Candidate
Guide
State Services Authority
VPS GRADS 2015 INTAKE
Contents
1.
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 3
2.
ELIGIBILITY ................................................................................................................................. 3
3.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS AND TIMELINES .................................................................................... 5
4.
SELECTION CRITERIA ASSESSED AT EACH STAGE OF THE PROCESS ................................................ 6
5.
ONLINE APPLICATION ................................................................................................................. 7
6.
ONLINE APTITUDE ASSESSMENTS ............................................................................................... 8
7.
ASSESSMENT CENTRE ................................................................................................................. 9
8.
ACTIVITIES AT THE ASSESSMENT CENTRE .................................................................................. 10
9.
GRADS SHORTLIST .................................................................................................................... 14
10.
DEPARTMENT AND AGENCY INTERVIEWS ................................................................................. 15
11.
VERBAL OFFER PROCESS ........................................................................................................... 16
12.
CANDIDATE FEEDBACK ............................................................................................................. 16
13.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT .................................................................................................. 17
14.
CONTACT ................................................................................................................................. 17
15.
WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN OUR GRADUATE RECRUITS .................................................................. 18
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
Page 2 of 19
1.
Introduction
The Victorian Public Service (VPS) Graduate Recruitment and Development Scheme (GRADS) recruits high
potential tertiary graduates to the VPS. The State Services Authority (SSA) manages the scheme, including
the GRADS recruitment process which is administered by HOBAN Recruitment.
The VPS GRADS gives graduates a great opportunity to establish a solid understanding of the VPS before
taking up a specific role in their second year of employment. The scheme also runs specialist streams that
build on the generalist VPS GRADS and enable graduates to develop further expertise in accounting and
finance, business and technology, economics, education or law.
Each year VPS GRADS selection criteria are reviewed to ensure selection is in line with the purpose of the
scheme and of individual recruiting managers. Applications for the 2015 intake of the VPS GRADS will be
assessed on the following criteria:

shares the values of the Victorian public sector:
 integrity
 responsiveness
 impartiality
 accountability
 respect
 leadership
 human rights

conceptual and analytical ability

teamwork

initiative and accountability

flexibility

verbal communication skills

written communication skills.
2.
Eligibility
Candidates must submit personal information and meet the eligibility criteria below in order to register
interest in the 2015 VPS GRADS intake.

Australian working rights – Candidates need to be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or
permanent resident at the time of application (anticipation of citizenship or permanent
residence before the start of the program is insufficient ).

Candidates must not have received a redundancy from the VPS in the last three years.

Candidates must have a minimum of a three-year undergraduate degree by the end of 2014
(diplomas or other non-tertiary courses of study are insufficient). If you have an Australian
post-graduate qualification, or one recognised in Australia, you have met the minimum
qualification requirement for the VPS GRADS.
You must provide transcripts of your degree:
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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
Overseas transcripts and qualifications – Recognition from Australian Education International
(AEI)-NOOSR is required as evidence of eligibility for the VPS GRADS. This can take up to
three months so candidates should commence this process early. For candidates who have
not received NOOSR recognition at the time of submitting an online application, evidence is
required that the process is underway (i.e. AEI-NOOSR letter of receipt of request).

New Zealand transcripts – Academic transcripts from New Zealand meet the eligibility
requirement for the generalist stream. In order to be considered for specialist streams in
addition to the generalist stream, candidates must provide recognition from AEI-NOOSR.
Please note that AEI-NOOSR governs the implementation of the Trans-Tasman Mutual
Recognition Agreement for Australia. AEI-NOOSR will advise whether your NZ qualifications
are mutually recognised under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement or not.
 Candidates must agree to undertake a Police Criminal Records Check.
Candidates may be eligible to receive support through the reasonable adjustments policy or the Aboriginal
Pathway to the VPS GRADS. Some of the personal information you are asked to provide with your
Expression of Interest relates to these processes. Please consider whether you would like to receive this
support. A member of the VPS GRADS recruitment team will contact those who have indicated interest in
the first instance.
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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ROUND ONE
3.
Recruitment process and timelines
Timelines
Recruitment process
Now – Thurs 27 February
Expressions of interest received
Fri 28 Feb – midnight Fri 28
March
Online applications received (public holiday Monday 10
March)
Friday 4 April
Unsuccessful candidates advised
Mon 7 April – Thurs 10 April
Online assessments conducted. All online assessments must
be completed by COB Thurs 10 April
Mon 14 April – Tues 22 April
Assessment centres booked by phone (public holiday Friday
18 April and Monday 21 April)
Tues 15 April
Unsuccessful candidates advised
Wed 23 April – Wed 7 May
Half-day assessment centres (public holiday Friday 25 April)
Wed 14 May
Unsuccessful candidates at this stage advised
Mon 2 June – Fri 6 June
Department interviews scheduled by phone
Wed 11 June – Fri 27 June
Round one interviews (public holiday Monday 9 June)
Mon 16 June – Fri 27 June
Feedback provided to candidates who did not progress to
the GRADS shortlist (if requested)
Wed 2 July – Tues 8 July
Round one offer period
AD HOC
RECRUITMENT
ROUND TWO
If you have not heard from the relevant department or agency within two weeks of advising
the VPS GRADS team that you intend to accept a written offer of employment, please contact
the VPS GRADS team on 1300 662 930.
Fri 1 Aug – Thurs 7 Aug
Department round two interviews scheduled by phone
Mon 11 Aug – Fri 22 Aug
Round two interviews
Mon 11 Aug – Fri 22 Aug
Feedback provided to candidates who progressed to the
GRADS shortlist but did not attend a department interview
and requested feedback
Wed 27 Aug – Tues 2 Sept
Round two offer period
If you have not heard from the relevant department or agency within two weeks of advising
the VPS GRADS team that you intend to accept a written offer of employment, please contact
the VPS GRADS team on 1300 662 930.
September 2014 through to
the end of January 2015
Ad hoc recruitment cycles as required.
January 2015
Feedback provided to interviewed candidates who were not
offered positions and have not previously received
department interview feedback from round one or two.
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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4.
Selection criteria assessed at each stage of the
process
Online
Application
form
Department
process
Assessment centre
Aptitude
testing
Case
study
Role
play
Behavioural
interview
Technical
questions
Department
interview
(economist
only)
Integrity
X
Ability – abstract/
conceptual
Teamwork
X
X
X
X
X
Initiative and
accountability
Flexibility
X
X
X
Verbal
communication
Written
communication
X
X
X
X
X
Education
X
Technical skills
X
X
Department/
agency values
X
Additional
personal qualities
X
Additional skills
or knowledge
X
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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5.
Online application
The online application is your first opportunity to demonstrate that you meet the selection criteria. Not all
candidates will progress past this stage.
The online application is primarily a questionnaire – the questions relate to the selection criteria. You will
also be asked to provide any clear department or agency preferences you may have. You will be able to
upload your latest resume and academic transcripts.
The following are some tips to help you do your best.

Start your online application well before the deadline. If you have questions or technology issues
on the due date, you may not be able to resolve these quickly enough to lodge your application on
time. Please note that online applications close at midnight on Friday 28 March. Applications
submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Set aside at least 1.5 hours to complete your application. Take note of character limits as
information you provide beyond these limits will not be considered.

We recommend that you prepare your responses in a word processing program and then copy and
paste them into your online application form. If you experience technical issues on the site, you
may lose the information and need to start again.

Proof read your application. Your writing skills are assessed along with your responses.

If you are experiencing difficulty uploading documents, try saving the files in a different format or
at a lower resolution. Only your resume and the transcript for your undergraduate degree or the
qualification for the streams you are applying for need to be uploaded. If you have an overseas
qualification, also upload relevant AEI-NOOSR evidence or a letter of receipt of request. We will
collect other documentation, such as transcripts for further qualifications and proof of eligibility, at
the assessment centre if you progress to this stage.

Once you have successfully submitted your online application, you will receive an email confirming
receipt. We recommend that you check all spam filters on your email account as emails sent from
an unknown address may automatically move to your spam folder. HOBAN Recruitment will later
send you a contact email with your individual log-in details outlined. You will be required to use
these log-in details for the duration of the process to ensure that your personal details are kept up
to date.

Provide honest and accurate information as integrity is a value of the VPS. Your responses will be
confirmed at other stages in the process.
Selection criteria assessed with the online application form are:
 integrity
 teamwork
 flexibility
 written communication.
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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6.
Online aptitude assessments
If your application progresses to the next stage, you will be invited to complete two online aptitude
assessments – Numerical Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning. These assessments use technology that
adapts to your individual ability in these areas. If you respond correctly to an item, you will receive more
challenging subsequent items. If you respond incorrectly, the system will present items that are better
aligned to your level of challenge.
The benefit of this type of testing is that we are able to obtain an accurate estimate of your underlying
ability without asking you many questions. It is important to keep the nature of these assessments in mind
as you may find them more challenging than other assessments you have completed. This is because you
will not be presented with items that are below your ability level. Strong candidates may tend to
underestimate how well they have performed on these assessments.
These assessments help the VPS predict how quickly you will learn new information during the graduate
program and how effectively you will use information, sometimes in ambiguous situations, to solve
problems. The assessments have been used with thousands of other graduate candidates in Australia,
allowing us to compare your performance to that of your peers. As such, we are able to set benchmarks for
these assessments in line with the capability required in these areas on the VPS GRADS.
Benchmarks are currently set for each of these assessments at the 50th percentile. This means that only
candidates who perform on both assessments as well as or better than 50 per cent of all Australian tertiary
graduates who have done the assessments will progress in the recruitment process.
Each assessment is timed for 20 minutes. It is unlikely you will be able to complete all of the questions in
that time. Please set aside at least 45 minutes to allow time for reading instructions and viewing sample
items. You will want to be in a quiet place free from distractions with a high-speed internet connection.
The timer does stop as each question loads so you will not be penalised for slower connection speeds. If
you prefer, you may complete the assessments in HOBAN Recruitment’s Melbourne offices.
Online assessments are not designed to be completed by people with visual impairments not corrected
with corrective lenses. If you are in this situation and you did not indicate this with your Expression of
Interest, please contact the VPS GRADS recruitment team to make suitable arrangements.
Similarly, if you are unable to undertake online aptitude tests for a reason other than visual impairment
and did not advise us of this in your Expression of Interest, please contact the VPS GRADS recruitment team
to make suitable arrangements.
Selection criteria assessed with the online aptitude assessments are:

abstract and conceptual ability.
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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7.
Assessment centre
If your application progresses from online assessment, you will be invited to attend a half-day session at an
assessment centre.
7.1
What is an assessment centre?
GRADS assessment centres use three different activities to assess your capability against the selection
criteria. We understand that each individual has unique strengths so our process is designed to provide you
with an opportunity to demonstrate your capability.
You will be asked to complete the following assessment activities:

a role play

a case study exercise

a behavioural interview (incorporating technical questions for economist stream candidates).
You will also be able to chat informally with VPS staff and past graduates at the assessment centre.
Tips for assessment centres

The assessment centre is not designed to catch you out. Try to relax, be yourself and
enjoy the activities.

Listen carefully to the instructions you are given. If you are unsure what to do, ask for
clarification.

Be enthusiastic. Plan to have a good night’s sleep so your energy level is high.

Address all the issues and questions outlined in each activity.

Know the time limit for each activity.

Consider the selection criteria when framing your answers.

Gather information about assessment centres: visit websites, read printed material, talk
to previous candidates or career advisers. Your career adviser will be a great source of
information for how to prepare for an assessment centre.

Familiarise yourself with the location and things like parking, public transport and security
requirements.

Ensure you have the right start time.

Take the contact number in case of emergency.
If something goes wrong, call the VPS GRADS team to let them know.
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8.
Activities at the assessment centre
8.1
Case study
What happens?
During the case study exercise you will be asked to prepare a short written document on a personal
computer.
Tips


Read the case study carefully and make sure you know what it is asking you to do.
Keep your response brief and to the point.
Selection criteria assessed with the case study are: abstract and conceptual ability and
written communication.
8.2
Sample case study
The case study evaluates:

abstract and conceptual capability, written communication skills, and your commitment
to public service.
Task
You have 25 minutes to prepare a one page written brief for the Premier.
Topic
Child protection in the Department of Human Services focuses on the health, safety,
development, learning and wellbeing of children, young people and families in Victoria.
Child Protection Services is asking for additional funding to address the issues they face retaining
child protection workers who are leaving the job at a rate of up to 50 per cent.
The Premier has asked for a briefing summarising the following:

current workforce retention issues surrounding the state of child protection services in
Victoria

risks to government of not providing the funding to address these workforce issues

how government will know if the additional funding has addressed the issues.
In preparing your response to this case study, in-depth knowledge of the child protection area is
not required.
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8.3
Group role play
What happens?
In the group role play you will be asked to act out a work-based scenario both in a pair and as part of
a larger group.
Tips


Make sure you read and listen to all instructions carefully, and keep in mind which selection
criteria are being assessed.
Take your role seriously and do your best to behave as you would if the situation were real.
Selection criteria assessed in the role play are: teamwork, initiative and accountability,
and verbal communication.
8.4
Sample role play
The group role play provides a means for us to evaluate your skills in:

verbal communication, teamwork, initiative and accountability, interpersonal
communication and your commitment to public service.
The task
You have been appointed by your department to an interdepartmental advisory committee. The
role of the committee is to provide advice to the Premier.
As a group you have 30 minutes to be used as follows:

a maximum of 10 minutes to divide into departments and prepare in your department

15–20 minutes for group discussion, including preparation of a presentation about the
issues and advice to Premier Napthine on how he might proceed

five minutes to present to the Premier.
Continued next page…
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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Your role
Your role is to represent the needs and interests of a VPS department. There will be two
representatives from each department.
Background information
The Victorian Public Service has identified a number of issues facing Victoria over the next five
years.
These are:

managing the diversity of the Victorian population

improving delivery of health services in Victoria

delivering quality education to rural and regional Victoria

Supporting Victorian communities to build safer environments.
The Premier has asked the VPS to consider these issues in relation to the public sector workforce
and to provide a briefing that discusses the relative priorities of these issues and recommends
the most appropriate way to address them during the current term.
The VPS has set up an advisory committee to:
1.
discuss and evaluate the issues
2.
recommend relative priorities for the current term.
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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8.5
Behavioural interview
What happens?
Your behavioural interview will be with one interviewer. (Economist candidates will have one or
two additional interviewers present for technical questions.) You will be asked to respond to
questions by describing things you have done in the past related to the selection criteria.
In responding to these questions, draw on examples from all aspects of your life, including
work, volunteer and community work, and university.
Tips

The interviewer wants you to do your best. During the interview s/he will ask you
probing questions to help clarify your responses.

Choose examples that highlight your strengths and focus on your own involvement in
various situations (use ‘I’ rather than ‘we’). Use the most recent examples possible.

Before you attend the assessment centre consider past experiences where you have
demonstrated the selection criteria to make it easier to provide examples during the
interview.

Practice can be of real benefit. Engage in mock interviews with friends, colleagues,
career advisers – anyone who is prepared to help.

Walk the interviewer through your response in a logical, sequential fashion. Structure
your responses according to the STAR approach outlined below.

Candidates for the economist stream should refresh themselves on key economic
principles and practice, applying these to topical issues affecting Victoria.
Using the STAR approach
Situation A brief outline of the situation or setting, who was involved and what was your role?
Task
What did you do?
Action
How did you do it?
Result
What was the outcome and what feedback did you receive?
Selection criteria assessed with the behavioural interview are: integrity, initiative and
accountability, flexibility, and verbal communication.
Remember, departments will also conduct behavioural interviews should your
application progress.
…
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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8.6
Sample interview question
Initiative and accountability
Tell me about a time you saw an opportunity and drove it forward.

How did you spot the opportunity?

How did you decide whether to pursue the opportunity or not?

What was the outcome?
Sample technical question for candidates applying to the economist stream

Can you explain what a public good is, why the government may provide public goods,
and give an example?
Remember, the assessors want you to do well. They have spent considerable time screening
applicants and have identified you as a potential employee. They will be looking for confirmation
that you have the skills and values to be successful in their department or agency. Be enthusiastic
and energised.
9.
GRADS shortlist
If you are assessed as meeting all of the GRADS selection criteria benchmarks after participating in an
assessment centre, you will be placed on the GRADS shortlist. Candidates on this shortlist will be
considered for department interviews for the VPS GRADS. Candidates can remain on the shortlist until the
end of 2015. If your application progresses to the GRADS shortlist and you no longer wish to be considered
for the VPS GRADS, please inform the GRADS recruitment team immediately and withdraw your application
by logging on to www.graduates.vic.gov.au.
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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10. Department and agency interviews
Department and agency interviews are the final face-to-face step in the process and the point at which
departments and agencies select candidates.
You may be invited to attend one or more interviews with individual departments and agencies. All
department interviews will be held in Melbourne or surrounding areas.
Round one: Department interviews will be held between Wednesday 11 June and Friday 27 June 2014.
Round two: Some positions are not recruited until later in the graduate season, hence round two. The
positions recruited in round two are not predetermined and vary each year. Department interviews for
round two will be held between Monday 11 August and Friday 22 August 2014.
The duration of interviews can vary. Before each behavioural interview you will be contacted by a member
of the VPS GRADS team and provided with the details of the position, including the criteria being assessed,
expected duration, location and any other particulars. You will then be provided with a position description
for the ongoing role to which the department or agency is recruiting, together with an interview
confirmation email. (Please note that this is a VPS Grade 3 ($60,551–$73,521) position description and you
will be engaged during your graduate year as a VPS Grade 2 ($50,075–$50,997).
Tips for interviews

Always consider the selection criteria when framing your responses.

Re-read the questions and your responses from your application before attending an
interview.

Familiarise yourself with the position description.

Make sure you have examples of previous experiences and activities that demonstrate your
capability against each criterion.

Make notes and bring them with you to jog your memory.

Find out as much as you can about the department or agency, including its role and
responsibilities. A good place to start is the department website. Media archives are also an
excellent source of information.

Use the STAR approach to answer questions: describe the situation (outline), the task (what
you did), the action (how) and the result (the outcome).
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11. Verbal offer process
If more than one department or agency wishes to offer you a place on the GRADS, you will be provided
with all offers in that round in one telephone call from the VPS GRADS team. You will have up to 24 hours
to indicate your intention to accept a written offer of employment.
If successful, you will be employed by that particular department. You will begin the GRADS with this home
department before rotating to placements in two other departments or agencies. You will return to this
home department to an ongoing role on completion of the 12-month scheme.
12. Candidate feedback
If you do not receive an offer of employment for the 2015 VPS GRADS, you are able to receive feedback
regardless of which stage of the process your application was unsuccessful. Feedback will be provided
about the selection criteria where you met benchmark and also where you did not meet benchmark, at the
step of the process from which your application did not progress.
There is no pass or fail in the VPS GRADS recruitment process. The process is designed to help us select
applicants who best meet our selection criteria. Should you not meet all of our selection criteria, you may
not find working with the VPS suited to your skills and values, or you may be better suited to other areas of
the VPS where specialised skills are considered with a greater weighting than the general skills assessed for
the VPS GRADS.
Feedback will take place in the following sequence.
Recruitment stages – feedback type
1.
Your application does not progress to the GRADS shortlist
Feedback schedule
Mon 16 – Fri 27 June
If your application does not progress through the following recruitment stages you will be notified as follows:
online application – Friday 4 April 2014
online assessments – Tuesday 15 April 2014
assessment centre – Wednesday 14 May 2014.
At this time you will receive an email advising you of the outcome of your application and you will be invited
to log a feedback request. Requests will be taken from Friday 4 April to Wednesday 21 May. The VPS GRADS
team will contact you during the feedback period (Monday 16 June to Friday 27 June between 9am and 5pm)
to provide you with feedback across the recruitment stages you completed. If you are unavailable at this
time, please advise the consultant who will arrange another time during the feedback period.
2.
Your application progresses to the GRADS shortlist and you do not complete a
department interview (once all offers for positions from rounds one and two
have been finalised)
Mon 11 – Fri 22 Aug
If your application progresses through to the GRADS shortlist and you have not been successful in gaining a
department interview in round one or two, you will receive an email advising you of this and inviting you to
log a feedback request. Feedback requests for this process will be received from 8 August to 9am 20 August.
Should you choose to log a feedback request, a member of the VPS GRADS team will contact you during the
feedback period (11 August to 22 August between 9am and 5pm) to discuss your application and provide you
with feedback across the recruitment stages you completed. Should the VPS GRADS team make contact with
you when you are not available, please advise the consultant who will arrange another time during the
feedback period to discuss your application.
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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3.
You attend a department interview in round one or two and do not receive an
offer of a position
Wed 3 Sept – Tues 9
Sept
If you have not been offered a position after a department interview in round one or two, you will receive an
email advising you of this by Wednesday 9 July and Wednesday 3 September respectively. This email will
invite you to log a feedback request. Feedback requests for this process will be received from 3 September to
9 September by 9am. Department representatives will contact you to discuss your application and provide
you with feedback from a department interview between 11 September and 17 September.
Please note that feedback is only provided where you have not been offered a role. If you request feedback
and are subsequently offered a role before feedback is provided, then feedback will no longer be arranged.
4.
You attend department interviews during ad hoc cycles and do not receive an
offer of a position
Late December/early
January 2015
If you attend an ad hoc cycle department interview and are not offered a position, you will be sent an email
advising you of this which will invite you to log a feedback request. Feedback requests for this process will
only be conducted if you have not received department feedback after rounds one and two. Feedback
requests from ad hoc cycles will be provided once all ad hoc cycles are completed which will be between
December 2014 and January 2015.
(Please note the above dates may vary slightly.)
13. Continuous improvement
Your feedback is important to us. A survey will be distributed via email in September 2014. The feedback
provided in your response to this survey will inform our process for the following year. We survey
successful and unsuccessful candidates.
The VPS GRADS also participates in the annual graduate survey conducted by the Australian Association of
Graduate Employers (AAGE). The AAGE surveys graduates who obtain positions on graduate programs. A
link to this online survey is sent via email by the VPS GRADS team in the second half of the year.
14. Contact
Please contact the VPS GRADS team with any enquiries.
Phone: 1300 662 930
Email: vpsgrads@hoban.com.au
Please note that when calling the 1300 number you may need to leave a message for the team and your
call will be returned within 24 hours (during business days).
Queries that are not related to the standard process will be referred to the Graduate Program Manager and
will require a longer response time.
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15. What we look for in our graduate recruits
We recruit high potential and high performing graduates who want to contribute to Victoria's future. Apart
from your academic record, we consider your values, experience, involvement in extra-curricular activities
(for example, as a volunteer or in sport), and other community interests. We are looking for graduates who
want to contribute to the Victorian community with the values and capabilities defined on the following
pages.
Values
Human rights

Responsiveness
Public officials should respect and
promote the human rights set out in the
Charter of Human Rights and
Responsibilities Act 2006 by:

making decisions and providing advice
consistent with human rights

actively implementing, promoting and
supporting human rights
Integrity
Being honest, open and transparent in
dealings

Using powers responsibly

Reporting improper conduct

Avoiding real or apparent conflicts of
interest

Striving to earn and sustain public trust at
the highest level
Accountability

Providing frank, impartial and timely
advice to the Government

Providing high quality services to the
Victorian community

Identifying and promoting best practice
Impartiality




Making decisions and providing advice
on merit without bias, caprice,
favouritism or self-interest

Acting fairly by objectively considering all
relevant facts and applying fair criteria

Implementing government policies and
programs equitably
Respect
Working to clear objectives in a
transparent manner
Accepting responsibility for decisions and
actions

Seeking to achieve the best use of
resources

Submitting to appropriate scrutiny

Treating others fairly and objectively

Ensuring freedom from discrimination,
harassment and bullying

Using views to improve outcomes on an
ongoing basis
Leadership

Actively implementing, promoting and
supporting these values
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
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Capabilities
Abstract ability
Teamwork

Deals with concepts and complexity
comfortably

Cooperates and works well with others in
the pursuit of team goals

Uses analytical and conceptual skills to
reason through problems

Collaborates and shares information

Shows consideration and concern and
respect for others’ feelings

Accommodates and works well with
others’ different working styles

Encourages resolution of conflict in a
group

Has creative ideas and projects how these
could link to innovations
Written communication
Verbal communication

Uses clear, concise and grammatically
correct language

Clearly explains information and listens
to feedback

Organises information in a logical
sequence

Uses a polite and considerate manner
when dealing with others

Ensures written communication contains
necessary information to achieve its
purpose

Confidently conveys ideas and
information in a clear and interesting
way

Uses appropriate style and format

Understands and meets the needs of the
target audience

Sees things from others’ points of view
and confirms understanding
Initiative and accountability

Proactive and self-starting

Seizes opportunities and acts on them

Takes responsibility for own actions
Flexibility

Has strategies and mechanisms for
adapting to change and stress

Is open to new ideas

Accepts changed priorities without
undue discomfort

Recognises the merits of different
options and acts accordingly
Candidate Recruitment Guide for 2015 Intake
Page 19 of 19