Civil Service Fast StreamSkills Session

University of SussexFriday, 1st March

2013

Overview• Izi Gaff – HR Fast Streamer, 2012 Cohort

• Civil Service Equality and Diversity Team (DWP)

• HR Business Partner from March 2014

• Other schemes, other structures

• ALL offer range, breadth and depth – Departments– Operations/Policy/Corporate

• The Fast Stream is one of the top graduate schemes in the UK

• Consistently ranked in the top 10 of the "Times Top 100 Graduate Employers“

• Ranked in the “Guardian Top 300”

• A highly established and reputable scheme

Why choose us? We are award winning

Quick Tips!

Be confident

Demonstrate determination

Speak to

people who

work in CSEnjoy

yourself!

Be yourself

Smile

Believe in

yourself

Draw on your past experience

Research

online Find us on

Facebook

Show your

passion

Show drive

Skills workshop:

HR Fast Stream and strategies for

success

Fast Stream – graduate talent management schemes

www.civilservice.gov.uk/faststream

Central Northern Ireland

EuropeanAnalytical:

Economists, Statisticians, Operational Researchers

HR Technology

Houses of Parliament

Diplomatic Service

What we’re looking for

Values

Fast Stream Competencies

Skill set Competencies

•Delivery Skills •Drive for results

•Learning and Improving

•Intellectual Capacity

•Decision Making

•Constructive thinking

•Interpersonal Skills

•Building productive relationships

•Communicating with impact

Progression of Fast Streamers

The SCS composition & inflow

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

<10 yrs 10 to 15 yrs 15 to 20 yrs >20 yrs

Time to promotion into the SCS

perc

enta

ge

Non FS

FS

Overview of Selection Process

Competency Questionnaire

1st Sifting Stage (Online)

Numerical & Verbal Reasoning Assessment

Feedback

2nd Sifting Stage (Test Centre)

e-Tray Job Simulation

Numerical & Verbal Reasoning Retest

Practice (Online)

Numerical & Verbal Reasoning (voluntary)

Fast Stream Assessment Centre

Numerical & Verbal Reasoning Assessment

Self Assessment (Online)

Skills workshop:

HR Fast Stream and strategies for success

Assessment Centre

Assessment centre

Group Exercise

& self-assessment

E-tray - written

InterviewBriefing Exercise

& self-assessment

Policy Recommendation

Exercise

Presenting yourself

• Manage non-verbal communication

• Impact of first impressions

• Show enthusiasm and positivity

• Good eye contact, smiles

• Straight posture, occasional lean forward

• Clear, precise diction, manage speed

Assessment centre: Overcoming anxiety

• Name your fears– unknown – failure/rejection – ridicule

• Rationalise your fears – won’t be as bad as think– they want to see you! – can only do your best – about match with job – will be something else if doesn’t go well – little mistakes don’t matter overall

Exercise 1: Fast Stream Interview

• One-to-one interview will last around 40 minutes.

• Learning and Improving and Building Productive Relationships are being assessed.

• The assessor will have no background information about you, so you should not expect them to be familiar with the details you included on your application form.

Fast Stream Interview – continued

• During the interview, the assessor will explore the competencies in turn.

• Know yourself: go through your CV in the last few years that address these areas from across your experience/achievements – work, study and home.

• Have at least three or four successful examples for each area and where you have shown real commitment.

• Information treated as confidential.

• Explain your contribution – use “I” not “We”.

Giving answers - STAR

S – THE SITUATION YOU WERE IN

T – THE TASK YOU HAD TO COMPLETE

A – OUTLINE THE ACTION THAT YOU TOOK

R – THE RESULT OR OUTCOME

Exercise 2: Policy Recommendation

• Policy Recommendation Exercise (15 + 90 minutes): The exercise is in two parts.

• Guidance: Part 1 - The first part involves Innovative (Constructive) Thinking regarding a specific problem issue, e.g. creative ways to reduce pollution levels.

• Consider in advance how best to brainstorm ideas that suits you – e.g. a mind-map.

• Practice this at home by choosing a random policy idea and try to come up with as many ideas as possible to address this policy idea in about 15 minutes.

Policy Recommendation Exercise - continued

• Guidance: Part 2 - The second part involves developing a policy recommendation based on three different options that you should choose from, e.g. options for investing in alternative sources of energy.

• Decision Making ability and Communicating with Impact skills are being assessed.

• Split your time appropriately between reading and writing – i.e. don’t spend too long reading but ensure you have a feel for the brief so you can answer the exercise.

• Don’t be overwhelmed with the information presented to you – use it in a logical manner to formulate an appropriate response.

• Structure response against the criteria given (e.g. environmental or economic criteria) for the different options.

• There isn’t just one answer.

• Don’t forget introduction and conclusion.

Exercise 3: Group Discussion - before

• Group Exercise (45-50 minutes): Within the exercise you will be presented with a scenario and have a department/section to represent which favours a particular position.

• Drive for Results, Building Productive Relationships and Communicating with Impact are being assessed.

• Think of an effective meeting you have attended and why the meeting ran well – seek to learn from this.

• Read your brief thoroughly and make notes and highlight key points

• Don’t be overwhelmed with the information presented to you – use it in a logical manner to formulate an appropriate response.

• Turn up early and meet others you will be working with – this helps to build rapport and relieve any stress.

Group Discussion - during

• Keep focused on your objectives – remind the group if necessary as you go through.

• Listen carefully to the discussion so you can keep track of the conversation.

• Support and build on others.

• Consider your posture – be open.

• Don’t force your opinion but still seek to defend your position.

• Accept a compromise when it provides a positive corporate solution.

Instructions

• You and your colleagues in the group are meeting to discuss a problem you have been set and decide on recommendations for tackling it.

• You will have 5 minutes to read the exercise brief and prepare individually for the discussion. You can make notes if you wish.

• The discussion will last 20 minutes. • The assessors will be looking for evidence about

– the quality and range of the ideas you are able to put forward– how effective you are at convincing others to run with your ideas– how much you personally contribute to the discussion– how well you work with the others to come to an agreed conclusion.

• The discussion is meant to be informal and free-flowing. Do not appoint a chairperson. You must agree your decisions by consensus, not by voting on them.

Group Exercise - practice

EXERCISE BRIEFYour group is the Flood Action Committee for a village at risk of flooding.

You are responsible for coming up with ideas to protect it.• This is a meeting of the local Flood Action Committee, a group of concerned and

active people who live in the village of Southdown. Southdown itself is a vibrant community with its own primary school, shops, church and village hall.

• Over the last decade Southdown has been in danger of flooding from the River Wannett.

• The County Council, who are responsible for flood defence, have not yet implemented any plans to reduce the risk of flooding, or offered any funding. The local community in Southdown is getting very agitated about this lack of action.

• Your Action Committee now has the responsibility of coming up with some proposals to help protect the village.

• It should also think about additional sources of funding, particularly if it puts forward large projects or ones which the County Council may not wish to fund.

What you have to do• You have to come up with as many ideas as possible for helping the community.

Your local Councillor wants fresh thinking so be radical!• From these ideas you should select two distinctive options that will get local

people involved and committed and you should also agree some lines that will explain the benefit of these ideas to the media and to others.

Group Exercise - practice

Exercise 4: Briefing Exercise

• Briefing Exercise (30 minutes overall): selecting a project from a number of options and then present to the assessor (for 10 minutes) how it might be implemented, followed by Q and A (for 20 minutes). E.g. Engaging young people in voluntary work.

• Guidance: Before going in – think of what your objectives are and what you want the key messages to be.

• Innovative (Constructive) Thinking, Drive for Results and Communicating with Impact are being assessed.

• Structure what you are going to say on paper/in your head before going in.

• Have a good introduction and conclusion.

• Aim to develop some innovative ideas regarding the issue you are presenting on.

• Be calm/don’t speak too quickly.

• Think of any potential problems/risks/obvious questions and think how you might address these.

Learning and Improving Assessment

• Both the Briefing Exercise and Group Exercise asks you to reflect accurately on your performance.

• Learning and Improving is being assessed.

• You will rate and comment on your performance.

• The accuracy and honesty of your self-assessment against assessor judgement will be reviewed.

During the assessment centre – key things to remember

Don’t expect

perfection

Focus on current exercise

Be authentic Use time effectively

Keep positive

How to apply

Apply online from September 17th 2012:http://faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/The-Fast-Streams/HR-Fast-Stream/

Find us on Facebook:Civil Service Fast Stream (UK)

http://faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/Global/Docs/Fast-Stream-Assessment-Centre.pdf

Look out for our live discussions on Facebook!

Good luck!

www.civilservice.gov.uk/faststream