Application guidance

Behaviours

The Civil Service Behaviours are part of the Success Profiles recruitment framework. These are ways of working that result in effective performance. Examples of Civil Service Behaviours include:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

For some jobs, you will be asked to consider the specific behaviours that are important for the job. These will be detailed in the job advert. Behaviours can be assessed in a number of ways and at various stages of the recruitment process.

At the application stage, you may be asked to give examples of how you have demonstrated a particular behaviour.

How to provide evidence of a behaviour

Please take some time to read and understand the Civil Service Behaviours. This will give you a greater understanding of what we are looking for in the job.

Think about everything you have done which relates to the specific behaviours you are being asked for. More recent examples are better. You don’t necessarily have to make all your examples work-related. You can also include achievements from outside work – for example, behaviours you’ve demonstrated while volunteering.

You must choose examples that enable you to describe specific things you did, not what your team did or what your work area did. Think of examples that:

• clearly demonstrate the behaviour and the details that underpin it
• allow you to explain in some detail what you personally did; and
• had positive results, although less successful examples can be used if you can demonstrate the lessons learned and how errors would be avoided in future.

Using the STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Result) may help you present your evidence.

If you would like more guidance on the application process, visit Civil Service Careers.

Disability Confident Scheme

Through our Disability Confident Scheme, the Civil Service offers interviews to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

This does not mean that all disabled people are entitled to an interview. They must meet the minimum criteria (for example, sometimes shown as desirable skills) for a job as defined by the employer.

The aim of this commitment is to encourage positive action, encouraging disabled people to apply for jobs and provide an opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities at the interview stage.

To be considered for an interview under this scheme you must have:

• a physical or mental impairment, or a long-term health condition which has a substantial and long-term (over 12 months) adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities; and
• demonstrated in your application and testing stages that you meet the minimum job criteria as set out in the advert or person specification for the post.

Interview tips

Preparation is key

Although you don’t know what questions you’ll be asked, coming to the interview with knowledge of the role and the organisation is crucial.

Make sure you read the job description ahead of your interview and pull out key parts of the role along with the essential criteria, then relate these to your own experiences and skillset. Preparing examples from your lived experience will help you to be more confident and to recall information quickly.

Practise

Use the job description and your application to think of some questions you might be asked during your interview. Then ask someone you trust (or use a mirror) to help you rehearse your answers.

As part of your interview, you may be asked to deliver a presentation. This will be made clear in the interview invitation. If this is the case, ensure you practise delivering the presentation and time yourself to ensure you don’t go over the allocated time.

Remote interviews

Most of our interviews take place remotely. Information on how to access your interview will be emailed to you as part of your invitation. It’s important to make sure you have a computer, tablet or mobile phone with access to the software you will need for the interview.

For online interviews we recommend finding a quiet space, free from distractions. It also helps to have good lighting and a set of headphones handy, just in case.

Present yourself well

Wear appropriate clothing, be punctual and polite. It may sound simple, but little things like this go a long way. Being on time will also help you to feel more confident going into the interview.

Use the STAR method

Most of our interview questions are competency-based. This is where we ask you questions based on your skills and experience. This helps us to assess what you can do. To structure your answer to these questions, use the STAR method:

• Situation: Set the scene for your interviewers.
• Task: Tell the interviewers what you had to achieve.
• Action: Explain to the interviewers what you did and why.
• Result: Explain what happened as a result.

Ask questions

Remember, an interview is a two-way conversation. As much as we want to find out more about you and your experiences, it’s also a chance for you to find out more about us and the role you have applied for.

Towards the end of your interview, you will be asked if you have any questions for the interviewers. Take this opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the role itself and the team you’ll be joining.

Reflect

Whether you thought the interview went well, or not so well, it’s good to take some time to reflect on the questions you were asked. Taking the time to process and break down the interview will help you prepare your future interviews. You can also ask your interviewers for feedback to give you more insight into how to improve for next time.

Relax

You can finally breathe a sigh of relief. All your hard work is over and it’s just a waiting game now. No matter the outcome, you should feel proud for getting this far, as securing an interview is no mean feat.