Job Centre fun

[pablogrande]

In light of the current climate you would have thought the job centre might want to help employers give people jobs, it seems that this is not the case.

I phoned the helpline saying that I am looking to advertise a vacancy in my company and wondered if I could speak to someone who could help advise what I need to put in a job description, what level of salary I should be expecting to pay, and if they had anypne on the books at the moment that could possibly fill the position. 'No we don't do that, you can only email the vacancy to a third party agency who will post it on the job centre website, they do not give any advice'

So if anyone knows of someone looking for a junior admin/stockroom position based in London Bridge with possibility of flexible working (20 hours per week up to full time) please PM me.

thanks

[Narnia]

I don't really understand your complaint. Of course job centre's are there to help people find employment. That they can't do it to the standards you might expect is a different arguement. I doubt very much that people employed there are paid huge amounts. An employment agency would be much more professional in addressing your requirements regarding how the job should be described and how much you should pay. Of course they will charge you a fee. There's always the EDF where you can advertise.

If memory serves me correctly you have done so in the past or at least have mentioned that you sometimes employ young people. I'm sure I sent you a PM regarding my teenage son and I'm sure you never replied. At least you got an answer from the jobcentre!

People in glasshouses......

[OliviaDee]

a friend of my sister's got an 'escort' job from a job centre!

[Narnia]

Ford?

[zeban]

OliviaDee Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> a friend of my sister's got an 'escort' job from a

> job centre!

Hmmm.. I wonder if the girl knew an escort is another name for prostitute.. or the job centre for that matter!

They only get away with not being outlawed because they say you don't 'have to' sleep with the customer!

Also Narnia, maybe the OP wants to help the people who need it the most rather than post on the EDF or use awful recruitment agencies. I think it's great of them so I understand their frustration. The jobcentre are supposed to be helping people find jobs and no matter how much they get paid that's their job. Unfortunately, it seems to be down to the management of each centre whether they actually agree with this description of their job- My Mum and Sister both work in separate job centres and the two offices have very different perceptions of what they'ld like their staff to do. Also, they are very pushed in terms of targets which doesn't help. Imagine trying to find a job through them! That's a million times more frustrating.

In your case it does sound like they are just reiterating the procedure for advertising jobs. I can find out if this is indeed the procedure from my Mum? PM me if you do.

Narnia, why should people post jobs they're offering on the EDF? Unless the job is local bound I don't think it's very fair to post on the EDF.

[acumenman]

zeban wrote:-They only get away with not being outlawed because they say you don't 'have to' sleep with the customer!

That is rarely the case they are usually fully alert:))

Pablogrande perhaps if you advertise the post on the Borough forum too you may get more interest shown as the people would be able to walk to the job.

Just a thought.

[zeban]

Yes that's what I mean, everyone is alert to what an escort is ie. the company and the employee, but they still have to pretend in order to not get done!

I'm not sure the jobcentre understands that though. They probably don't care anyway.

[acumenman]

Quite so zeban.

I have never had much success with job centres either,

the local newspapers were the only places we could afford to advertise in, and had any joy from subsequent employees.

Brook st bureaus type places were far too expensive to even consider.

[Narnia]

Hmmm, I wonder did it ever occur to you why OD put the word 'escort' in inverted comma's?

[zeban]

Err yes it did, it was more of a questioning of the jobcentre not the friend. Some people also do not know what a escort is. I didn't when I was young and naive! Jeez lighten up Narnia!

[pablogrande]

Hi all thanks for the replies.

What I was trying to do was get an idea of what the Job Centre would like in the job description in order to filter people who were correct for the type of job we are offering, which I though would make their life easie,r just seemed a shame that they can't pull their fingers out and get things moving.

I think it's a shame that local councils don't spend some time contacting local businesses and try to find out if employers have any vacancies or want people on work experience or whatever.

I have used agencies in the past and have had nothing but bad experiences.

Narnia - I have advertised here in the past a couple of times and I am pretty sure I contacted everyone who responded, I checked through my PMs now and can't find any previous ones from you? If i didn't get back to you I'm sorry - maybe I need some office help!

[sophiesofa]

I think companies should be able to advertise direct through the jobcentre. It would be more hassle for them but if they got to take a small commission (or at least less than the huge recruitment companies) to cover the admin costs then there'd probably be more jobs to advertise, especially from smaller companies who might otherwise advertise in newspapers, word of mouth only. Last time I went (admittedly 6ish years ago so may have changed) I had the option of applying for a qualified HGV driver job and something else I also wasn't qualified to do.

[Narnia]

Do you not think old Pablo is expecting too much from a jobcentre when he asks them to advise him about a job description and on how much he should pay?

Why shouldn't people post jobs they are offering here? Who is it unfair on?

[OliviaDee]

the girl i am referring to did know what an 'escort' agency is. though i find it very difficult to believe that the JC didn't - and that they choose to support such practice. same girl rang the agency and was quoted ?800 for an evening of 'escorting' and was told that what she did in private was her own business. i really doubt though that anyone forking out that amount of money isn't going to expect their money's worth.

she is seriously considering it.

[zeban]

What I meant was, the forum is not exactly 'known' for job adverts, it's not like a local paper where they have a separate section for vacancies, so although may reach out to some people, it's not exactly targetting those who are really actively looking for work which seems to me what the OP is looking for. It might not be fair for jobseekers who don't know about the forum/didn't realise it's a place where people look for work because it's not really is it? I'd only think of looking here if if was a local job and the one the OP is advertising isn't local.

Anyway, Pablo I'll try to find out the info for you and get back to you.

[fyvum]

There is a 'wanted' room to hire trades etc.

You may have more success in there.