1. Civil Service Fast Stream
Skills Session
University of Sussex
Friday, 1st March
2013

2. 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

3. Why choose us?
We are award winning
• 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

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5. Skills workshop:
HR Fast Stream and
strategies for
success

6. Fast Stream – graduate talent management
schemes
Central HR Northern Technology
Ireland
Houses of Diplomatic Analytical:
European Economists, Statisticians,
Parliament Service Operational Researchers
www.civilservice.gov.uk/faststream

7. What we’re looking for
Values

8. Fast Stream Competencies
Skill set Competencies
•Delivery Skills •Drive for results
•Learning and Improving
•Intellectual •Decision Making
Capacity
•Constructive thinking
•Interpersonal •Building productive relationships
Skills
•Communicating with impact

9. Progression of Fast Streamers
The SCS composition & inflow
Non FS
FS
60%
50%
40%
percentage
30%
20%
10%
0%
<10 yrs 10 to 15 yrs 15 to 20 yrs >20 yrs
Time to promotion into the SCS

10. Overview of Selection Process
Self Assessment (Online) Practice (Online)
Numerical & Verbal Numerical & Verbal Reasoning
Reasoning Assessment (voluntary)
Feedback
Fast Stream Assessment Centre
2nd Sifting Stage (Test Centre) 1st Sifting Stage (Online)
e-Tray Job Simulation Competency Questionnaire
Numerical & Verbal Reasoning Numerical & Verbal Reasoning
Retest Assessment

11. Skills workshop:
HR Fast Stream and
strategies for success
Assessment Centre

12. Assessment centre
Group Exercise Policy
& self-assessment Recommendation
Exercise
E-tray - written
Briefing Exercise
Interview & self-assessment

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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”.

17. 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

18. 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.

19. Policy Recommendation Exercise - continued
• Guidance: Part 2 - The second part • Don’t be overwhelmed with the information
involves developing a policy presented to you – use it in a logical manner
recommendation based on three different to formulate an appropriate response.
options that you should choose from, e.g.
options for investing in alternative sources • Structure response against the criteria given
of energy. (e.g. environmental or economic criteria) for
the different options.
• Decision Making ability and
Communicating with Impact skills are • There isn’t just one answer.
being assessed.
• Don’t forget introduction and conclusion.
• 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.

20. 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.

21. Group Discussion - during
• Keep focused on your objectives – • Consider your posture – be open.
remind the group if necessary as you go
through. • Don’t force your opinion but still seek to
defend your position.
• Listen carefully to the discussion so you
can keep track of the conversation. • Accept a compromise when it provides a
positive corporate solution.
• Support and build on others.

22. Group Exercise - practice
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.

23. Group Exercise - practice
EXERCISE BRIEF
Your 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. During the assessment centre – key things to
remember
Don’t expect
perfection Keep positive
Focus on current
exercise
Be authentic Use time effectively

27. 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!

28. Good luck!
www.civilservice.gov.uk/faststream