Civil Service behaviours
Choosing examples for the nine Civil Service behaviours
Find the behaviour named in your vacancy. Each article explains what it covers, suggests experiences to consider and uses an illustrative example to help you prepare your own answer.
Check whether the behaviour is requested at written sift, interview or both. You do not need to prepare a written answer for every behaviour listed somewhere in the advert.
You can draw on work, volunteering, study and wider responsibilities where they demonstrate the requirement. Start with what you personally did, then check the grade-specific indicators. The guides are independent preparation advice, not scored model answers.
Managing a Quality Service: choosing your example
Service standards, customer needs and follow-up checks can all form part of your example. Explore situations from work and volunteering, with questions to develop your answer.
Read the article →Making Effective Decisions: explaining your reasoning
An example of comparing venues shows how to describe the information, alternatives and trade-offs behind a decision, including when approval was needed.
Read the article →Communicating and Influencing: adapting your message
Explore how listening, choosing a suitable format and checking understanding can demonstrate this behaviour, using an example of improving joining instructions.
Read the article →Working Together: showing your contribution
Describe your part in a shared task, from agreeing responsibilities to arranging a handover. Includes a community-event example and questions about cooperation.
Read the article →Delivering at Pace: priorities, deadlines and quality
Use an event-planning example to explore priorities, changes to a schedule and essential checks. The focus is on how the work was organised and delivered.
Read the article →Changing and Improving: describing a process improvement
A revised booking process illustrates how to explain a problem, test a change and act on feedback. Includes prompts for identifying improvements you contributed to.
Read the article →Developing Self and Others: showing the impact of learning
Examples from training, feedback and volunteer support help you describe what was learned, how it was applied and what someone could do afterwards.
Read the article →Choosing a Leadership example for your Civil Service application
Consider formal and informal responsibilities when choosing an example. Explain how you gave direction, supported others and took responsibility for the outcome.
Read the article →Seeing the Big Picture: linking your work to wider priorities
Connect your actions to the people and activities affected by them. A community scheduling example shows how a wider need can change an everyday decision.
Read the article →Each behaviour has a different set of indicators at each grade. The guides on this page describe what the behaviour means overall. Always read the official grade-specific indicators for the exact vacancy you are applying for.
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