Acas Grade 10 Information Pack
Closing date for receipt of applications is 11:59pm on Sunday 28 June 2015
We cannot accept any applications after this deadline.
Background Information
Posts Available
In this selection exercise we are looking for candidates suitable for Grade 10
operational posts in our Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Leeds, Manchester and
Nottingham Offices. There are a variety of posts available. Appendix 1 and Appendix
2 provide further details about the roles available.
These are temporary posts available for up to 1 year, with the possibility of extension
or permanency.
Post Expectations
The Acas Helpline serves all sections of the community and we welcome applications
from individuals with language skills in addition to English.
Our work means that you will need to understand and quickly absorb large amounts
of complex information and explain it in ways that meet the needs of customers. You
must have two years relevant experience, which could include speaking to customers
over the telephone in a contact centre or working in employment relations.
We provide full training on employment legislation - some of this training is
residential, particularly within the first six months.
Application Form Guidelines
Please complete the application form in full, referring to the supporting documents
where necessary.
The Application Forms are reviewed and marked by a team of trained Assessors,
who use strict criteria to ensure all applications are treated fairly and consistently.
Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to an Assessment Centre.
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Terms and Conditions
Acas has updated its terms and conditions of employment as part of Civil Service
Reform. For more information on how this will affect you, please follow the link to our
website http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1564
These posts are graded at Acas G10 (Executive Officer equivalent). The starting pay
is £21,750 per annum. Annual leave is 25 days a year rising to 30 days after 5 years,
plus 8 days public holiday and 1 Privilege day. Your appointment is pensionable from
the outset. The posts are fixed term for up to 1 year with a possibility of extension or
permanency.
Application and selection process
Submitting Your Application
Your completed Application Form and Equal Opportunities Data form should be sent
electronically as soon as possible to:
acasrecruitment@acas.org.uk
If you are unable to send by email then applications can be sent by post to:
By post:
Acas Recruitment
Cross House, 1st Floor
Westgate Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4XX
Please save your form with your preferred office location and the vacancy reference
number as the first part of the document name.
Selection Process
There are three stages in the selection process for these posts:

Stage 1 will be a pre-sift of your application to confirm that you meet the
Nationality requirements:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules and have the
necessary relevant experience.

Stage 2 will be a sift of candidates based on written evidence in their
application forms.

Stage 3 will be a half-day Assessment Centre, between 20th July – 14th Aug
2015 involving a number of exercises which are designed to give the
candidates an opportunity to show their level of skill in each competency
area.
Further information about the assessment centre will be provided to those candidates
who are invited to attend. We will aim to give at least one week’s notice of date and
location. We may not be able to offer an alternative if this proves inconvenient so
please keep the above dates clear.
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Feedback
Due to the expected high response rate, we regret that we are unable to provide a
response to applicants who are not selected for the assessment centre.
Diversity
Acas will ensure applicants will not be discriminated because of their protected
characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Protected against characteristics include
age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation,
marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity. Acas will make all efforts to
meet your access requirements, please contact our recruitment team as soon as
possible to discuss any adjustments you may need.
Baseline Personnel Standard Security
As a non-Departmental Government body, we are required to carry out the Baseline
Personnel Standard Security Check which comprises verification of the following four
elements:
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Identity;
Employment history (past 3 years) ;
Nationality and Immigration status;
Criminal record (Disclosure Scotland checks for unspent convictions only).
In advance of any firm offer of employment, Acas must be satisfied about these four
elements. Please note that an individual’s refusal to undergo an essential check, or
an adverse check being received, could lead to a refusal of employment.
Competencies
Acas uses the Civil Service competency framework and in addition has its own
operational framework of behavioural competencies. Candidates will be assessed
against the key competencies for G10 operational roles throughout the selection
process.
Delivering at Pace* – Level 2
Effectiveness in this area means focusing on delivering timely performance with
energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. For all staff,
it’s about working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a
responsive and constructive way.
Positive indicators:


Take ownership of problems in their own area of responsibility
Remain positive and focused on achieving outcomes despite setbacks
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Making Effective Decisions* - Level 2
Effectiveness in this area is about being objective, using sound judgement, evidence
and knowledge to provide accurate expert and professional advice. For all staff it
means showing clarity of thought, setting priorities, analysing and using evidence to
evaluate options before arriving at well reasoned, justifiable decisions.
Positive Indicators:


Demonstrate accountability and make unbiased decisions
Examine complex information and obtain further information to provide
accurate information
Dispute Resolution/Promoting Good
Employment Practice* (Acas Operational
Framework) – Level 2
Positive Indicators:
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Encourage and provide information to enable customers to evaluate their
positions to help identify options
Share their knowledge and expertise in an appropriate way, remaining
independent and impartial with clear professional boundaries
Accurately assess information provided by customer using a range of in-depth
questioning techniques
Succinctly establish clear aims and manage customer expectations
Identify opportunities to refer customers appropriately. Encourage
organisations to embrace best practice
Building Relationships* (Acas Operational
Framework) - Level 2
Positive Indicators:
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Actively listen. Adapt communication style and build rapport
Acknowledge feelings and opinions to enable others to feel fully understood
Take an active interest and curiosity to see beyond the obvious and respond
accordingly
Be aware of own feelings/opinions and not allow these to affect performance
and working relationships
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Leading and Communicating - Level 2
At all levels, effectiveness in this area is about leading from the front and
communicating with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm. It’s about supporting
principles of fairness of opportunity for all and a dedication to a diverse range of
citizens.
Positive Indicators:
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
Express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing and with sensitivity and
respect for others
Confidently handle challenging conversations or interviews
Collaborating and Partnering - Level 2
People skilled in this area create and maintain positive, professional and trusting
working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the Civil Service
to help get business done. At all levels, it requires working effectively, sharing
information and building supportive, responsive relationships with colleagues and
stakeholders, whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions.
Positive Indicators:

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Proactively seek information, resources and support from others outside
own immediate team in order to help achieve results
Listen attentively to others and check their understanding by asking
questions
Seeing the Bigger Picture - Level 2
This competence is about having an in-depth understanding and knowledge of how
your role fits with and supports organisational objectives and the wider public
needs. For all staff it is about focusing your contribution on the activities which will
meet Civil service goals and deliver the greatest value.
Positive Indicators:

Focus on the overall goal and intent of what they’re trying to achieve, not
just the task
* Competencies that are assessed by this application form. All competencies will be
assessed during the assessment centre stage.
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Examples of well written competency statements:
Collaborating & Partnering
Max: 250 Words
Question: Describe a situation when you had to work with or support others in order to help
them reach a goal.
What were you trying to achieve as a group? What did you contribute? How did you support and
encourage others in the process? What happened as a result of your personal contribution?
I noticed that reporting data was incomplete as one-off queries were handwritten and not recorded in
the organisation’s database, causing problems for colleagues when claiming funding. I volunteered to
set up a page in our database to record anonymous and one-off calls separately to casework.
Management were reluctant to adopt this as they believed it would cause additional work and
information would not be recorded effectively.
Taking on board their concerns I spoke with the Advice Team and their contract manager to see what
information needed to be recorded for calls and also the information funders required. Having learned
more about their needs I took this information to the software developers and persuaded them to
change the page to make it suitable. Aware of the time pressures staff were under I made the system
quick and simple to use with tick-box questions that matched the funding report requirements. These
questions were written in plain English as many of our callers do not have English as a first language.
I had a live demonstration of the page with the Advice team and worked with the developers on the
feedback they provided. I then trained all the staff and produced step-by-step guides on how to use
the page as additional support.
By working with all teams involved I ensured reporting was more accurate for funding applications
and less time consuming for colleagues to produce. Engaging staff in development meant that
reporting was up 100%, addressing management’s concerns.
Leading and Communicating
Max: 250 Words
Question: Describe a time when you successfully used a variety of communication skills to
achieve results in a challenging environment
How was the situation challenging? What methods of communication did you use? How did you
adapt your approach? Why did you choose those methods? How did others react?
My college were keen to increase the number of applicants and as a student volunteer I offered to
run open days to explain the admissions procedure and course structure to prospective students,
10% of whom were overseas students.
I arranged presentations, followed by Question and Answer sessions, making sure I used plain
English and explained any unusual words. This was to ensure that everyone, including those
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unfamiliar with academic jargon, or who spoke English as a second language, understood the
options available. I produced handouts to illustrate the points which aimed to support those who may
have found a lecture difficult to follow.
During the Q&A session, one student dominated discussions, referring to the college’s attendance
policy which stated students would be removed from a course if attendance dropped below 80%.
Aware that arguing over different opinions in front of all other students could lead to a negative
impression of the college I calmly outlined the policy and where additional information could be found
about support offered to students with medical conditions. I then offered to speak to him separately
about his specific concerns. He agreed to this and I was able to move the group discussion on
effectively.
By building time into the schedule for refreshments I was able to talk less formally on a one-to-one
basis with people who may have been nervous about asking questions in a formal environment.
I received positive feedback from both students and parents- the number of applications rose by 35%
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Appendix 1 - The Helpline Adviser role
(Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham and Manchester offices)
The Helpline adviser role is challenging, interesting and one which requires a variety
of skills to deal with the range of different queries received each day. Helpline
advisers have to be patient, excellent communicators and be able to empathise and
be assertive while being impartial, courteous and tactful.
A Helpline adviser’s duties are carried out on the telephone and advisers are
rostered to take calls for up to 7 hours most days where there are no offline activities.
Calls can last anywhere from 3 minutes to over 60 minutes, some long calls can be
draining but the average Helpline call is around 6-7 minutes.
A Helpline adviser will speak to between 30 and 60 customers in any day. These
queries can cover any area of employment law or employment relations and may
come from employers or employees or from representatives of either of the two
parties. These may include solicitors, accountants, Trade Unions, Citizens Advice
Bureau, relatives or friends etc. Most callers are grateful for our help but occasionally
you have to give people information they don’t like – for example, they have no rights
in their situation and people may become angry.
Helpline advisers are given full training in employment law and customer service
skills. They constantly improve their knowledge and skills through continuous
professional development, for example through reading and sharing knowledge with
colleagues. Managers provide regular coaching which helps to develop advisers and
improve the quality of their calls.
An Adviser’s working week is scheduled centrally using a rostering system managed
by a rostering team. Advisers can state preferences but a typical week would include
a mixture of shifts ending at 5pm, 6pm and 8pm. A Saturday shift of 9 – 1pm is
worked approximately one in five weeks. The shifts are sent out four weeks in
advance and there is scope for Advisers to swap with each other using the rostering
tool but Advisers are expected to work the shifts they have been allocated between
8am – 8pm and Saturday 9am – 1pm.
The best thing about the job is that you are helping people make their working life
better and there is no paperwork or ‘in tray’ so at the end of the day, your last call
ends and your work is done. The role is also one which can bring great job
satisfaction and there are opportunities to get involved in other aspects of helpline
work - for example through tutoring and the role of deputy manager – as well as
wider Acas work.
Like many operational roles within Acas a helpline adviser is at the sharp end of the
work that we do; championing our messages of early dispute resolution, and
promoting business effectiveness, but at its most fundamental level it’s about helping
people.
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Appendix 2 - The role of Early Conciliation Support Officers
(ECSO)
(Glasgow and Manchester offices)
Early Conciliation Support Officers are the first point of contact for members of the
public who have notified Acas of their intention to make an Employment Tribunal
claim. As the front line of our Early Conciliation service they are often the first person
the caller has spoken to about their situation so ECSOs must be comfortable dealing
with very strong emotions- while making sure they avoid giving the impression that
they are taking sides in the dispute.
As ECSOs may be speaking to people who are reluctant to speak to a conciliator
they use their excellent people skills to actively encourage people to use Early
Conciliation - answering queries and addressing concerns. Callers may be unfamiliar
with specific employment legislation so the ECSO needs to draw out relevant and
important information before preparing the case for conciliation by accurately
recording case notes. If the case is not suitable for conciliation, for example because
the potential respondent is insolvent, the ECSO will issue a certificate to enable the
claimant to make a tribunal claim.
In both inbound and outbound calls, ECSOs provide high quality information,
including on matters such as time limits and qualifying service. Making sure that
callers are given accurate legal information relevant to their situation means
prospective claimants understand the process. ECSOs are provided with full training
on employment legislation and call handling skills
With set timescales for contacting people, ECSOs respond quickly to work allocated
by their manager. Calls can last up to 45 mins, but the average call is around 9
minutes. One of the biggest challenges is gathering information quickly and
effectively, without the caller feeling rushed.
The work is usually carried out between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday, although in
order to make sure that all potential claimants are contacted quickly there may be
times when ECSOs work outside these hours. A central rostering team allocate
shifts, which are sent out four weeks in advance. Because the number of notifications
varies from day to day, most staff will undertake other Acas work during the week,
usually on the Helpline which can include working until 8pm or on Saturday
mornings.
ECSO is a fast paced and rewarding job at the forefront of Acas work.
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