Artificial intelligence and recruitment
Artificial intelligence (AI) software such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Gemini are powerful tools that can create and review text in ways that mimic what people can do.
These tools can help you enhance your application and prepare for the process but it is essential you use them appropriately. They must not be used to provide misleading or false information at any stage of the application journey.
This guidance focuses on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in the application process. It also suggests ways to use it that may be helpful to you.
What we look for in applications
The most important thing to remember is that we want to find out about you and how you align with the Civil Service. Your application should represent your skills and personal experiences accurately and authentically. Good applications help us understand:
- how your skills and experience align with the role or scheme you are applying to
- what motivates you to do your best work
- what you have achieved and how you did it
The two main parts of the process are the written application and interview stages. In each stage there are different things that AI might help you with.
The goal of using AI in your job application is to help you show us who you are and what you are good at. It’s not about creating a persona that isn’t you.
Writing your application
You can use AI in the application process to:
- help you refine and clarify your ideas and thoughts
- research public information about the Civil Service and organisation you are applying to
- find out information about trends in industries or professions that you can relate to personal experiences
- check the spelling, grammar and clarity of what you have written
Do not use AI to:
- inflate or invent your skills and experiences
- create generic responses and copy these into your application
- complete assessments that evaluate personality and abilities such as situational judgement and numerical tests
- provide an AI tool with sensitive information about your organisation such as figures or personal details
There are several ways that AI can improve the clarity and quality of your written application and remain an honest reflection of your skills and experience. Examples of effective use:
- think about your own personal leadership experiences and ask AI to help you improve how you present them
- ask AI to summarise public information about important projects or policies, in the organisation you are applying to, that you can think about in your responses
- ask AI to help identify relevant skills and Civil Service behaviours in the job advert and then think about how you’ve demonstrated these skills in previous roles as you prepare your responses
- write a list of examples with details of how your relate your experience and skills to the roll, then ask AI to help you structure them using the STAR format or other ways to strengthen your examples
- ask AI to check your answers are concise and recommend improvements that maintain their meaning
Writing your personal statement
Make sure your application stands out by making it personal to your skills and experience. Read more tips about what we are looking for.
Preparing for your interview
You can use AI tools to:
- prepare for interviews, including mock questions you might be asked
- research public information about the Civil Service and organisation you are applying to
- find out information about trends in an industry or profession that you can relate to personal experiences
Do not use AI to:
- inflate or invent your skills and experiences
- create answers for questions you are asked during a live or pre-recorded interview
- create answers for situation-based questions
- provide an AI tool with sensitive information about your organisation such as figures or personal details
If you are invited to an interview or assessment centre for a job in the Civil Service AI can help you prepare and practice beforehand. Some examples of effective use:
- you could ask AI to read the job description and create mock interview questions to help you prepare example responses based on your experiences and skills
- ask AI to generate sample behaviour questions so you can practice how you deliver your responses
- compare your responses to example questions with recommended approaches, and personalise them
- ask for tips on body language and communication styles for interviews, and practise these in mock sessions
It’s important to understand that while AI can help you prepare for an interview, AI must not be used to produce responses during an interview.
Assessments and interviews
Interviews are a chance to find out explore your experience and skills in more detail. Read more about what they involve.
Why authenticity is important
Your application and interview should give us an accurate and authentic picture of your skills and experiences. It is vital that you do not use AI during any live assessments at any stage of the selection process. This ensures a fair selection process for all candidates where we assess everyone based on merit.
All civil servants follow the Civil Service code and we are looking for talented candidates who resonate with our core values. Authenticity and honesty in your application is vital to determine whether you are a good fit for the role.
Before you submit an application we will ask you to confirm the information you provide is true and accurate. More details about this will be provided in the application form and we may reject applications where AI is used inappropriately at any stage of the process.
Civil Service code
All civil servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service code, which summarises our core values. Read more about what this means and why it is important.