask what my last job was too, and about communication competencies. The interviewer seemed nervous and spoke rather quickly. I had to ask him to repeat some of the questions.

My interviewer also spoke at breakneck speed and several questions had to be repeated. My interview also lasted about 5 mins - much quicker than I had been told to expect. Not heard any more yet despite the interview being on 17th Nov
Katie.

Having been snowed up for 4 days, and having to walk up and down to the local shops for basic supplies, I have exceeded the 3-day deadline for replying to their request to book a telephone interview. I am now told my appplication has failed. There is no contact address, so I suppose that is it. Zonked out.

Like previous posters my interview consisted of about five minutes of the inteviewer confirmng when I could work and I too had to listen careully as it was done at breakneck speed! It is obvious they are reading from a script.

I had one question asking me to describe a situation where I had either worked alone or as part of a team.

Total interview time less than 10 minutes.
Either they thought I was so wondeful they needn't probe further or I was a total waste of space :-)

I can't believe that the interviewers are qualified people and I can't work out how on earth they decide on a persons suitability for a role from such a short interaction.

Chris

I agree Chris. I have done the job 3 times previously and each time the Area Co-ordinator personally interviewed me. I can't remember the first two times in detail but last time he visited me at home and the interview lasted at least half an hour. Even with all that one or two dropped out so I dread to think what the drop out rate will be this time! I ended up doing 2 areas in 2001 and 1991.

Do the rest of you think it was a foreign call centre doing the interviewing?

My husband had an acknowledgement saying he will have a phone interview but not until Jan 2011.
Katie

Only advertised in local paper last week in South Cheshire

Very strangely they have now offered me a slot tomorrow morning. Interesting. I might tell them to stuff it. But maybe let them sweat a while longer.

I had an email last week saying that I was on the reserve list for special enumerator.
Today I've had an email asking me to call them if I wanted to be considered for census collector. It said that I wasn't sure to get an interview but to wait for an email asking to call for an interview date.

I wanted the other position first but it's better than nothing.

I will wait and see what happens. I thought the siftabilty test was crap. All they wanted me to do was grass on colleagues that had been whinging, which I could not do.

Yeh, I've now passed the tests. Trying to organise the telephone interview. Have organised two, neither seem to work.

Well, arranged a telephone interview for 12 noon today. Came and went, no phone call. Arranged another now for 29th December. We shall see. Maybe they are snowed up, and can't answer their emails.

No phone call today. So wave bye-bye to that one.

I had my interview yesterday. It seemed to go well and The lady was Welsh, so I guess I got lucky -- someone I could understand.
Now it's time to wait and see.

Email received yesterday afternoon said:-

Thank you for completing your interview for the role of Census Collector. We are still assessing interview results from all candidates. We will contact you again regarding the outcome of your application in the near future.

In the meantime, we appreciate your patience.

IGP

I had the same email today.

At least they are keeping us informed :-)

Chris

Sharon

I can understand your frustration with the questions but given the number of applications they receive they do need a way of 'sifting the wheat from the chaff' before they proceed further.

To be honest I don't think the questions were 'stupid'.

I can see where they were coming from and what they were looking for in the answers.....Maybe I had a 'heads up' as I spent many years interviewing during my working life.

Chris

Almost 2 months after my phone interview I received this reply today -

"Thank you for completing your interview for the role of Census Collector.

We are still assessing interview results from all candidates. We will contact you again regarding the outcome of your application in the near future.

In the meantime, we appreciate your patience."

It seems to be a much more complicated and protracted selection system being used this time!