questions about civil service video interviews during lockdown

[Ilovegiantstrawberries00]

Hello everyone,

I have some HEO/SEO civil service video interviews coming up (another quirk of lockdown life) and have some questions that I would like to ask the hiring manager before the interview but don't know if they will come across as stupid and/or potentially that i'm trying to get an unfair advantage (don't think I am, rather that the process seems a bit opaque!). Wondering please if anyone had any thoughts on whether I should ask these to the hiring manager!? Any ideas much appreciated, thanks.

Video interview queries...

1. I've heard in normal interviews you can bring in pieces of paper with some prompts for your competencies/behaviours? Can I still do this for the video interview?

2. They said they can't test 'strengths' via interview and won't be doing this. Does this mean that if they ask questions like 'what would you bring to the job?' or 'why do you want the job?' this means that they are not scored for deciding who gets the job?

More general...
3) I've been preparing my behaviour answers but don't know if i'm meant to include every positive behaviour for each behaviour for each of my examples. If there are some positive behaviours for each competency that the manager will focus on in the scoring, can I ask them beforehand which ones they will focus on or is this unfair to ask?

4. I've heard some managers don't mind you re-using examples from the application form - can I ask them if they are a manager who doesn't mind or not? : )

5. The job descriptions are quite short -can I ask for more info on what the job involves/how the team's responsibilities are split up or should I just ask this at the end of the interview? (maybe its useful tho for saying why I want the job?)

6. As there is a lead behaviour does this mean they might ask a few questions on that behaviour?

7. Lastly how long should a good competency answer be (assuming speaking speed of roughly 120 words)? also any tips on 'seeing the big picture' someone on another thread said its about 'how priorities affect your area of work, and how you take into account changing landscapes and interdependencies with other teams'. Does this mean that you should prepare three examples to answer a range of questions- one on understanding priorities and your work, one on how you take into account changing landscapes, and one on how you take into account interdependencies with other teams?

Sorry for such a long post haha! Some of this civil service application process makes my head hurt!

Thank you very much!

I do civil service interviewing from time to time. So in answer to your questions:

1. Notes are no problem but don’t read pre-prepared answers.

1. They will probably ask you why you want the job and what you would bring to it as an opener, and may score you for this on motivation.

1. Are you referring to competencies? They will probably say at the start of the interview that X will ask you about delivering at pace and working with others, Y will ask you about seeing the big picture and leading and communicating. It will be quite clear. If you give good examples of another competence in one of your answers, we will note this too.

1. Depends on the department. Home Office and Border Force I would say no problem. Cab Office, Foreign Office, MOD, use a different example.

1. Either try and find out beforehand (there is usually a contact on Civil Service Jobs) or ask at the end of the interview.

1. Yes, almost certainly, and they may ask you for another example.

1. No idea, but I would expect the interview to last between 30-40 minutes. Less than that and your answers have not been detailed enough. Over 45 minutes, the panel will have lost interest and will be looking to wind up the interview. On seeing the big picture, I think this varies from panel to panel, and interviewer to interviewer. Generally, it’s looking for someone who takes in other factors before taking a decision, and showing how these factors have influenced their thinking. So yes to changing landscapes and interaction with other teams. They might throw in the odd curveball here in a follow up question or get you to explain your thinking or thought process in more detail.

Thank you very much @MrsSchadenfreude!

On 3 I meant for each behaviour they give examples of behaviours at each level - usually around 5-7. It also says in the Success Profiles document that there is no expectation that you have demonstrate every part of each example to be successful. I was wondering if there was a way to know which parts of the example behaviours to focus on?

I've done MOD civil service recruiting and was very happy for applicants to use examples from their application form. In fact, I've not met a fellow recruiter that wouldn't like it. Good luck.

Just to add to the above:

1. If we weren't able to do strength interviewing my department wouldn't score those questions. They would simply be openers to ease everyone in. However this may vary by department.

3 &5. As a recruiter I would have no problem with candidates contacting me for further information and have done this as a candidate myself. It usually more common to do this before putting in the application. In fact, where i work it is actively encouraged. This may vary depending on department and interest in the role but I see no harm in making initial contact and testing the water. Normally these conversations are framed about finding out about the job but the from there you can probe about what the hiring manager is looking for. I would outright ask them to list the positive indicators they are looking for but asking around priorities and what they are looking for should give you some good insight.

1. This varies a lot. I would expect additional examples to be more likely at SEO than HEO though. My advice is have multiple examples and use the one that best suits the question asked whether that is the one on your application form or not. I would also have no problem you asking this before the interview or in the interview itself, particularly as an external candidate.

1. I would expect more focus in the interview in a lead behaviour. This might be greater probing of one question or more than one question. I would expect this behaviour to be weighted in the scoring.

1. Difficult to say. I would expect the whole interview to be no.more than 40-45 minutes. You might get an indication by taking off 5 mins for intro

And questions etc and then dividing the time by the number of behaviours etc that they are assessing. I would aim to be concise but make sure you are still covering all elements of STAR (situation, task, actions and results) in your answer and focus on how each these show the behaviour being asked.

I know lots of people that have struggled with Seeing the Bigger picture. It can cover all the factors you mention but doesn't have to include them all. It is about demonstrating that you are able to recognise something going on outside your work environment that you need to consider and take actions in your own or teams work to either take advantage of it or to mitigate a future problem. A simple one might be a shift in departmental policy. In my experience with this behaviour people are either good at identifying a change but aren't able to explain how that changed what they did or can explain that they changed something but aren't good at linking it back and recognising why the made the change. A good example needs both.

I hope all that helps rather than confuses.

Nothoughts explanation of seeing the big picture is a good one. In my experience this is often the competence that needs more in depth questioning, particularly to tease out your particular role in it.

@Genvonklinkerhoffen and @nothoughts - thank you very much. helpful and not confusing!

i think my big picture example hits those points but will have some back ups too : )

Can I also add: please answer the question you are asked. Don’t just trot out the answer you’ve prepared for the competence!

Totally agree with MrsSchadenfreude's plea above.

I hope you get the job OP but please be aware that unless the role is a priority role, your security clearance might be delayed for months before you can start.

I’m not sure how some Departments will be able to induct new employees if buildings are closed and everyone is WFH.

@BirdieFriendReturns - makes sense!

Thanks everyone!