Whilst I mainly focus on HEO grade work, there is currently a lot of interest in Executive Officer level behaviours. I will talk through some of the most common behaviours asked for, and where a prospective applicant can set themselves apart. It is important, when there is a lot of competition for a small number of jobs to really show that you are the preferred candidate.
Communicating and Influencing,
Here you are talking about a time when you talked to someone or a group of people and successfully communicated something.
Behaviour indicators:
Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
Take time to consider the best communication channel to use for the audience, including making the best of digital resources and considering value for money.
Interact with others in an enthusiastic way.
Express ideas clearly and with respect for others.
Listen to and value different ideas, views and ways of working.
Respond constructively and objectively to comments and questions.
Handle challenging conversations with confidence and sensitivity.
How you can set yourself apart:
Think about the following questions, your behaviour should answer:
What did you take into account when communicating with your target audience? Why did you do this?
How did you deal with negative reception to what you were communicating?
Why did you take into account other peoples views?
How did you work with people with different priorities to yours?
Managing a Quality Service
Managing a quality service is about doing your work to a high standard, and talking about how you made sure you did that.
Behaviour Indicators
Work with customers to understand their needs and expectations.
Create clear plans and set priorities which meet the needs of both the customer and the business.
Clearly explain to customers what can be done.
Keep colleagues and stakeholders fully informed of plans, possibilities and progress.
Identify common problems that affect service, report them and find possible solutions.
Deliver good customer service which balances quality and cost effectiveness.
How you can set yourself apart:
Explain how you know what is important, have you gathered feedback/data?
Remember that your manager/management team can either be seen as a customer or stakeholder.
How did you impact your team/site?
Making Effective Decisions
Here you talk about a time when you have made a decision. This may be difficult if you think you've never made a decision in work. Remember that Executive Officer is a grade which is expected to exercise discretion, perhaps in interpreting evidence or selecting a provision to refer a claimant to. These are sufficient examples for Executive Officer Grade.
Behaviour Indicators
Take responsibility for making effective and fair decisions, in a timely manner.
Analyse and research further information to support decisions.
Talk to relevant people to get advice and information when unsure how to proceed.
Explain how decisions have been reached in a clear and concise way, both verbally and in writing.
Demonstrate the consideration of all options, costs, risks and wider implications, including the diverse needs of end users and any accessibility requirements.
How you can set yourself apart
Talk about how you used statistics, referred to as MI.
Were there any risks that you weighed up and mitigated?
Recognise how the decision feeds into the bigger picture, a good example here is how Kickstart is a part of the wider Plan for Jobs launched by the Chancellor during the pandemic.
Do you need more help?
If you would like some additional support, drop me an email or use the contact form below.
Comments