Editor’s note: Tonight Alex takes us to the Job Centre; from the archaic computer systems to the apprehension and boredom of the people involved. He may not be successful in finding the ‘funny side’ of all that but the irony should not be lost on us.
The Job Centre, it’s no laughing matter. And no one is saying it is, except for that of a recent television comedy sketch show called ‘The Job Lot’, which as it turns out is less funny than the place is in reality.
I visit the Job Centre a few times a month, providing evidence for jobs I’ve applied for to an advisor once a fortnight with addition of more in-depth interviews whenever I’m beckoned to attend. Said interviews are indeed just as numb and ill-inspired as can be imagined. Of course, I know it’s not supposed to be like a trip to the funfair, but in my mind of many narratives I find amusement in the shaping of the characters in the building – From the cringing faces of un-eager claimants walking in and out, to the stories behind the staff themselves, mostly as bored in their facial expressions as the lifeless, grey furniture that surrounds them. Though I should be fair, they’ve installed quirkily shaped red and blue designer futons for the waiting areas. Maybe someone working for the DWP had a momentary sense of humour… I didn’t think so, either.
As for the computer systems I’m left quite stunned – The software and hardware provided to the staff is poor and seems very old. Your data is stored on what looks like a menu screen from a 1980ies arcade game, if you can envisage that, and the opening and closing of applications sometimes leads to crashing or an unresponsive page. It baffles me as I observe them being used, but then it must all be for budgeting reasons, and perhaps the system is pretty effective as it is. As the saying goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, yet it seems pretty temperamental and awkward to me. It makes me feel mildly sympathetic for those who have to work with such computers, but then that notion doesn’t last for too long.
Another stab at their technology is at the job-search booths. These are like small ATM-type machines that let you browse through available jobs by relevance, date or distance from your local area. Unfortunately they do not produce any cash, and I tried once one hazy morning, but what’s more unfortunate is that I find if you search by local area, which is surely a popular method of searching, it gets confused and displays jobs available in London, Glasgow and so on. This is not useful as I live in South Manchester, and I’m not looking for a full time position in commuting, even if full ‘training’ is available (please excuse my puns).
Anyhow, back in November and December I had that awful problem with my claim being wrongly suspended, more through clerical error and system failure than anything I was responsible for. Since then I have had no real complaints, and I realise that the advisors are trying to do an honest and useful job, and they mostly do. But the experience of ‘signing on’ at the Job Centre is an empty one, like it is at any official government building, with the staff seeming to be just about able to tolerate one another. It must be hard working there, which is ironic, with a lurking atmosphere of resentful boredom slowly sweeping across the room from work desk to work desk. It hardly acts as a good advert for employment, but then my idea for clowns, jugglers and mime-artists to greet you as you enter would probably be too distracting.
I realise that the solemn sensations you get when attending such a place is the only way it can function properly from day to day, although I think they could at least revamp their technology to something more user friendly and updated. So as I look to my next appointment I sigh, but when I’m there I smile like I’m wearing a mask to cover up any reluctancy. As for the advisors, they adorn their own faces with apparent nonchalance for anything but policies and procedures as if their personalities have been surgically removed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they are very friendly and fun people after work hours.
Thinking about it, it could make for a hilarious comedy series though, couldn’t it? Oh, wait…
photo credit: Emma L Brown via photopin cc
Of all the government functions, the employment office is probably low on their list of priorities. They expect you will be motivated to get a job because the payment is subsistence at its best. They just want to monitor your search efforts to keep you honest.
I hear we do something similar in the U.S. we have to submit evidence that we have searched for jobs. I think for us it’s through calling people you interviewed with to see if you actually met with them. Thankfully I’ve never had to do it.
I think we get a good sense of government/taxpayer priorities from this–interesting insight.
So many public systems could take a lesson from the private sector. It doesn’t take any additional money to make a facility like a job centre more customer friendly and effective.
Too bad it is that way. It might make people feel a little more positive if things were different.
As a software developer, I get SO annoyed when I see people struggling with outdated software. Things could be so much better!
With government programs, you often see bad software because it hooks up to legacy databases. So I’m betting that whatever system holds these job postings is super old and ancient, and that the software is not often updated because they’re afraid of breaking it. Really, it probably needs an entire overhaul!
Very good article- it reminds me of a time roughly ten years ago, I was made redundant, I work in a very specialised area where jobs are not advertised at the Job Centre but the staff there were determined they knew what I did. I explained over and over that I was signing on because it keeps your Class 1 NIC credits going,but that I would look for a job via our industry pre. Hurdle number one was the manager there who was incensed that I earned more than she did, that was quite obvious. Hurdle two was an “adviser” unable to operate her PC.
The best time was when I went in to close my claim about 6 weeks after signing on as I’d found a job, the staff were over the moon (probably to get rid of me)and then announced that they had found me the post- I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry- had they fiddle! They had recorded the employers details because they were hell bent on offering me travel costs to the interview which was some 60 miles away at the company’s head office,the whole experience was dire, and all that for a very small amount of money every week!!
Ah, now this article brought back memories of a similar experience many years ago in the days when jobs were posted on cards. For me it had a positive effect. I said never again, signed off and joined the ranks of the self-employed.
Long hours,hard work but worth it.