Monday 29 July 2013

No Match, Universally

This site really needs to be taken down. Look at this advert for example; since when did clothe stores ever use recruitment agencies? The only shops I have ever seen advertise in that way are mobile phone places. The advert also says, underlining to make the point, no telephone enquiries; why is that I wonder? I can't even ring - whomever - to find out where the job even is? Wouldn't that save time for people that, as it may transpire, can't get to the venue.

Look at the link to apply. There is no information of any kind as to who the agency or even the business concerned is. I certainly have never heard of Que Consultants before, though I suppose there is no reason why I should. All that's available is a simple form with an attachment facility to include a CV, below which is an advert for 'cv library' entreating the prospective and naive applicant to upload a CV to them, even though no link is provided.

If I go to the root web page there's a 'vacancies' link that simply points me to an email address to send my CV to reassuring me that they have plenty of vacancies, nationwide. They cannot tell me any of them, nor can I find any information on this particular vacancy. The link for uploading CV information takes me to CV-library.co.uk, which seems to be the ultimate goal of this site. This other site seems to have its own search facility, but, like so many of these sites, gives back a completely random, and therefore useless, result each time; regardless of your search parameters. All the jobs listed are sourced from other recruitment agencies, such as Randstad whose site I could go to directly and would have a much easier time sorting through, rather than diving into one big mess and having to upload my CV.

Is this really the way forward? I'm still none the wiser as to this particular vacacny. Not that I have any intention to apply, i just found the whole thing a textbook example of how useless Jobmatch is. It hasn't matched anyone with anything. It cannot even tell the user the name of a simple clothing store that's apparently looking for staff. I say apparently because I'm not even sure this isn't anything more than an elaborate fishing trip.

What an enormous convoluted mess.

No effort has been made to improve this site. Clearly the government has no idea how to address this issue. Again this is an example of the sheer incompetence and complete inexperience of Lord Fraud. This man is being paid a fortune in expenses and wages to play with people's lives, or at best to make people jump through hoops. Not only that, but on this site the hoops keep shifting. The site is so badly made that any attempt to navigate the pages of adverts completely reshuffles the adverts so that vacancies you've already seen get pushed to the front of the queue again, making everything twice as awkward as it needs to be. It takes some skill to produce so incompetent a design as this, but the Tories have managed it.


5 comments:

  1. It is my belief Universal Jobmatch is the way it is because that's the way the government wants it. The whole thing seems designed to be full of "trip wires", the activation of any of them resulting in immediate sanction. If I'm correct, a registered user can't even click the "back" button in their browser when on a job page without first clicking "apply" without incurring an automatic sanction doubt (correct me if I'm wrong on this point).

    Universal Jobmatch isn't meant to be a job application site, it is a deliberate attempt to get claimants to do the jobcentre's dirty work for them in getting themselves sanctioned.

    One wonders how long it'll be before the little box allowing users to deny DWP access to their account disappears altogether, giving the DWP access by default...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The site is indeed full of trip wires that will catch out those unfamiliar with site design or the methods of the DWP. It's the same as the WCA's line of casual questioning used to trip you up: "how did you get here today? Oh you travelled here, ergo no benefits for you!"

      I literally cannot use the site without going stir crazy. In fact as I type I realise I haven't used it today - I don't have to, but I feel I should, just to make me feel I'm doing something. But if I don't load it straight away in the morning, I get overwhelmed by the shitty layout and have to wade thorugh several pages of crap at once. That does my head riiiiiiiiiiight in.

      As far as I can tell the box has to remain for legal concerns beyond DWP rules. Though I wouldn't put it past them to get rid of it, there are already many reports of people being told they have to concede access. Other people claim that they are told to use 'IAD' (independent access devices - computers at the JC) instead, which, surely, would be even less secure. At least I know who's been using my PC and I can set it up how I want and need it to be.

      Delete
    2. Half of the jobs don't even have an "apply" button on them, just an email address to send a CV to. How am I supposed to know my CV is going to a genuine company, rather than someone indulging in data gathering/phishing?

      To be fair there are some JC staff who are aware of the rules and are willing to stick to them; an advisor who delivered a group session for returners from the Work Programme was adamant ticking the box giving DWP access to our account is not mandatory, and that we cannot be mandated to give access.

      If only people like him were in the majority.

      Delete
  2. Was threatened last time I went to sign on .BY Jb staff that she was going to drag me over to the computers to put in my details so that they can get access to MY account is this allowed .I was under the impression that it was MY account

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't give you a definitive answer unfortunately, but my guess is that they cannot force you to give up personal details - particularly on an unsecure machine. The Data Protection Act would apply.

      Don't know for sure though, at any rate their behaviour is clearly disgusting. Noone should be treated that way, it's outrageous.

      Maybe the CAB would know.

      Good luck anyway.

      Delete

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