Guide to Civil Service Behaviours (With Examples)

Imagine you're about to join one big team that runs the country, from policy planning to frontline services. To ensure everyone plays by the same rules, the UK Civil Service has outlined nine core behaviours defining how civil servants should approach their work. These are known as the Civil Service Behaviours.

They’re practical, people-focused standards that guide things like how you communicate, make decisions, and lead or support others. Recruiters will judge you on them whenever you apply for a civil service job. In this article, I’ll teach you everything you need to know about civil service behaviours.

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What are civil service behaviours?

Civil Service Behaviours are a set of nine core behavioural standards used primarily in recruitment, appraisal, and development across the UK Civil Service. They focus on how civil servants deliver outcomes and interact with others: with integrity, honesty, objectivity, and impartiality.

They are also strongly connected to the concept of Success Profiles.

Success Profiles help recruiters assess you fairly by using different elements depending on the job:

• Behaviours (how you act)
• Strengths (what comes naturally to you)
• Abilities (what you can do)
• Experience (what you’ve done)
• Technical skills (specific knowledge or qualifications)

It’s a more flexible and inclusive way to hire, ensuring that candidates with different backgrounds have a fair shot at success.

Behaviours are one key part of the Success Profiles system. When you apply for a job, the behaviours expected for that role will be listed clearly in the job description. You’ll need to showcase examples where you’ve demonstrated those behaviours either in your CV, personal statement, application form, or during the job interview. The interviewers will often score your answers based on how well you show the behaviours in action.

So basically:

• Success Profiles = the big system for assessing candidates.
• Civil Service BehavioursFramework = one piece of that system, all about how you act and deliver at work.

The 9 civil service behaviours

Here are the 9 civil service behaviours together with their descriptions:

1. Seeing the big picture

This is about understanding how your work fits into the larger goals of your department, government, and society. You're expected to be aware of long-term priorities, policies, and the impact of your actions even beyond your team.

2. Changing and improving

This behaviour is all about being open to change, adapting when needed, and constantly seeking ways to improve how things are done. It involves embracing innovation and learning from feedback.

3. Making effective decisions

This one focuses on using evidence, data, and sound judgment to make well-informed choices. It means thinking critically, weighing options, and being confident in your decisions even under pressure.

4. Leadership

Having leadership skills isn’t just about being the boss, but also setting a positive example, supporting your team, guiding others through change, and keeping people motivated. Even non-managers are expected to take ownership where relevant.

5. Communicating and influencing

Practical communication skills are vital. This behaviour covers being clear, respectful, and persuasive, whether you’re speaking to colleagues, senior managers, or members of the public. It also means listening well and tailoring your message to your audience.

6. Working together

Teamwork skills are about building strong relationships, showing respect, and working cooperatively with people inside and outside your team. It includes being inclusive and managing conflict well when it arises.

7. Developing self and others

Lifelong learning is key in the Civil Service. This behaviour is about taking responsibility for your growth while helping others improve through mentoring, sharing knowledge, or supporting team training.

8. Managing a quality service

This behaviour focuses on delivering results with accuracy and attention to detail. It involves understanding customer needs, prioritising workloads, and maintaining high standards in everything you do.

9. Delivering at pace

Delivering at pace means working efficiently, staying focused, and getting the job done on time without compromising quality, also known as having great time management skills. It’s about prioritising effectively and managing pressure well.

How to show civil service behaviours examples on a CV

Below is a sample CV for a policy support officer position within the civil service:

Each section of this CV successfully presents civil service behaviours examples. Here’s how to achieve the same effect:

1. Mention civil service behaviours in your professional profile

The CV professional summary references the Civil Service's core values of honesty, integrity, objectivity, and impartiality. Highlighting a quantified achievement shows an evidence-based approach, demonstrating both Making Effective Decisions and Delivering at Pace. It also signals an awareness of Seeing the Big Picture by linking outcomes to policy impact.

2. Make a list of key civil service behaviours

Similar to core competencies or a skills CV section, this section directly outlines specifics in a bulleted list format. Each behaviour is tied to a specific, measurable achievement, making it easy for a recruiter to see how this candidate operates in line with civil service expectations. Each point starts with an action word to create impact.

3. Highlight them in the work experience section

This candidate’s work experience neatly embeds civil service behaviours within practical examples from actual roles. In the Department for Education role, achievements are broken down by behaviour, showing what the candidate did and how it aligned with the Civil Service Success Profiles. Similarly, the DWP experience illustrates additional civil service behaviours, demonstrating growth from a more operational role into a policy-focused environment, which is typical for career progression at the EO grade.

To learn more about writing a CV for specific civil service jobs, see our guides:

• Administrator CV
• Civil engineer CV
• Employment advisor CV
• Groundworker CV
• NHS CV
• Office manager CV
• Police officer CV
• Security officer CV
• SEN teacher CV
• SEN teaching assistant CV

The UK government provides HR success profile guides so you can learn in-depth about what civil service behaviours for your specific level should be like.

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Civil service behaviours interview questions: sample answers

Job interviews are often highly stressful. You never know what tricky situational job interview questions will stump you. That’s why I prepared a few job interview tips to help you present your civil service behaviours in the best light possible.

1. Seeing the big picture—job interview

Question:
"Can you describe a time when you considered the wider implications of your work?"

Answer:

"While working at the Department for Education, I was responsible for analysing survey data on early years education. Rather than just focusing on the numbers, I made sure to understand how the data would inform larger funding decisions. I spoke with colleagues in policy and finance to see how our findings could be used strategically. I highlighted patterns, particularly around disadvantaged communities, which helped shape a policy proposal that ultimately secured £2 million in additional funding for targeted education support."

2. Changing and improving—job interview

Question:
"Tell me about a time you suggested a change that improved a process or service."

Answer:

"In my previous role, I noticed that briefing documents were often delayed because there was no consistent version control. To improve the process, I introduced a simple but effective tracking spreadsheet and a version numbering system that everyone in the team could use. As a result, we reduced preparation time by 15% and made collaboration between departments much smoother, ensuring deadlines were met more reliably."

3. Making effective decisions—job interview

Question:
"Give an example of a decision you made using data or evidence."

Answer:

"At the Department for Work and Pensions, I managed Universal Credit appeal cases where decisions had to be evidence-based. In one case, the supporting documents were incomplete. Rather than making assumptions, I carefully reviewed what was available, cross-checked policy guidelines, and sought additional advice from a senior colleague. This thorough approach meant my recommendation was upheld without challenge, contributing to our high case accuracy rate."

4. Leadership—job interview

"Describe a time you took the lead on a project or task."

Answer:

"When our team needed to compile a ministerial briefing pack on short notice, I stepped up to coordinate the effort. I assigned sections to colleagues based on their expertise, set internal deadlines, and ran regular check-ins to ensure we stayed on track. Thanks to this organised approach, we completed the pack two days early and received positive feedback from the Deputy Director for both quality and timeliness."

5. Communicating and influencing—job interview

Question:
"Can you provide an example of when you had to communicate complex information clearly?"

Answer:

"I was tasked with presenting technical survey findings to a group of non-specialist stakeholders. To make the information accessible, I used clear visuals, avoided jargon, and focused on key insights rather than raw data. The feedback was very positive — several stakeholders later mentioned that the clarity of the presentation helped them make informed decisions about funding allocation."

6. Working together—job interview

Question:
"Tell me about a time you collaborated with others to achieve a goal."

Answer:

"During a policy review project, I worked closely with colleagues from legal, finance, and operational teams. We needed to pull together a comprehensive ministerial briefing on a tight timeline. I organised regular short meetings, encouraged open communication, and made sure everyone understood how their contributions fit into the bigger picture. By working collaboratively, we completed the briefing on time and ensured it reflected diverse expertise, which was highly valued by senior officials."

7. Developing self and others—job interview

Question:
"Give an example of how you supported your own or someone else’s development."

Answer:

"When a new team member struggled with our document management system, I created a simple user guide and offered to run a quick lunchtime session for anyone who needed support. Not only did this help my colleague become more confident, but it also reduced overall system errors across the team by about 30%, saving time and improving the quality of our outputs."

8. Managing a quality service—job interview

Question:
"Describe a time when you ensured high standards in your work."

Answer:

"While preparing documents for a parliamentary committee, I knew accuracy was absolutely critical. I built in extra time for thorough quality checks, verified all sources, and asked a colleague to cross-review key figures. Thanks to this attention to detail, our briefing was submitted without any amendments and directly contributed to a well-informed committee session."

9. Delivering at pace—job interview

Question:
"Tell me about a time when you had to deliver work quickly under pressure."

Answer:

"I was once given an urgent Freedom of Information request that needed a full departmental response within 48 hours. I immediately prioritised the key pieces of data, coordinated inputs from different teamctas, and kept everyone updated on progress. By staying organised and focused, we submitted the response ahead of the deadline, fully compliant, and received praise from our legal team for the quality under pressure."

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And now you know the nine core Civil Service Behaviours and how to showcase them in your CV and during job interviews. Good luck in pursuing your chosen career path!

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Sources

• HM Government, Success Profiles: Civil Service Strength Dictionary
• GOV.UK, (2020) HR Success Profile Guides