044R CUSTOMER SERVICE CONSULTANT (AO)

RECRUITMENT
GUIDANCE ON HOW TO BEST PREPARE FOR YOUR
INTERVIEW

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Introduction
Congratulations on being invited to attend an interview for the role of Customer Service Consultant
at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
This pack aims to provide you with guidance and information to support you in preparing for your
interview. It is important that you read the Candidate Information Pack, this document is not
exhaustive and is intended to be a guide.
This pack only covers the key information about the interview; please do refer to the Candidate
Information Pack for a copy of the job description and lots of useful information that will help you
prepare. The Candidate Information Pack is available via our website.

The application time-line

Who to Contact if You Have Any Questions?

Please email us at customerservice@hmrc.resourcing-support.co.uk. Were sorry we cannot
provide you with a telephone number, however, well respond via email as quickly as we are able.

Key Information about the Interview

How to change or cancel your interview
If you need to change your interview, you can do so by logging into your application and changing
your interview slot up-to 48 hours before your interview. If you need to make any changes or are
unable to attend with less than two days notice you will not be able to do this online.
Please email us at customerservice@hmrc.resourcing-support.co.uk as soon as possible.

Not able to attend your interview?

Please email us at customerservice@hmrc.resourcing-support.co.uk as soon as possible.
What to expect on the day

Please make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes early

We will verify all of your documentation and identification (approximately 30 minutes)
You will then be taken through to your interview
The interview panel will consist of two HMRC staff members

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You will be asked questions on two competencies for this role. Typically, the interview
takes around 25- 30 minutes to complete.

Please read this pack thoroughly, as we have provided lots of information on what to expect and
how best you can prepare for your interview.
Interview Dates - I cant make the interview dates on offer what do I do?
We expect to hold one sweep up date for interviews, please email us and we will provide the date.
Please note we will not be able to provide ad-hoc interviews and ask that you book into one of the
available slots.
Interview Locations - do I have to attend an interview in my preferred location?
You will only have access to interview slots in your preferred location. If you would like to attend
an interview in a different location please email us as soon as possible so that we can arrange this
for you.
Expenses - can I claim costs and expenses for the interview?
No. Any costs are incurred at your own expense.
Support at interview - how do I arrange support or assistance (such as to support a
disability) at interview?
If you have already told us about support that you need at your interview in your application form
you do not need to take any action, we will confirm 3-4 days before your interview that
arrangements have been made.
If you have not told us about the support you need in your application form, please email us at
least 48 hours before your interview so that we may arrange support. Please note there will be NO
assessments or tests at interview.
When will you know the outcome of your interview?
This will depend on when the last interview is held in your preferred location. If you are one of the
first applicants to attend an interview it can take a couple of weeks before we can let you know the
outcome whilst the remaining interviews are completed.
We will keep you informed and send you emails with updates as we know them. Please note, as
detailed in the advert, we may make offers to successful candidates at different times in different
locations.

Important Documents to Bring to Your Interview

If you are successful at interview and are offered a post we will also need to complete security
clearance. It is very important that you bring required documents with you to the interview. We
reserve the right to cancel your interview if you do not bring them.

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The documents that you need to bring must include:

If you work for HMRC you will need to bring your ID Badge to verify your identity
All other candidates will need to bring:
Evidence of Right to work, Nationality and Identity
Documents required allowing us to complete a DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service)
2 passport photographs
PLEASE ensure that you bring both the original and a photocopy of each document. The
documents we require for pre-employment clearances are summarised below. If you are not able
to provide the summary documents below, the combinations and alternative documents that you
can bring are detailed in Annex 1.
Pre-Employment Clearance Documents
If you currently work for HMRC you will need to bring your ID card to the interview.
If you do not currently work for HMRC (including candidates from other government departments)
you will need to produce various documents and bring them to the interview.
A full list of the documents that can be used is provided in Annex 1. As a summary only, if you are
have a full valid passport and can bring two of the documents below this will typically meet the
requirement. Please do ensure that you read Annex 1 and check that you bring the right
documents on the day.
If you are able to bring a full valid passport you will also need to bring TWO of the following:

bank or building society statement at given address dated within the last three months
credit card statement at given address dated within the last three months
original birth certificate (issued within 42 days of birth)
adoption certificate (issued within 42 days of adoption order)
utility bill (dated within the last three months) / council tax bill (dated within the current tax
year) sent to your given address (please note, mobile phone bills will not be accepted)

If you do not have a full current passport then please refer to Annex 1 for alternative documents.

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National Insurance number

If you have never worked in the UK, you will be required to provide proof of your National
Insurance number using one of the following:

National Insurance card

Original letter confirming National Insurance number issued by a government department.

A full list of the documentation that is acceptable be found on page 10, Annex 1.

Competency Based Interview

Some guidance to help you best prepare
This will be a competency based interview. Competency-based interviews are usually when you
are asked questions that ask you to provide an example of when you have demonstrated a
particular behaviour or skill (a competency). Questions are usually:
Tell me a time when
Describe a way in which you
Tell us about a situation when.
Essentially, what the interview panel is looking for are practical examples of two of the three key
competencies for this role:

Please ensure to you read the full description and the behavioural indicators provide for the above
competencies when thinking of potential examples. These are provided on page 12.
Your examples can be from your job today or a previous job. They can also be drawn from your
education or relate to an extra-curricular pastime such as sports teams or groups of which you
may be part. The strength of the examples is also important so please ensure you think of the
most challenging, complex or stretching examples of when you have demonstrated the
behavioural indicators.

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Can I prepare my examples?

The questions you will be asked are unique to this interview and will be asked of all candidates. As
such you will not be able to prepare a scripted response as you will not know the question you
will be asked. It is really important that you listen to the specific question and provide the best
example you can.
However it is worth spending time preparing a range of examples when you have demonstrated
the competencies and behavioural indicators (page 12) so that you have a range of examples from
which to draw. For each example write a bullet point for each of the STAR headings (page 7) and
practice your answers with a critical friend or member of your family.
Can I use the same examples I provided in my application?
As detailed above it is really important that you provide the best example you can think of based
upon the question asked. If the example provided in your application is the best example you have
please feel free to use it. The panel will not have seen the example provided in your application.
PLEASE NOTE: we are not able to provide you with a copy of the examples in your application if
you have failed to save them as instructed. Due to the large volume of candidates this is not
possible.
What will the panel know about you?
It is important to stress that the interview panel will only be provided with your name and any
reasonable adjustments you may require at interview. The panel will NOT have access to or have
seen:
Your employment history
Your application form
Your education, qualifications or accreditations
Test results or a copy of the competency statements provided in your form.
The outcome of your interview will be based solely on what you say in the interview and the
strength of examples you give to demonstrate the positive behavioural indicators for each
competency.
How many questions will you be asked?
The panel will ask you questions covering:
Delivering at Pace
Making Effective Decisions.
The panel are likely to ask some probing questions or may ask you more than one question on
each competency to make sure you have the best chance of providing examples. We want you to
do well in the interview so if we ask you lots of questions, it is because we are trying to get the
best from you in order for you to succeed.

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Throughout your interview we will be looking for evidence of communicating with clarity, conviction
and enthusiasm within your responses, in addition to you speaking clearly and confidently in such
a way which can be easily understood.

Information on competencies
Competencies are the skills, knowledge and behaviours that lead to successful performance.
The competency framework sets out how we want people in the Civil Service to work. It puts the
Civil Service values of honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity at the heart of everything we
do and is aligned to the three leadership behaviours that every Civil Servant needs to model: Set
Direction, Engage People and Deliver Results.
Civil Servants work in a range of jobs across the country and overseas. Their common thread is
that they serve to support the elected government, providing advice to help shape its policies and
ensuring seamless and practical implementation in line with those policies.

Using the STAR approach to prepare for your interview

One approach that may help you is the STAR method (detailed below) which helps provide a
structure and focus to your responses.
During your interview remember to choose real life examples which best demonstrate the
indicators and your experience of this competency. When deciding which examples to use, focus
on those that demonstrate the largest number of indicators for that competency.

We have provided further information below:

Start with the SITUATION or TASK
The situation or task is when you can tell the panel about the situation that you have been
confronted with or the task that needed to be accomplished. With the STAR approach you need to
set the context.
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Please try to make this concise and informative; concentrating solely on what is useful to the story.
For example, if your example is describing a situation where you had to deal with a difficult person,
explain why the person was being difficult or if an example of teamwork, explain how you
undertook the task and the team considerations. This is where you need to demonstrate and
highlight the skills and personal attributes that the scenario is testing.
Now you have set the context you will need to explain what you did. Please remember:
Be personal - i.e. talk about what you did
Provide some details dont assume that the panel will guess what you mean
Steer clear of technical information, unless it is crucial to the story
Explain what you did, how you did it and why you did it that way.
Move onto the ACTION you took
The panel want to know how you reacted to the situation. This is where you can start selling some
important skills. For example, you may want to describe how you used the team to achieve a
particular objective and/or how you used your communication skills to keep everyone updated.
Tell the panel about the RESULT
This is where you explain what happened eventually how it all ended. It also provides you with
the opportunity to describe what you feel you accomplished and what you learnt from that
situation. This helps you make the answer personal and enables you to highlight further skills.
This is probably the most crucial part of your answer; we want to know that you are able to
demonstrate a variety of generic skills in order to achieve objectives. You must therefore be able
to demonstrate in your answer that you took the actions to achieve a specific objective and did not
achieve it simply by chance.
Hints & Tips
Keep the situation and task elements brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result
was not entirely successful, describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently
next time.
Dont get caught up in telling a story in your example. Just give enough to show how you went
about the task, why you did it the way you did and any obstacles you encountered.

Make sure you include how you overcame any problems or obstacles.
Keep looking back at the competency indicators and cover the key points.
Describe your thoughts, actions and feelings rather than just describing what happened.
Dont forget to include results and show why your actions were effective and / or how you
could have improved on what you did.
Use I not we. This is about your role in the task and how you affected the outcome.
Use short statements that show the value you added and use your own words.
Choose your most powerful examples situations that have lots of substance.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Please find below some frequently asked questions. Do email us if your question is not covered,
however, we request you read the advert and this guidance in full before emailing us.

Start Date and Locations

Start Dates - when can I expect to take up duty?
Due to the number of people we are expecting to appoint, take up duty dates will be staggered
over several months. The earliest we would expect you to start work would be April 2017.
Location Preferences - which locations will I be offered if successful?
We will offer successful applicants roles based upon the preferred location preference you detailed
in your application, in Merit order.
Changing preferred location - can I change my preferred locations?
We are not able to accept any requests to change your preferred location during the recruitment
process.

Posting Queries
Business Area - can I choose which job role and business area I want to work in?
No. You could be working for a number of directorates within Customer Service dependent on the
location you apply for and the roles we have available. We may also offer successful applicants
roles within any HMRC business group at this grade.
Location - can I choose which location I want to work in?
Your application will be managed in strict merit order based upon your first location preference
which you will be asked to select in your application. You will be able to select addition location
preferences. We are not able to accept any changes to your preferences during the recruitment
process.
Reserve List - how long does the reserve list last?
The reserve list will last for 3 months. HMRC will offer further appointments for the duration of the
list wherever possible.
Part time- how do I request an alternative working pattern (i.e. part-time)?
Due to the current business position, we are NOT able to offer alternative working patterns (or
part-time hours) at this time.

Annex 1 - Documents to bring to your interview

This sample checklist details the combination and type of documents we are able to consider
when managing the basic security check, as detailed in the Candidate Information Pack.
Right to Work Documents can be:
Valid UK Passport
Expired UK Passport (corner not cut)
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Valid EEA Passport

Valid non-EEA Passport & Visa
Full UK Birth Certificate (A4 size) & Proof of NI

Identity Check Documents can be:

Current signed full Passport, National Identity Card and/or other documentation relating to
immigration status and permission to work
Current UK photo card driving licence
Current full UK driving licence (old version)
Current evidence of entitlement to DWP benefits (e.g. Universal Credit)
Building Industry sub-contractors certificate issued by HMRC
Recent HMRC tax notification
Current firearms certificate
Birth Certificate (long version only)
Adoption Certificate
Marriage Certificate
Divorce, dissolution or annulment papers
Civil Partnership certificate
Citizen card
Gender recognition certificate
Police registration document
HM Forces identity card
Proof of residence from a financial institution
Record of an office home visit *
Confirmation from an Electoral Register search that a person of that name lives at that
address *
Recent original utility bill or certificate from a utility company confirming the arrangement to
pay for the services at a fixed address on prepayment terms *
Local authority tax bill (valid for current year) *
Bank, building society or credit union statement or passbook containing current address *
Recent original mortgage statement from a recognised lender *
Current local council tenancy agreement *
Court order *
Please note - those marked with an * shall be recent - within the last six months - and shall contain
your name and address.
DBS documents can be:
Please note you will need to provide: one document from Group 1 and two further documents from
either Group 1, or Group 2a or 2b. At least one of the documents must show your current address.
Group 1: Primary Identity Documents
Current Valid Passport
Biometric Residence Permit (UK)
Current Driving Licence Photo Card (UK) (Full or Provisional)
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Birth Certificate (UK and Channel Islands) - issued at the time of birth
Adoption Certificate (UK and Channel Islands).

Group 2a: Trusted Government Documents

Current driving licence (UK) (Full or Provisional) - paper version (if issued before 1998)
Current Non-UK Photo Driving Licence
Birth Certificate (UK and Channel Islands) - issued after the time of birth by the General
Register Office/relevant authority i.e. Registrars
Marriage/Civil Partnership Certificate (UK and Channel Islands)
HM Forces ID Card (UK)
Fire Arms Licence (UK; Channel Islands and Isle of Man)
Group 2b Financial/Social History Documents
If a document in the List of Valid Identity Documents is:
- Denoted with * - it should be less than three months old.
- Denoted with ** - it should be issued within the past 12 months.
- Not denoted it can be more than 12 months old.

Mortgage Statement ** (UK or EEA)

Bank/Building Society Statement (UK and Channel Islands or EEA)*
Bank/Building Society Account Opening Confirmation Letter (UK)
Credit Card Statement * (UK or EEA)
Financial Statement ** e.g. pension, endowment, ISA (UK)
P45/P60 Statement **(UK & Channel Islands)
Council Tax Statement ** (UK & Channel Islands)
Work Permit/Visa ** (UK) (UK Residence Permit) - valid up to expiry date
Letter of Sponsorship from future employment provider (Non-UK/Non-EEA only valid only
for applicants residing outside of the UK at time of application)
Utility Bill * (UK) Not Mobile Telephone
Benefit Statement * e.g. Child Allowance, Pension
A document from Central/ Local Government/ Government Agency/ Local Authority giving
entitlement * (UK & Channel Islands) e.g. from the DWP, Employment Service , Customs &
Revenue, Job Centre/JCP, Social Security
EU National ID Card
Cards carrying the PASS accreditation logo (UK and Channel Islands)
Letter from Head Teacher or College Principal (16/19 year olds in full time education (UK)
only used in exceptional circumstances when all other documents have been exhausted

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Annex 2 - The competencies and behavioural indicators for this role

Delivering at Pace (1st Lead Competency) Administrative Officer (AO) Grade
Effectiveness in this area means focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality
outcomes. For all staff, its about working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way. For
leaders, it is about building a performance culture where staff are given space, authority and support to deliver outcomes. Its also about keeping
a firm focus on priorities and addressing performance issues resolutely, fairly and promptly.
Effective Behaviour People who are effective are likely to

Ineffective Behaviour People who are less effective are likely to

Work in an organised manner using own knowledge and

Show little interest in own work or in getting the job

expertise to deliver on time and to standard

done properly

Work with energy and pace to get the job done

Wait to be told what to do and rely on others to sort

out problems

Take responsibility for the quality of own work and keep

Ignore own part in ensuring their team can deliver and avoid

manager informed of how the work is progressing

supporting colleagues to get the job done even when the

need is clear

Remain focused on delivery

Be easily discouraged or distracted

Maintain consistent performance

Give up quickly when things do not go smoothly

Participate in quality assurance of products or services

Miss the opportunity to suggest improvements through

quality assurance

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Making Effective Decisions (2nd Lead Competency) Administrative Officer (AO) Grade
Effectiveness in this area is about using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to arrive at accurate, expert and professional decisions and
advice. For all staff its being careful and thoughtful about the use and protection of government and public information to ensure it is handled
securely and with care. For leaders its about reaching evidence based strategies, evaluating options, impacts, risks and solutions and creating a
security culture around the handling information. They will aim to maximise return while minimising risk and balancing a range of considerations to
provide sustainable outcomes.
Effective Behaviour - People who are effective are likely to..

Ineffective Behaviour - People who are less effective are likely to

Make and record effective decisions following the

Compromise the consistency and quality of

appropriate decision making criteria, framework or guidance

decision making

Monitor and store critical data securely and accurately,

Fail to research or use relevant information or support to

confidentially and responsibly

carry out tasks

Undertake appropriate analysis to support decisions or

Make decisions or recommendations without the evidence

recommendations

to back them up

Investigate and respond to gaps, errors and irregularities in

Overlook anomalies in evidence presented

information
Speak up to clarify decisions and query these constructively

Miss opportunities to take part in constructive conversations

about decisions made

Think through the implications of own decisions before

confirming how to approach a problem/issue

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Give limited consideration to the impact of their decisions

Leading and Communicating (3rd Lead Competency) Administrative Officer (AO) Grade
At all levels, effectiveness in this area is about showing our pride and passion for public service, communicating purpose and direction with
clarity, integrity, and enthusiasm. Its about championing difference and external experience, and supporting principles of fairness of
opportunity for all. For leaders, it is about being visible, establishing a strong direction and persuasive future vision; managing and engaging
with people in a straightforward, truthful, and candid way.
Effective Behaviour - People who are effective are likely
to

Ineffective Behaviour - People who are less effective are likely to

Put forward their own views in a clear and constructive

Miss opportunities to contribute positively to discussions

manner, choosing an appropriate communication method,

about the organisation or team

e.g. email/ telephone/ face to face

Act in a fair and respectful way in dealing with others

Show bias or a lack of respect and treat some groups more

favourably than others

Write clearly in plain simple language and check work for

Make little effort to ensure they express themselves in an

spelling and grammar, learning from previous inaccuracies

effective manner that others can easily understand

Ask open questions to appreciate others point of view

Withhold work information and refuse to share knowledge

that would help others do a better job

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