Success Profiles: what they assess
The Civil Service assesses applicants with Success Profiles. There are five elements, and not every job uses all of them.
- Ability: your aptitude or potential to work to the standard the job needs.
- Technical: specific professional skills, knowledge or qualifications.
- Behaviours: the actions and activities that lead to good work in a job.
- Strengths: the things you do regularly, do well and that motivate you.
- Experience: what you know or have mastered by doing it.
The job advert says which elements it will assess, and how. Read that part first.
The nine Civil Service behaviours
There are nine Civil Service behaviours:
- Seeing the big picture
- Changing and improving
- Making effective decisions
- Leadership
- Communicating and influencing
- Working together
- Developing self and others
- Managing a quality service
- Delivering at pace
Each behaviour is described for the grade of the job. You won't be asked to show all nine for one role.
The seven broad grades are AA and AO, EO, HEO, SEO, Grade 7, Grade 6 and the Senior Civil Service.
Writing your application
You may be asked for a CV, a personal statement, or short written examples of behaviours. Sometimes your CV must leave out your name and details.
Keep to every word limit. The advice on personal statements warns that a statement that is too brief won't give enough evidence.
One department's tips say behaviour examples are usually 250 words each. They say personal statements often have limits of 500 to 1,250 words. Check your advert for the limits that apply.
Use STAR for each example
Official guidance suggests the STAR method. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result:
“Consider using the STAR method which allows you to set the scene, show what and how you did and the overall outcome.”
Keep the scene short. Spend most of your words on what you did, and say "I", not "we".
Interviews and strengths questions
An interview usually lasts 30 to 60 minutes. The advert says which elements it will cover.
Strengths questions ask what you enjoy and what you do well. There are no right or wrong answers. The guidance says not to rehearse them, because they want your first response.
Behaviour questions are different. Practise those out loud, using the examples from your application.
Who can apply: nationality rules
In general, the Civil Service nationality rules open jobs to UK, Irish and Commonwealth nationals. Certain EEA, Swiss and Turkish nationals can apply too.
One way EEA nationals qualify is settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Some posts are reserved for UK nationals. These include every post in the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service and GCHQ. Posts in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are reserved too.
Before you're appointed, the employer also checks that you can work legally in the UK.
Security checks and vetting
Every civil servant needs the Baseline Personnel Security Standard, or BPSS. It is a basic check, not a formal security clearance.
Roles with more sensitive work need national security vetting. The main levels are:
- Accreditation Check (AC)
- Counter Terrorist Check (CTC)
- Level 1B
- Security Check (SC)
- Developed Vetting (DV)
Not having lived in the UK is not always a bar. By level, the residency usually needed ranges from three to ten years.
If you have a disability
The Civil Service runs a Disability Confident Scheme. It offers an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria.
It does not mean every disabled applicant gets an interview.
A behaviour example, in STAR form
Here is a made-up example for the behaviour Working together. It fits well within a 250-word limit.
Made-up example
Dev, applying for an Executive Officer (EO) role
Question
Situation
Task
Action
- I spent a morning with the housing team to learn which questions they handled.
- I listed our 10 most common questions and agreed with both teams who would answer each one.
- I wrote a one-page guide and asked both teams for comments before we used it.
- I set up a shared inbox, so either team could pass on a case with notes.
Result
Most of the answer is what Dev did. The result has numbers a panel can picture. Write yours from a true story of your own.
Questions
How long should a behaviour example be?
Your advert sets the limit. One department's tips say 250 words per behaviour is usual. Use most of the limit, as too little won't give enough evidence.
Can I apply if I'm not a UK national?
Often, yes. Irish and Commonwealth nationals are generally eligible, and so are certain EEA, Swiss and Turkish nationals. Reserved posts, such as those in the security services, are for UK nationals only.
Should I rehearse answers to strengths questions?
No. The official guidance says not to rehearse them, because they want your first response. There are no right or wrong answers.
Do I need a security clearance to apply?
Every civil servant needs the baseline check, called BPSS, which is not a formal clearance. Roles that work with more sensitive material need a higher level of vetting.
Sources
Written by Seal the Offer from these pages, last checked on . Rules change, so check the employer's own page and the job ad before you apply.
- Success Profiles: Candidate overview · Cabinet Office, GOV.UK
- Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours · Cabinet Office, GOV.UK
- Success Profiles: Strengths · Cabinet Office, GOV.UK
- About the application process · Civil Service Careers
- How to write your Personal Statement · Civil Service Careers
- GOS: tips and guidance for applying · Civil Service Careers
- Civil Service grades and pay · Civil Service Careers
- Civil Service Nationality Rules · Cabinet Office, GOV.UK
- National security vetting: clearance levels · United Kingdom Security Vetting, GOV.UK
- HMG Personnel Security Controls · Cabinet Office, GOV.UK
- Disability Confident Scheme · Civil Service Careers