DWP Interview Help! Leading & Communicating?

[Carolhh]

Got an interview with DWP National insurance office, interview is competency based
I'm not quite sure what example I can give for 'leading and communicating? Any. Ideas what kind of example I can give for this?
Cheers x

Pretty standard competency stuff, egs can usefully cover:

• Delivering difficult messages or managing through change - so change of working practices in a previous team, managing restructuring or redundancies.
• How you involve wider team and communicate in a way appropriate to internal and external stakeholders. So flexibility of written and oral communications, building in consultation.
• prioritisation e.g. Identifying better working methods or de-prioritising/delegating tasks.

Thank you
Does my answer have to include a time when I was managing a team or is working in a team example suitable too??

I think that depends on the grade of job and also whether you have a stronger eg (demonstrating the competencies) in a non formal leadership role. The same competencies are used for a variety of grades (I don't work for DWP but have worked for other govt departments). The more senior the role the more likely they will expect egs that include formal leadership egs. Working in a team could be fine but you should, for any e.g., be thinking very clearly about how you demonstrate leadership qualities.

I guess you have already looked at the civil service competencies: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/436073/cscf_fulla4potrait_2013-2017_v2d.pdf

In my experience interview examples are assessed against all the competencies for the advertised role so if you can include material in a 'leading and communicating' eg that demonstrates other relevant competencies that should help your overall score.

Thank you
you seem like a very experienced person....I like your answers they will definitely help me with the interview
Take care

I have heard that staff working in civil service also get additional days off other than the annual leave? especially if they have young children.....I know a lady who used to get the summer holidays off because she had a child and that was not from her annual leave! do you know anything about this?

thanks.

Hi Carolhh, term time is applied, its a more beneficial annual leave entitlement package but is balanced by a reduction in the person's salary, which is used to compensate for the additional leave.