Civil Service interviews question

WellWhyNot · 2021-04-23T10:41:38+00:00

Hi all, Got an interview with the Civil Service coming up, and they’re going to be assessing behaviours and experience. AIBU to ask if anyone has any ideas on how experience is assessed in an interview? Thank you!

HappyAsASandboy · 23/04/2021 11:44

Experience is what you've achieved in previous roles/study/life.

Behaviours is how you achieved it.

So identifying efficiency "X" saved your organisation a load of money might be a tick against experience, whereas adding that you identified three key stakeholders and engaged with them by .... and persuaded them to .... by ...... etc would show the desired behaviours.

Original poster

WellWhyNot · 23/04/2021 11:54

Fab! Thanks so much Happy.

Do you know how interviewers assess experience? E.g. Is it based on the essential and desirable criteria in the job description?

OP posts:

Vieve1325 · 23/04/2021 11:57

They will have a competency framework and guidance to help you - if it wasn't provided as part of your interview invitation then request it / google it.

Hagqueen · 23/04/2021 12:27

Mine have been assessed with questions around the essential criteria.

SconesJamthenCream · 23/04/2021 12:29

Have a look at www.glassdoor.co.uk/index.htm - there is some really good feedback on a variety of CS interviews.

DinoHat · 23/04/2021 12:30

I was also asked questions about why it was important to champion equality and diversity.

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 23/04/2021 12:34

Hi! I had a civil service interview last week. They want you to have examples of the behaviours you're being asked about. For example, an example of how you communicated well, an example of team work. Use the STAR format. Thats how they assess behaviours.

Sciurus83 · 23/04/2021 12:35

Answers need to be in STAR format, situation, task, action result. So you give an example of when you have demonstrated the behaviour, focus on what YOU did, no we or I helped/supported (I identified and escalated appropriately then continued to work on x which resulted in....). Do not spend long on situation and task, the details don't matter as much as what you did, how you drove forward and influenced outcomes, so on action and result. How did you identify what needed doing, how did you action this etc.

SamW98 · 23/04/2021 12:54

I had a civil service interview and it wasn't with a live person. the questions were pre recorded and then there was a timer giving 3 minutes to answer each question. Its the strangest interview I've ever had to do

Despite hating it I was offered the job but decided against taking the role

redheadwitch · 23/04/2021 13:32

Hi OP, I asked this same question around a year ago and received some wonderful advice. Unfortunately I cant find that thread now but I will send you a PM. If you like, I can email you with the guidance that another user kindly emailed me with when I first asked this question.

VeganVeal · 23/04/2021 14:10

YABU, for posting in the wrong section

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 23/04/2021 14:22

@VeganVeal

YABU, for posting in the wrong section

Oh bore off

Bearnecessity · 23/04/2021 15:01

I did the CS pre-recorded interview recently, I thought it was absolute rubbish to be honest and a terrible way to recruit. Suffice to say they thought the same about me and didn't offer me the job....

Sciurus83 · 23/04/2021 15:02

I had no idea they were doing prerecorded ones! That's the absolute pits isn't it, how awful!

MereDintofPandiculation · 23/04/2021 15:50

@SamW98

I had a civil service interview and it wasn't with a live person. the questions were pre recorded and then there was a timer giving 3 minutes to answer each question. Its the strangest interview I've ever had to do

Despite hating it I was offered the job but decided against taking the role

That is just rude! No excuse, when they could have had a live interviewer on Zoom. And goes against all the training on how to put people at ease and allow them to show you what they can do.

Bearnecessity · 24/04/2021 09:23

Yes, this is what I did.....just really bad....

Fizzystrawberrybelt · 24/04/2021 10:13

A good tip from another poster regarding using the STAR format. Also remember to really ham up your answers and emphasise the urgency/importance of whatever you did for your example. The interviewers will probe you if they want to get a bit more information out of you that you haven’t already covered, they want you to succeed just as much as you do

Look at the job description and see what behaviours they’re assessing against, and try to make some notes on each criteria with your best example. The interviewers will have no problem with you taking notes in to jog your memory so definitely do it if you can.

Good luck!

SamW98 · 24/04/2021 11:25

I don't get the pre recorded interview if I'm honest.

I was a manager in a huge multi national financial company for years and one of the main things I look for in interviews is striking up a rapport and getting to know if the person will be a good fit. Its not really about giving the 'right' answers, its about the persons character which won't be seen in a pre recorded, no human interaction interview situation

Bearnecessity · 24/04/2021 11:32

Exactly, Sam...you cannot gage rapport, intelligence,fit.....robots with prescribed right answers....tis all they are after.....

FishyFriday · 24/04/2021 11:44

I recently had a civil service interview. A proper zoom one with the panel not anything prerecorded. It's weird that you'd interview for any role that way.

The panel did tell me they weren't doing it as a standard civil service interview though. Still, they basically asked me to talk through my best example of each of the 3 key behaviours they'd selected, and then they asked whatever follow up questions they liked.

It's kind of impossible to give an example like that without outlining your experience.

Good luck OP.

Washerdog21 · 24/04/2021 11:55

If you look at the competencies. Make sure example fits with each line of it if possible. It's really hard work to do it but makes it easier in interview. Use the star format and really go to town on the action bit using I not we. Civil service interviews are a bit of mystery to be honest at times... Good luck

Brentfordisleworth · 05/05/2021 22:16

Just studied the civil service behaviours and was on a course for two days to get my head around behaviours etc and they now go heavily onto CV,s and personal statements and normally mark them before anything else. Been shown how their HR sets them out etc. It goes to show if not in the correct format etc they will be ignored or not scored. It’s said all should be two pages A4 max. They literally make their mind up on with the first 15 second if they will bother with you or not. Also new electronic checks can be fooled with CSJ and also companies that use computer checking of cv’s. Learnt so much from those who do these daily,

ssd · 05/05/2021 22:19

@Brentfordisleworth

Just studied the civil service behaviours and was on a course for two days to get my head around behaviours etc and they now go heavily onto CV,s and personal statements and normally mark them before anything else. Been shown how their HR sets them out etc. It goes to show if not in the correct format etc they will be ignored or not scored. It’s said all should be two pages A4 max. They literally make their mind up on with the first 15 second if they will bother with you or not. Also new electronic checks can be fooled with CSJ and also companies that use computer checking of cv’s. Learnt so much from those who do these daily,

How did you study that and go on a course? Id be really interested in that @Brentfordisleworth

PineappleSun · 05/05/2021 23:07

They might ask you an intro question that won't be scored before diving into behaviours. Use the STAR format, emphasise what YOU did, not what the team did and concentrate on the actions you took and how those actions made a difference to the situation. Consider what you learnt from each example, this is a common follow up question. Your answers will be scored against the criteria found in the behaviours framework giving a result of 1-7 (not met, met, good demonstration, strong demonstration etc) which will give an overall score. Presumably if you have an interview you have passed the sift and your scores from that can be found in your CS jobs account, it is worth looking at those scores and which of your answers scored well and which need more work (aim for 4/5, 6 is very good, no one gets 7s), you can repeat those answers again at interview without battling against the 250 word count. The experience section depends on the job, this can be as simple as how many pieces of software you mention or can be a proper technical competence, sometimes these are better answered in a list format instead of STAR.

Good luck, you'll be great