Application and Sift Stage
After submission of the first stage of your application, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Management Judgement test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final written stage of the application. The final written stage includes a CV and 1250-word Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form and below.
Civil Service Management Judgement Test
Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the test and written application is 23:55 on Tuesday 8th October 2024. If you fail to complete the online test and written application before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The test is administered online and accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
The CV is an online tool accessed through Civil Service Jobs and there is no requirement to upload your personal CV. Our CV element is short and allows an initial check of eligibility, it is not scored so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement.
Personal Statement
Evidence of how you have met the Key Criteria and your suitability for the role needs to be included in your Personal Statement. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullet points, etc. You may choose to address each criterion separately; however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several Key Criteria.
Please ensure you provide as much evidence as you can to allow us to assess your skills, knowledge, and experience against the Key Criteria; share with us what makes you suited to this role. We would like to find out what you can do, the skills you hold and the life experience or passion that you have that could be aligned to the Key Criteria.
We will assess and score your Personal Statement against each of the Key Criteria in the advert. The scores for each individual criteria will be added together to give a single total score which you will receive once the sift results are released.
We may increase the minimum score to progress to interview if a high number of applications are successful at the sift stage.
Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.
Optional stage of the process
Please note: This recruitment campaign includes a new assessment trial. Your participation in the additional assessment is completely voluntary.
Civil Service Styles Assessment Trial. What is it . . .
This is a self-assessment questionnaire which will ask you to compare a number of statements and choose the ones which are most like you.
The trial of the Civil Service Styles Assessment (CSSA) will be available to you following submission of your CV and Personal Statement (see below). The CSSA will not be scored and will not affect your application in any way. We would really encourage you to participate and complete the test as your involvement will help shape the future of our recruitment processes in DWP and give you an opportunity to try a new and exciting Civil Service recruitment assessment.
If you would prefer not to take part in the trial, this will not affect your application.
A link to access the questionnaire will be shared with you after you have submitted your CV and Personal Statement and the advert has closed. This will remain open for you to complete until 23:59 on Wednesday 6th November.
Feedback will not be provided as part of the trial.
We really hope that you take the opportunity to take part in this exciting trial as the results will be invaluable to DWP and we take this opportunity to thank you for getting involved.
Interview Stage
All applicants that progress will be invited to interview. If you receive an invite you will need to access the system and book yourself an interview slot.
The interview will be face-to-face, held at Westminster Jobcentre and will last approximately 45 minutes. It will be a blended interview which consists of a mixture of Behaviour and Strength questions. You will be assessed against the Behaviours listed below at Level 3.
Behaviours
- Leadership.
- Managing a Quality Service.
- Communicating and Influencing.
To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the behaviour questions in advance of the interview, 5 days prior to your interview. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions.
A location preference template will be issued with your invitation to interview, please remember to complete and bring it with you when you attend your interview.
Sift and Interview Dates
Application sift is expected to take place between 7th October to 28th October 2024.
Interviews are expected to take place between 11th November to 29th November 2024.
The above interview dates may change depending on the numbers involved; however, candidates invited to interview will be given at least 5 working days’ notice.
Detailed information about the application and interview process can be found in the candidate pack.
All communications will be electronic therefore it is vitally important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly.
If you withdraw your application at any stage, it will not be progressed any further.
After the Interview
Successful candidates will be posted in merit order. When posting every effort will be made to post people to one of their selected locations. However, there is no guarantee that there will be a vacancy at this location. During initial posting, we will not offer people a post in a location that they have not selected.
Reserve List
Successful candidates not offered a posting will be placed on the reserve list which will be held for 3 months.
- If you are offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances*.
- If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.
*Note - Exceptional circumstances could be when a candidate has requested a contractual Part Time Working Pattern and this pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health.
The reserve lists may also be used to offer future vacancies not necessarily restricted to the current locations included in the advert. They may also extend to Fixed Term Appointments (FTA) or Permanent vacancies which arise across the wider DWP network. Any such offers would be made in strict merit order to all candidates remaining on the reserve list. The location and job role would be fully explained to you. Refusal of the offer would not change your reserve list position.
Candidates should note that if successful in this campaign, you will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before applying for any other lateral moves within DWP.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified – as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work based qualification, which may be in the form of an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time, you agree to take this job on the basis that you may be required to undertake a work based qualification; a candidate’s failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of their employment contract.
Important
If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.