Working Together Example: Civil Service Answers That Score
What the Working Together behaviour actually means
Working Together is one of nine behaviours assessed under the Civil Service Success Profiles framework [2]. It is not simply about being friendly or cooperative. At every grade, the panel wants evidence that you actively built relationships, considered others' perspectives, and helped the group achieve something it could not have achieved alone.
The expectations scale with seniority. At AO and EO level, panels look for personal collaboration — listening, sharing information, supporting colleagues. At HEO and SEO, they want to see you bridging teams or managing competing priorities. At Grade 6 and 7, the focus shifts to leading cross-functional partnerships, influencing without authority, and building strategic relationships inside and outside your organisation [2].
| Grade | What the panel wants to see |
|---|---|
| AO / EO | Listening, sharing information, supporting colleagues, treating people with respect |
| HEO / SEO | Bridging teams, managing conflicting priorities, proactively building relationships |
| G6 / G7 | Leading cross-functional work, influencing without authority, strategic external partnerships |
For all grades, use the STAR structure: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Keep your situation brief — one or two sentences. Spend most of your time on the actions *you* personally took. See STAR Method Civil Service: How to Structure Winning Answers for a full breakdown of the method.
What good looks like: the four markers
Before the examples, here is what separates a strong answer from an average one. Strong answers do all four of these things.
- You are active, not passive. You reached out, you set up the meeting, you spotted the gap. Panels discount answers where things just happened around you.
- You name the relationship challenge. Good collaboration stories have friction — different priorities, a reluctant stakeholder, a communication breakdown. If there was no difficulty, there was no real collaboration.
- You show impact on others, not just output. The result should include what changed for the team, the stakeholder, or the user — not just that the project finished on time.
- You use 'I', not 'we'. The panel is assessing you. Describe what you personally did, even if the team did the rest.
Working together example 1: AO / EO level — supporting a new colleague across teams
AO / EO — Onboarding support across two teams (illustrative)
- Situation
- I joined a busy policy support team at the same time as a colleague who had transferred from a very different directorate. She had strong analytical skills but was unfamiliar with our processes and didn't know anyone in the wider team.
- Task
- My role was to process casework, but I could see that my colleague was struggling to get answers from people she didn't know, which was slowing down a shared project we were both contributing to.
- Action
- I introduced her to three colleagues in adjacent teams whose work overlapped with hers, and I set up a short informal catch-up so she could ask questions without feeling she was interrupting anyone. I also shared a process guide I had written for myself when I joined, and flagged to our line manager that the induction pack didn't cover the cross-team workflow — suggesting we update it for future starters. When she hit a technical query I couldn't answer, I found the right person and made the introduction rather than leaving her to search.
- Result
- She was fully contributing to the shared project within two weeks rather than the expected four. Our manager used my process guide as the basis for an updated induction document. The colleague later said the introductions I made became some of her most useful working relationships.
This works at AO/EO level because it shows proactive relationship-building and thinking beyond the immediate task, without overclaiming leadership. The candidate spots a problem, acts on it, and the result benefits the team — not just the individual.
Working together example 2: HEO level — resolving a cross-team conflict
HEO — Resolving a data-sharing dispute between two teams (illustrative)
- Situation
- Two teams in my directorate — one handling compliance, one handling customer communications — had reached a deadlock over how customer data could be shared for a joint campaign. Each team believed the other's approach created risk, and the project had stalled for three weeks.
- Task
- I was not the project lead, but as the HEO coordinating the workstream I was responsible for keeping the project moving. My task was to break the deadlock without escalating to senior management unnecessarily.
- Action
- I arranged separate conversations with the lead in each team to understand their specific concerns rather than their stated positions. I found that the compliance team's objection was about one particular data field, not the whole dataset. I drafted a revised data-sharing protocol that excluded that field and proposed an alternative way to achieve the campaign's goal without it. I then brought both leads together in a short meeting, presented the revised approach as a starting point rather than a solution, and gave each person space to raise further concerns. I documented the agreed approach and circulated it so both teams had a shared reference.
- Result
- The project restarted within a week. The revised protocol was later adopted as standard practice for similar cross-team campaigns. Both leads mentioned the resolution positively in the project retrospective.
This example is strong at HEO because the candidate influences without authority, listens to understand rather than to respond, and produces a lasting process improvement — not just a one-off fix.
Working together example 3: SEO level — building an external stakeholder relationship
SEO — Engaging a sceptical external partner on a joint delivery programme (illustrative)
- Situation
- My team was delivering a regional programme that required active cooperation from a local authority whose previous experience with central government had been poor. Their lead officer was openly reluctant to engage and had declined two earlier meeting requests from colleagues.
- Task
- As the SEO leading the relationship, I needed to rebuild trust and secure their participation — without which the programme could not meet its delivery targets.
- Action
- Rather than sending another formal meeting request, I asked a mutual contact to make an informal introduction. I then had a phone call with the local authority lead where I listened to their concerns about the previous programme — including specific instances where they felt their input had been ignored — and acknowledged those concerns directly rather than defending past decisions. I proposed a revised engagement structure that gave them a named point of contact (me), a standing slot in our programme board, and early sight of any decisions that would affect their area. I also arranged for our deputy director to write directly to their chief executive to signal the seriousness of the commitment.
- Result
- The local authority agreed to participate within a fortnight. Over the following six months they became one of the most constructive partners in the programme, sharing local data that improved our targeting. The relationship model I developed was replicated for two other reluctant local authorities.
At SEO level, panels want to see strategic thinking about relationships, not just good manners. This example shows the candidate diagnosing why the relationship had failed, designing a solution, and involving senior colleagues appropriately — without abdicating responsibility.
Working together example 4: Grade 6 — leading a cross-departmental working group
Grade 6 — Establishing a cross-departmental working group on a shared policy problem (illustrative)
- Situation
- Three departments had overlapping responsibilities for a policy area that was generating inconsistent guidance to the public. Each department had its own interpretation, and there was no forum for resolving the differences. The issue had been raised in a ministerial briefing as a reputational risk.
- Task
- I was asked to lead a cross-departmental working group to produce a single agreed position. The challenge was that each department had different priorities, different legal constraints, and no formal obligation to cooperate.
- Action
- I started by meeting the Grade 6 or Grade 7 lead in each department individually to understand what a successful outcome looked like from their perspective and what their red lines were. I used those conversations to design a working group structure where each department had equal standing — no department chaired it; I facilitated as an honest broker. I commissioned a short evidence summary that framed the problem in terms of public impact rather than departmental interest, which gave us a shared starting point. Where legal constraints genuinely prevented agreement, I brought in legal advisers from each department to work through the specific points together rather than exchanging written positions. I kept ministers' offices updated through a fortnightly note so that no one was surprised by progress or setbacks.
- Result
- The group produced a single agreed guidance document within four months. It was published jointly under all three departments' names — the first time that had happened in this policy area. The working group structure was cited in an internal review as a model for future cross-departmental collaboration.
This answer works at Grade 6 because it shows the candidate operating as a system leader — designing the conditions for collaboration, managing upward, and producing a structural change rather than just resolving a one-off dispute. The honest-broker framing is particularly strong.
Common mistakes that cost marks
These are the patterns that appear most often in weaker answers. Avoiding them is as important as getting the structure right.
- Describing a team effort without a personal contribution. 'We worked together really well' tells the panel nothing about you. Name what you specifically did.
- Choosing a conflict-free example. If everyone agreed from the start, there was nothing to collaborate on. Pick a story with genuine friction.
- Focusing on the task, not the relationship. Working Together is assessed separately from Delivering at Pace. The panel wants to hear about how you managed people and relationships, not just what you delivered.
- Overclaiming at junior grades. An AO describing how they 'led a strategic partnership' will not be believed. Match the scale of your example to the grade you are applying for.
- Vague results. 'The project was a success' is not a result. Say what changed, for whom, and — where you can — by how much.
- Using 'we' throughout. Switch to 'I' for your actions. You can use 'we' for context and outcomes, but the action section must be in first person.
If you are applying for multiple civil service roles, you will need a tailored version of your Working Together example for each one. The CV Studio can help you align your written application to the specific job description before you move to interview prep.
How to choose your best working together example
You may have several experiences to choose from. Use these questions to pick the strongest one.
- Was there a real relationship challenge — a reluctant stakeholder, conflicting priorities, a communication breakdown?
- Did you take a specific action to address it, rather than waiting for someone else to act?
- Can you describe a concrete result that benefited the team, the stakeholder, or the user — not just the project?
- Is the scale of the example appropriate for the grade you are applying for?
- Can you tell the story in under three minutes without losing the key detail?
If you answer yes to all five, you have a strong example. If you answer no to question one or two, keep looking. The Civil Service Success Profiles behaviours guidance is the definitive reference for what each grade requires [2].
For more on structuring answers across all nine behaviours, see Civil Service Behaviours Examples: What They Are and How to Answer Them. For the related behaviours that often appear in the same interview, see Communicating and Influencing Example: Civil Service Answers That Score and Making Effective Decisions Example: Civil Service Answers That Score.
Practise your working together answer before the interview
Reading examples is useful. Saying your answer out loud — and hearing where it falls apart — is what actually prepares you. The Interview Coach gives you eight role-specific questions, STAR-structured feedback on your answer, and a model answer to compare against. One session is free with an account.
You can also use it to practise follow-up questions — panels often probe with 'what would you do differently?' or 'how did you handle the person who disagreed?' — which are harder to prepare for without practice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a non-civil-service example for Working Together?
Yes. The panel assesses the behaviour, not the sector. An example from the private sector, a charity, or voluntary work is fine, provided it shows the same qualities: building relationships, managing friction, and achieving a shared outcome. Make sure the scale matches the grade you are applying for.
How long should my Working Together answer be?
Aim for two to three minutes when spoken aloud, which is roughly 350–450 words written out. Shorter than two minutes usually means you have skimped on the action. Longer than three minutes risks losing the panel. Practise with a timer before the interview.
What is the difference between Working Together and Communicating and Influencing?
Working Together focuses on building relationships and enabling collective delivery. Communicating and Influencing focuses on how you convey information and persuade others. There is overlap, but a Working Together answer should centre on the relationship and the shared outcome, not the communication technique. See Communicating and Influencing Example: Civil Service Answers That Score for worked examples of that behaviour.
Do I need to show conflict in my Working Together example?
Not necessarily conflict, but friction. The example needs some challenge — a reluctant stakeholder, competing priorities, a communication gap — otherwise there is nothing to demonstrate. If everyone agreed from the start and the project ran smoothly, the panel has no evidence of your collaboration skills.
Can I use the same Working Together example for different roles?
You can use the same core story, but tailor the emphasis to each job description. If one role focuses on external stakeholder management and another on internal team leadership, adjust which parts of your action you expand on. Read the job description carefully and match your language to the specific indicators listed.
What if my best example involves a failure or a project that did not go well?
Use it. Panels respect honesty, and a story that includes what went wrong and what you learned often scores higher than a polished success story. Focus your result on what you did to recover the situation and what you would do differently — that shows self-awareness, which is valued at every grade.
Related guides
- Changing and Improving Example: Civil Service Worked Answers
Four worked STAR examples for the Civil Service Changing and Improving behaviour, from EO to SCS level. Includes what assessors look for and common mistakes.
- Managing a Quality Service Example: Civil Service Worked Answers
Four worked STAR examples for Managing a Quality Service in civil service interviews, plus what good looks like and the mistakes to avoid.
- Civil Service Personal Statement Example: How to Write One That Works
A practical UK guide to writing a civil service personal statement, with a full worked example, STAR structure, word count tips and common mistakes to avoid.
- Communicating and Influencing Example: Civil Service Answers That Score
Four illustrative STAR examples for the Civil Service Communicating and Influencing behaviour, with grade-by-grade guidance and common mistakes to avoid.
- Civil Service Behaviours Examples: What They Are and How to Answer Them
Clear civil service behaviours examples for every grade, plus how to structure STAR answers that score well at application and interview. Free to read.
- STAR Method Civil Service: How to Structure Winning Answers
How to use the STAR method in civil service interviews and written applications. Practical steps, worked examples, and a pre-interview checklist.