Thank you for stopping by! If you're preparing for a Grade 7 Civil Service interview, you’re in the right place. Today, we’ll be focusing on Working Together, a key behavior that plays a significant role in your success at this level.
This post will guide you through understanding what this behavior means, how it differs at the Grade 7 level, and how to confidently answer interview questions using the B-STAR method.
What Is "Working Together"?
Working Together is all about building relationships, collaborating across departments, and ensuring a cohesive approach to achieving shared goals. At the Grade 7 level, this behavior means leading by example, fostering a culture of inclusion, and working across organizational boundaries.
🚀 Why it’s important at Grade 7
In a leadership role like Grade 7, you are expected to navigate more complex relationships and influence others outside your immediate team. The ability to work effectively with stakeholders, both internal and external, is crucial. Unlike at more junior levels, where the focus might be on supporting others in their collaboration efforts, Grade 7 requires a strategic, high-level approach to partnership working.
The B-STAR Method for Answering Questions
When answering behavior-based questions, the B-STAR method can help you structure your response clearly and effectively:
- B – Belief: What is your belief or principle regarding Working Together?
- S – Situation: Set the context. What was happening?
- T – Task: What was your role in the situation?
- A – Action: What actions did you take to foster collaboration?
- R – Result: What was the outcome?
Answering in this way shows your understanding of the behavior, and provides a structured response that highlights your leadership skills.
Common Working Together Interview Questions
- 🗣️ "Tell me about a time when you had to collaborate with others to achieve a shared objective."
- 🤝 "Describe a situation where you worked across teams to solve a problem."
- 💬 "How have you influenced stakeholders who had different priorities or objectives?"
- 🌍 "Give an example of how you’ve promoted inclusivity and diversity in a team setting."
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What Interviewers Are Looking For
When they ask about Working Together, interviewers want to see your ability to:
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Build strong relationships: You need to demonstrate that you can work effectively with others, even in complex or high-pressure situations.
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Lead and inspire collaboration: Your examples should show how you’ve led initiatives that required input from different teams, departments, or external partners. They want to see leadership, not just participation.
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Resolve conflict constructively: You might be asked how you managed differences in opinions or conflicting priorities. Showcase your diplomatic approach to resolving these challenges.
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Promote inclusivity and diverse perspectives: Show that you value diversity of thought and have actively promoted inclusive working environments.
Here’s what interviewers are particularly keen on when asking specific questions:
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“Tell me about a time when you had to collaborate with others to achieve a shared objective”
🔎 Look for: The ability to foster collaboration across different teams and focus on shared outcomes, not just individual success. -
“Describe a situation where you worked across teams to solve a problem”
🔎 Look for: Clear communication and the ability to navigate challenges by leveraging different perspectives to find effective solutions. -
“Give an example of how you’ve promoted inclusivity and diversity in a team setting”
🔎 Look for: Evidence that you’re proactive about creating a welcoming environment where everyone’s voice is heard.
Scenario Ideas
If you're unsure about which scenarios to use, here are some ideas to help:
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🌱 Working with a cross-departmental team on a project with tight deadlines where you needed to bring different stakeholders together.
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🏢 Resolving a conflict between two teams with different priorities, where you led discussions to find a compromise and align their goals.
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🌍 Promoting diversity by launching an initiative to ensure diverse representation in a new project or program.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Over-explaining your actions without connecting them back to the behavior.
Keep your answers concise and focused on the value you brought to the team.
❌ Taking all the credit for the success.
Working Together is about collaboration, not solo wins. Show how you contributed but also highlight the efforts of others.
❌ Lack of reflection on outcomes.
Make sure to reflect on the result and how it positively impacted the team or organization.
Key Takeaways
🏆 Working Together at the Grade 7 level is about building relationships, leading cross-functional collaboration, and promoting inclusivity. Your ability to work across departments and bring people together is essential for success in this leadership role.
By preparing examples that demonstrate your skills in these areas and using the B-STAR method, you’ll be well-prepared to answer any Working Together questions with confidence! Good luck!
