So you’ve jumped through the hoops and vaulted the hurdles to reach the assessment centre for the civil service’s sought-after graduate fast stream. What should you expect from the day? An assault course for the brain? An aggressive Hunger Games-style tournament with your fellow applicants? A bewildering psychological personality test?
None of these (but maybe a pinch of them all) suggests Philip Wilson, the chief assessor and chief psychologist on the fast stream team, who has been involved in the assessments for six years.
“We want people with good interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence,” says Wilson. “But of course we need people with intellectual capacity as well, because there is a lot of information that you need to be on top of as a civil servant. We’re also looking for people with drive, energy and commitment.” Finally, Wilson adds, assessors are looking for evidence of candidates’ values. “We want people who are going to be impartial who are balanced, honest and show integrity,” he says.
The day’s tasks include a group exercise, a leadership exercise, a written analysis and an interview. So what’s the best way to impress the assessors?
Prepare
The civil service offers pre-assessment advice and job sites provide online exercises. “It was definitely challenging,” says Imran Bhaluani, a current fast-streamer who aced the assessment last year. “But I had a good idea about what to expect because once you get through to the assessment centre you get an information pack. So you can prepare for it.”
As well as the online exercises, Bhaluani prepared for the interview by thinking of examples from his university and internships that demonstrated his skills in four civil service focus areas: managing a quality service, delivering at pace, collaboration and building capacity. So for managing a quality service he used an example of where he ran an event for a society at university. “It’s worth having at least two examples for each,” he says. “Although you can talk about some things you’ve done from multiple angles.”
Dress for a day at the office
Wilson says the assessment day has no dress requirements at all and the assessors won’t be judging you on what you wear. But applicants might feel most comfortable in office clothes, as that’s what most people will be wearing. “The danger is that if you come in very casual wear you may feel slightly uncomfortable if someone else is wearing a suit,” says Wilson.
Bhaluani, who has done placements in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions, agrees it’s a good idea to turn up in business wear. “It means that you can get into the right mindset. You should think of it as a day at the office.”
Stay focused and engaged
On the day, Wilson says one of the common mistakes people make is to lose concentration. It’s a long, challenging and tiring day and if applicants are too nervous or distracted they can lose points.
“We want people who will engage with the day, who will show enthusiasm and commitment and will focus, will concentrate,” says Wilson. “You need to be on top of your brief in order to respond to a task and if you switch off, or become too anxious, that may undermine your performance.”
There are regular refreshment breaks throughout the day, and Bhaluani brought some cereal bars with him to keep his energy levels up.
Don’t dominate
Even though everyone is being judged and the fast stream is very competitive – of the 37,000 graduates who apply, 2,700 attend the assessment centre and about 1,000 get through – cooperative rather than domineering behaviour is rewarded. “It’s not about trying to beat everybody else,” says Bhaluani. “It’s about trying to show the best of yourself but also help other people to show the best of themselves.”
Wilson agrees overbearing characteristics will not go down well. “We’re interested in people who are very collaborative and supportive,” he says. “We won’t like people who are overly aggressive or domineering or too disruptive.”
But don’t be too modest
In the interview in particular candidates will be expected to talk at length about what they’ve done in the past that has demonstrated their strengths. “Don’t feel shy about talking about what you’ve done,” says Bhaluani. “It’s very important, especially if you’re a bit more introverted, to be confident enough to give full answers.”
Enjoy yourself and find out if the fast stream is right for you
It might be hard to believe, but Bhaluani and Wilson say the day can be very enjoyable, and the people who perform best are the ones who stay positive. And for the first time this year the interview will assess people on their enthusiasm for the work, as well as their ability to do it.
“We’re trying to get people who really are engaged,” says Wilson. “It’s good to have people who are capable and competent of course, but any organisation wants people who really want to make a difference.”
The day is a chance for you to sense if the fast stream is right for you. “In the middle of the day you will get a chance to a meet a current fast-streamer and ask questions to get a feel for the role and the highlights and the challenges,” says Wilson. Prospective fast-streamers can also interact with current fast-streamers through Facebook or Twitter.
If you don’t get through, don’t despair
“Whether you get through or not you get very detailed feedback on what you did well on and what you could improve on,” says Bhaluani, who is now going on a secondment in the private sector. “You get a score and that score breaks down into each component. If you don’t get through and you want to apply again it’s very helpful.”
There are also other ways in to the civil service, aside from the fast stream.
Final top tip from the chief assessor
“Try to imagine that you are already in the organisation,” says Wilson. In other words, the assessors and the other candidates are colleagues, you’re already part of the culture. It will give you a mindset of confidence.”
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