Civil Service HEO role interview

[Lonerspath]

Hi. Can someone please provide some guidance?

I have been invited to an interview for the HEO role ( 250 words personal statement and 3 behaviours). I scored 4 in the statement of suitability score, which I feel is just a pass. I am wondering whether this score will be taken into consideration during the interview because a low score might already put me in a weak position to secure the offer. I got an overall score in the feedback, but not individual behaviour scores. Can I ask the vacancy holder about individual scores so that I can look to improve any weak areas before the interview ? Thanks a lot for your time.

If they've only offered an overall application score, they're unlikely to give you further feedback IME.

I've never known application scores to carry forward. Interviews should be scored just on the performance on the day.

Don't be disheartened with a 4 though.

Thank you @Alm1986. I will try to perform better in the interview. Maybe I still have a chance.

I got a 4 which I thought was a bit rubbish and got offered the job. I think it’s a fresh start at interview so the application score doesn’t count? Although it may well be in their minds when assessing at interview.

I've never been told the scores from sifting when I've been interviewing.

I wouldn't worry about a 4 though. I'd just focus on making sure you're ready for the interview. Good luck!

The sift score does not impact on the interview score unless 2 candidates has exactly the same score for all the behaviours at interview and then the sift can be used as a tie breaker.

It is extremely unlikely that you would get further feedback - it would give your an advantage over the other candidates - it wouldn’t be fair.

@MuchasSmoochas Good to know that you got an offer. Certainly hopeful.

@SusieSusieSoo Thank you.

@Salmonpinkcords Thanks for the information.

I am wondering whether someone can tell me what kind of situations need to be discussed for the following behaviours at the HEO level.

Delivering at Pace

Making Effective Decisions

Working Together

I did go through the success profiles but am still confused about how I need to choose between my experiences. I feel that my experiences are very good for EO level jobs, but not great for HEO. It would be great if someone can just provide sample examples from their civil service job for each behaviour so that I can see whether I am choosing the wrong experiences. Thanks.

Also, when writing a personal statement matching the essential and desirable criteria do we need to follow the STAR format? If not, it would be great if someone can give some insights on what things to be included while explaining how skills are matched. Thanks.

It’s a fresh start at interview so they won’t take your sift scores into account.

At HEO level I’d be expecting to see evidence of how you’ve had an impact on a wider area than just an immediate team, so look for experiences that show an impact on a whole company, or a large part of a company.

You don’t need to follow the STAR format for personal statements.

@Nc123 Thanks for highlighting the impact thing.

For a personal statement, what kind of details do I need to include maybe for example about a skill " working collaboratively with a diverse range of colleagues and encouraging inclusivity'"? Do I need to talk about an experience where I demonstrated the above skill?

[quote Lonerspath]@Nc123 Thanks for highlighting the impact thing.

For a personal statement, what kind of details do I need to include maybe for example about a skill " working collaboratively with a diverse range of colleagues and encouraging inclusivity'"? Do I need to talk about an experience where I demonstrated the above skill?[/quote]
Yes, that’s what you need to do, showing the impact you had and the outcome of what you did.