Civil Service Behaviours Examples: What They Are and How to Answer Them
What are Civil Service behaviours?
Behaviours are one of five elements in the Civil Service Success Profiles framework [2]. The others are Ability, Technical, Strengths and Experience. Behaviours are defined as the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job [2].
Because behaviours can be observed and measured, they help assessors predict how you are likely to perform in the role [3]. That is why the Civil Service uses them at application stage, in interviews, and sometimes in assessment centres.
The nine behaviours are [1]:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Developing Self and Others
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
Each behaviour is grade-specific. The bullet points that describe, say, 'Leadership' at AO level are different from those at G7. Always read the behaviour definitions for your target grade, not just the behaviour name [2].
How civil service behaviours are assessed
Behaviours can be assessed at several points in the recruitment process [2]. Knowing which format you face changes how you prepare.
| Assessment method | What you produce | Key tip |
|---|---|---|
| Application form (written example) | 250–500 words per behaviour | Use STAR; keep the Result specific |
| Behavioural interview | Spoken STAR answer, typically 3–5 minutes | Prepare 6–8 examples you can adapt |
| Situational Judgement Test | Choose the best response to a scenario | Answers reflect Civil Service values, not just common sense |
| Assessment centre exercise | In-tray, group discussion or role-play | Demonstrate the behaviour in real time |
| Personality questionnaire | Untimed self-report | Answer honestly; there is no trick |
For written examples and interviews, the STAR method is the standard approach. If you have not used it before, our STAR method guide walks through every step with worked examples.
Civil service behaviours examples: how to structure a strong answer
A strong behaviour example does four things: it sets the scene briefly, explains what you personally were responsible for, describes the specific actions you took, and states what happened as a result. The Action section should take up roughly half your word count.
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Describing what the team did rather than what you did personally
- Spending too many words on context and not enough on action
- Leaving out a result, or giving a vague one ('the project went well')
- Using an example from the wrong grade level (too junior or too senior)
- Picking an example that only partially matches the behaviour's bullet points
Delivering at Pace — EO grade example
- Situation
- My team had three weeks to process a backlog of 400 cases before a statutory deadline. Two colleagues were on sick leave.
- Task
- I was responsible for coordinating the remaining four team members and reporting progress to the deputy director each Friday.
- Action
- I mapped every case by complexity and redistributed the workload so simpler cases were batched together. I introduced a daily ten-minute stand-up so blockers were caught early. When one colleague flagged she was struggling, I reassigned her most complex cases and covered two myself.
- Result
- We cleared all 400 cases two days before the deadline. The deputy director cited the approach in the team's quarterly review as an example of good practice.
Notice the Result is specific (all 400 cases, two days early) and the Action section is the longest part. Adapt the scenario to your own experience — never copy it.
Communicating and Influencing — HEO grade example
- Situation
- A policy change meant we had to update guidance used by 12 local authority partners, some of whom were resistant to the new approach.
- Task
- I was asked to lead the stakeholder engagement and secure sign-off within six weeks.
- Action
- I started by meeting each partner individually to understand their specific concerns rather than sending a blanket briefing. I identified two recurring objections and worked with the policy team to produce a short Q&A document that addressed them directly. I then ran a webinar for all 12 partners, using plain language and avoiding jargon, and followed up with a written summary the same day.
- Result
- All 12 partners signed off the updated guidance within five weeks. Two partners who had been most resistant later asked to be involved in the next policy consultation.
This example shows listening and adapting, not just broadcasting a message — which is what the Communicating and Influencing behaviour rewards at HEO level.
Choosing the right examples for each behaviour
You do not need to have worked in the Civil Service to give good examples. The official guidance confirms that examples can come from work experience, volunteering, or activities connected to a hobby [2]. What matters is that the example genuinely reflects the behaviour's bullet points at your grade.
A practical way to prepare:
- Download the official Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours document and read the bullet points for your target grade [2].
- List six to eight situations from your career or life where you had clear personal responsibility and a measurable outcome.
- Map each situation to the behaviour it best illustrates. One situation can sometimes cover two behaviours.
- Draft each answer in STAR format, then cut anything that is not Action or directly supports it.
- Read the bullet points again and check your answer addresses at least two or three of them explicitly.
- Practise saying the answer aloud — written and spoken versions need different pacing.
If you are applying for your first civil service role and lack professional examples, focus on the Action and Result of situations from study, volunteering or part-time work. Assessors are trained to evaluate the quality of your thinking, not the seniority of your context. Our STAR method examples page has worked answers across a range of backgrounds.
Recruiting managers choose a selection of behaviours for each role — you will not be asked to demonstrate all nine [1]. Read the job description carefully and prepare only the behaviours listed.
Grade levels and what changes between them
The same behaviour name appears at every grade, but the expected complexity increases as you move up. Here is a rough guide to what shifts:
| Grade | Typical scope of examples expected |
|---|---|
| AA / AO | Own tasks; following processes; flagging issues to a line manager |
| EO | Own workload plus some coordination of others; identifying improvements |
| HEO / SEO | Team or project level; influencing peers and stakeholders; managing risk |
| G6 / G7 | Cross-team or programme level; strategic thinking; leading change; managing upwards |
| SCS | Organisational or cross-government; policy impact; senior stakeholder management |
If your example sounds like it belongs two grades below the role you are applying for, it will score poorly even if the STAR structure is perfect. Aim for examples where the stakes and the scope match the level of the job.
Practise your civil service behaviours examples before the interview
Reading a good example is useful. Saying it under pressure is a different skill. Most candidates underestimate how much their answers drift in a live interview — they add filler, lose the result, or forget to say what they personally did.
The Interview Coach gives you eight role-specific questions, STAR-structured feedback on each answer, and a model answer to compare against. You get one free session with a free account — no card needed. It is a practical way to find out whether your examples land before you are in the room.
For broader interview preparation, including how to handle panel interviews and situational questions, see our interview prep hub.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a civil service behaviour example be?
For a written application, most job adverts specify a word limit — commonly 250 words per behaviour. At interview, aim for three to four minutes per answer. In both cases, spend roughly half the time or words on the Action section. Cut context to the minimum needed for the assessor to understand the situation.
Can I use the same example for more than one behaviour?
Yes, if the situation genuinely illustrates both behaviours. Be careful though: if you are asked the same question twice in an interview panel, using identical examples looks like a limited range of experience. It is better to have a bank of six to eight distinct situations and adapt them as needed.
What if I have never worked in the Civil Service?
That is fine. The official guidance explicitly says examples can come from work experience, volunteering, or activities connected to a hobby [2]. What assessors look for is the quality of your thinking and the clarity of your actions — not whether the context was a government department.
Do I have to use STAR for every behaviour answer?
STAR is the most widely used structure and is well understood by civil service assessors. Some people use CARL (Context, Action, Result, Learning) or CAR (Context, Action, Result) for shorter answers. The key is that your answer has a clear personal action and a specific result. Structure matters less than those two things.
How do I know which behaviours to prepare for?
The job description will list the specific behaviours being assessed and the grade-level definitions that apply [1]. Do not prepare all nine — focus only on those listed. If the advert is vague, the official Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours document on GOV.UK gives the full definitions for every grade [2].
What does 'grade-specific' mean for behaviours?
Each behaviour has a different set of bullet points depending on the grade of the role. 'Making Effective Decisions' at AO level expects you to make straightforward decisions within your own work. At G7, it expects you to make complex decisions with incomplete information and manage wider risk. Always read the bullet points for your specific target grade [2].