Applying
to work
with us

We use Civil Service Success Profiles to assess candidates during recruitment. We encourage you to review these profiles to understand how we evaluate applications.

Please ensure you read the requirements outlined in our job adverts carefully. In your application, explain how your skills and experience align with the specifications. For certain roles, we may request a CV and/or a personal statement as well as the application form.

Sifting and shortlisting

We’ll review your application against the person specification and required skills in the job advert. You may have to complete a short online test. This helps us get a better sense of how you approach certain situations.

If your application is a strong match for the role, we’ll be in touch to guide you through the next step of the process.

Assessment and outcome

We’ll let you know exactly what to expect, as this process can vary depending on the role. Some jobs may only involve an interview, a presentation, an online test or an assessment centre. Others may include a mix of these.

Once you’ve completed your assessments, we’ll get back in touch to share the outcome with you. Whatever the result, we encourage you to ask for feedback. This can be helpful as you continue to grow and move forward in your career.

How we can support you

We want everyone to have a fair and positive experience when applying to work with us. If you have a disability or condition, we’ll remove barriers and offer any additional support you might need wherever possible.

Support through your recruitment

You may need adjustments to help you complete your application. You can make requests via the Government Recruitment Service. We advise getting in touch as early as you can to discuss your requirements.

You can also let us know about any support you might require later in the process. It may be you need wheelchair access at the interview, or a Language Service Professional if you’re hard of hearing. To do this, please complete the reasonable adjustment section of your application form. By sharing this with us, we can make sure you have the right support in place every step of the way.

Before you join us, we’ll need to carry out some security checks.

Pre-employment checks

You will need to complete a Disclosure and Barring Security Check (or Disclosure Scotland/Access NI, depending on where you’re based).

We normally send the Criminal Record Check to the relevant service on your behalf. In some exceptional cases, you may prefer to send your completed forms directly. If you want to do this, let the Government Recruitment Service know by email. Be sure to include the job reference number in your subject line.

Transferring from another government department

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to join us from another government department. Once you’ve passed the pre-employment checks, you can use the digital employee transfer system to move to your new team.

Your health and wellbeing matter to us. We want everyone who joins our team to feel they belong and have the support they need to do their best. All successful candidates must complete a Health Declaration. This helps us understand any adjustments you may need to make your working environment more comfortable.

We have a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme and a network of mental health first-aiders if you need advice or support.

Some of our roles are open only to current civil servants. If this applies, it will be stated on the job advert. This means you must already be a civil servant. It does not include contractors, contingent labour, or temporary fixed-term appointments.

If you’re unsure about your status, please check with your HR department. They will be able to confirm whether you are classed as a civil servant or not. Please be aware that if you’re found to be ineligible at any stage of the process, we won’t be able to appoint you.

If you resign, or your fixed-term contract as a civil servant ends before an offer is made, you will no longer meet the eligibility criteria. This means your application must be withdrawn.

Artificial intelligence may be helpful when completing your application. But you should only use it as an aid, not to write your application. Everything in your application should be honest and accurate. The Civil Service has created a candidate guide to using AI in recruitment. This helps explain what is appropriate, and what is not.