Civil Service Interviews
Know how to ace a Civil Service Interview. You will have spent many hours crafting and agonising over your application to work in the Civil Service, following which a real sense of relief and achievement comes over you on clicking the ‘Submit’ button. You will have prepared your competency examples, either setting them out in a 250-word STAR format, or embedding the essence of each within an application statement of up to 1,500 words. If you have scored high enough marks in the ‘sift’ you will receive an invitation for a Civil Service Interview, if not, you have missed out – it’s black and white. If you are struggling with Civil Service applications you might find it helpful to read how to best write an anonymised CV. However, you might be a candidate who is succeeding at application stage but keep getting rejected at the inteview stage it can be very frustrating! So how can you prepare for the Civil Service interview and succeed?
Understanding Success Profile Framework
The Civil Service Success Profile Interview is grounded in a framework that assesses a range of Behaviours, Strengths, Abilities, Technical and Experience. This holistic approach sets it apart from traditional interviews. Familiarising yourself with the five main elements—Behaviours, Strengths, Ability, eEperience, and tTchnical knowledge—is crucial. Each element plays a significant role in evaluating your suitability for the role.
Behaviours are the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job. Strengths are the things you do regularly, do well, and that motivate you. Ability refers to having the aptitude or potential to perform to the required standard. Experience is the knowledge or mastery of an activity or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it. Lastly, technical knowledge pertains to the specific knowledge and skills required for the role.
Tailoring your responses to reflect these elements effectively can set you apart from other candidates. Highlight your relevant skills and experiences in a way that aligns with these components. Doing so will demonstrate your comprehensive understanding of the Success Profiles framework and your preparedness for the role.
Be aware that if you are applying for a Civil Service role in Northern Ireland or Scotland the more traditional Civil Service competeny framework is still being used, not Success Profiles.
Download Interview Preparation Guide
Civil Service interview Tips
The most important tip in a prepartion for a Civil Service interview is to read the job specification very carefully. It will state how you will be assessed at your interview. It will be based on the Success Profiles and could be being assessed on five areas under Success Profiles; Behaviours, Strengths, Experience, Technical and Skills. Most interviews in the Civil Service at every level, your ability to exhibit relevant behaviours is crucial. These Behaviours align with the competencies essential for the role, such as leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. Reflecting on your past experiences, consider specific instances where you have demonstrated these behaviours effectively. This reflection will enable you to provide concrete examples during the interview.
To prepare, review the Civil Service competency framework and identify behaviours pertinent to the position. Think about times when you showcased these Behaviours, whether in professional, volunteer, or academic settings. For instance, recall moments when you led a project, collaborated with a team to achieve a common goal, or effectively communicated complex information.
When formulating your responses, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to ensure your answers are structured and comprehensive. This method helps you present your experiences clearly, highlighting how your actions led to positive outcomes. Practising your responses aloud can enhance your confidence and delivery. Pay attention to feedback from mock interviews or practice sessions to refine your answers further.
Remember, demonstrating these Behaviours convincingly requires authenticity. Ensure your examples are genuine and accurately represent your abilities, as this will resonate more effectively with your interviewers. You can learn more about how to prepare for Civil Service Behaviour questions and answers in this article.
Civil Service Interview Questions
The interview panel are issued with a bank of questions from which they must select, testing each Behaviour and listed Strength. Answers are typically marked out of seven for each competency tested. For more junior roles, candidates are often told which competency is being tested before being asked a question. If you are a student or graduate, you might find it helpful to read our article on Graduate Opportunities In the Civil Service.
If you are answering a Behaviour Question. Your answers should follow the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to frame your responses. This method helps you provide a structured and coherent answer, making it easier for the interviewer to follow your narrative. Select examples from your professional, volunteer, or academic experiences that best demonstrate the competencies required for the role. Highlight situations where you overcame challenges, took initiative, or delivered significant results. Ensure each example aligns with the behaviours, strengths, and abilities outlined in the Success Profiles framework. When choosing your examples, think about the impact of your actions and the skills you utilised. Practice articulating these examples clearly and concisely, focusing on the most relevant details. The goal is to illustrate your skills and experience in a way that directly relates to the role you are applying for. Most marks are awarded for the ‘Actions’ i.e. what you did and how you did it. Your answers should be about four minutes long to comprehensively answer the question. There might be follow-up questions, especially if the competency has not been adequately demonstrated, which is why you need to try to cover it fully in your initial answer. By sticking to the STAR framework you will be able to lead the interview panel through your answer in a logical and systematic way. You must remember to focus on what you did, so answer using ‘I’ and not ‘we’. Another very important point is to provide a summary to complete your answer e.g. “ So what I learned from this example which is relevant to this role is…..” or “ I have used this example because I believe it demonstrates my ability to [do something required within the role description]”. You will score points by consistently bringing your answer back to how it demonstrates the skills, knowledge, or experience the panel is looking for. Do not assume that the panel are able to make a connection between what you are telling them and why it is relevant to the role, even if this seems obvious to you.
Assessment of Strength-based questions is slightly more subjective. Typically, they are marked out of four; two marks for positive body language and two marks for content. Strength-based questions, such as, ‘Would others describe you as adaptable?’ are designed to see if something is (or is not) your natural strength. The basic assumption is that if, for example, being adaptable comes naturally to you, then you will do this well and enjoy it. An organisation comprised of people who enjoy what they are doing, and do it well, should be successful. Hence, you need to be positive, not delay when answering, and back up your claim with a brief example. Answers to strength-based questions are brief and to the point. The Success Profiles listed within the Job Description have associated strengths set out within the Strengths Directory (see link above). Think about how you might demonstrate some of these (we say “some” because there are 36 in total!) In summary, prepare your examples and think about how they can be adapted to fit questions which are coming from a slightly different angle; in other words, remain flexible and don’t simply repeat you example verbatim because it might not fit the question. Listen carefully to the question, answer what is being asked, not what you think you have heard. Always make it clear why the example or demonstration of skills is relevant. Think about the required strengths and how you are going to answer the question in a positive and energetic way, backed up with a brief example. You can read more about how to prepare and answer Strength Interview Questions.
Your answers are scored so focus on covering the skills, knowledge, and experience set out in the Job Description using the Success Profile to guide your thinking. You will usually get to see your scores after the interview, so take the time to reflect and refine your examples, you might well need them again for the next role! The key is to be authentic, using your voice to keep the panel interested and engaged. Inject energy and passion into your ‘performance’ and avoid talking about things which are not relevant and don’t add value to your sales pitch. Organisations seek to employ engaged, enthusiastic and energetic people; the Civil Service is no different.
One-to-one interview coaching for the Civil Service
Interview Skills Clinic are specialist and approved Civil Service interview coaches providing application and interview coaching. We coach for all levels and across all departments whether you are joining the Civil Service for the first time, or are internally apply for the Future Leadership Scheme, Senior Leadership Scheme or a Senior Civil Service role. If you are already working in the Civil Service you might be able to get funding for training.