Diplomatic Service Fast Stream Assessment Process and Skills UNCLASSIFIED

The FCO Fast Stream options are: Diplomatic Service Fast Stream European Fast Stream Economist Fast Stream We also participate in these schemes: Finance Fast Stream Commercial Fast Stream HR Fast Stream And from 2016: Communications Fast Stream UNCLASSIFIED

Competences What are we looking for?

Time frame for applications 1.Online self assessments – 7 days 2.Online practice tests – 7 days 3.Online selection tests (verbal and numerical reasoning, situational judgement, competency questionnaire) – 7 days 4.Online selection and online application – 7 days 5.Online e-tray – 14 days 6.Analytical specialist assessment (Economists only) – 0.5 days 7.Fast stream assessment centre – 1 day 8.Final selection board – 0.5 days 9.Security clearance – 3 – 4 months N.B. These stages don’t follow immediately on from one another UNCLASSIFIED

ONLINE TESTS – Verbal Reasoning Example 1: In recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in the concept of social capital and its impact on society. Social capital is closely associated with community spirit and cohesion and, while definitions vary, the main elements of it include citizenship, neighbourliness, trust, community involvement, volunteering, and civic and social participation. Social capital has both direct and indirect consequences for a wide range of positive social and economic outcomes. Despite the many claims made for it, social capital has little impact in terms of economic consequences. TrueFalseCannot say UNCLASSIFIED

ONLINE TESTS – Verbal Reasoning Example 2: Gender segregation is closely tied to the wide difference between male and female earnings. Studies have shown that only about half of the variation in pay can be attributed to lesser skills and training of women; the remainder reflects discriminatory practices – when women are in jobs that attract poor pay as they are defined as low grade. Answer each of the statements with True/False/Cannot Tell: Variation in male and female salaries is not caused by discrimination. Most women are in poorly paid jobs. Around 50% of all variations in pay are due to women having been given less training and skills. UNCLASSIFIED

ONLINE TESTS – Numerical Reasoning Example: UNCLASSIFIED

ONLINE TESTS – Numerical Reasoning Example: UNCLASSIFIED

ONLINE TESTS: Strategies for Success 1.Be self-confident 2.Stay calm 3.Concentrate 4.De-clutter your workspace 5.Read the instructions 6.Do practice tests 7.Manage your time 8.Pause and reflect UNCLASSIFIED

Time Management in Tests 1.You need to balance accuracy with speed to pass 2.You are not necessarily expected to finish all the questions 3.But you do need to answer enough of them – accurately So... DON’T waste time double checking if you’re 80% sure. DO skip a question if you’re really stuck. But... DON’T just click random answers to finish the questions in time. UNCLASSIFIED

E-TRAY – What is it?

The e-tray exercise looks like the inbox of your work . It is testing your ability to manage your time and prioritise your work. Task 1: Review a series of information documents, presented in on- screen folders, that provide exercise background (20 mins) Task 2: Read and respond to 24 s. Each message will include a list of possible actions. Select the most and least appropriate, based on the information in the , and other relevant documents. (60 mins) Task 3: Draft a detailed free text response to a request. All information required will be on the computer screen (60 mins)

How to tackle the e-tray... Look at the practice e-tray not long before doing the test. Read the instructions Keep track of time Review all background folders to see what’s there, and pick out the key documents to read. Don’t try to read everything in detail. Work at an even pace, rushing may mean you miss something Make sure you know what’s in the inbox, and prioritise – as you would in real life. Write a quick to-do list if it helps. Don’t start at the top and work down. The answer for one may be in a later one. You can’t go back once you’ve submitted. Be sure you’re finished.

Fast Stream Assessment Centre (FSAC) FSAC involves: Group exercise Written policy exercise Leadership exercise Competence interview It takes a full day (with breaks). It’s held in London. UNCLASSIFIED

Top Tips for FSAC Don’t expect perfection. Work out how you fit the competences beforehand. Don’t try to memorise the specific indicators of effective behaviour. Don’t try to second guess which competence is being tested when. Try to be yourself and respond as you would in real life. Be conscious of personal impact: particularly in the group exercise. Stay positive. All the competences are tested more than once. Focus on the current exercise Participate, and speak clearly. If we don’t hear it, we can’t mark it.

FSAC – Group Exercise Assesses: Making Effective Decisions, Achieving Commercial Outcomes, Delivering Value for Money Building Capability for All, Collaborating & Partnering Leading & Communicating Task: Work to select one of several project proposals to fit a brief You get a core brief, and an individual brief about your team’s priorities 30 mins preparation; mins discussion; 10 mins self-review

Group Exercise – top tips There isn’t a right answer. You don’t need to ‘win’ to pass the test. It’s about the discussion: Present your case logically and clearly. Don’t get bogged down in the detail. Listen to others, and counter their arguments as necessary Build on ideas to reach consensus Personal Impact: Introverts – You need to speak to get marks. Get in early before the discussion gains momentum. Extroverts – you get more marks for facilitating a discussion than for making your case at the expense of others.

FSAC – Policy Exercise Assesses: Seeing the bigger picture, Changing and Improving Making Effective Decisions, Achieving Commercial Outcomes, Delivering Value for Money Leading and Communicating Task: Assimilate a large amount of evidence under time pressure (1 hour 45 mins) Produce a reasoned recommendation on which of two options is better against given criteria Write a short piece with other ideas relating to the scenario.

Policy Exercise: What are we looking for? Evidence that you can explain the issues, based on data The ability to step back and weigh up issues against criteria An analytical, not descriptive approach The ability to write persuasively, in fully written up prose for the first part, identifying appropriate arguments in the second. Suggested structures: 1.Recommendation Alternative options Argument/Reasoning Risks 2.Option 1, pros and cons Option 2, pros and cons Recommendation and why Tip Use headers, bullets, bold, underlining to make it readable

FSAC – Leadership Exercise Assesses Seeing the Bigger Picture, Changing and Improving Building Capability for All, Collaborating and Partnering Leading and Communicating Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service Task Focuses on leadership Candidate is preparing to take over a team should describe to the assessor (acting as their own manager), how they will tackle issues Focus on implementation of a particular initiative and the way the team is functioning 35 mins preparation, 10 mins briefing, 30 mins Q&A, 10 mins self- review

FSAC - Competence Interview Assesses: Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service Building Capability for All, Collaborating and Partnering Task Candidate provides evidence from work, study and personal life against competences Interview will also ask about things that motivate and inspire the candidate Assessor has no background information about candidate 45 mins

Competence interviews – Top Tips Use “I” not “we” – focus on what you did, don’t tell the story Use the best example, doesn’t need to be most recent (within reason) or related to anything you might do on Fast Stream Prepare two or three examples per competence, covering different areas, so you can adapt to the specific question asked You can use the same example for more than one competence (as long as you link it differently each time. Don’t just repeat yourself.) If you would do something different next time, explain what and why.

The STAR Model Focus your examples, and avoid story-telling, by setting out: Situation The football team I play for had been without a treasurer for 6 months. I have a Business Studies A-level and offered to take on the role. Task An audit was due, and the accounts needed to be brought up to date within 2 months Action I organised the paperwork, set up a spreadsheet, updated the accounts and prepared for the auditors’ visit Result We passed the audit. I am now implementing the auditors’ recommendations, and taking a book-keeping class to improve my skills. Next time I wouldn’t hesitate so long about volunteering. If I’d started earlier, I would have had more time, and the accounts would not have been so out of date.

FCO Final Selection Board Focussing on communication, judgement and people skills 2 role plays with an actor (one management situation, one meeting with a stakeholder) and a motivational interview Role Plays Be yourself, and react as you would in real life Don’t need to know how to “manage”, need to be able to deal with people. Motivational Interview Focus on why you want to join the FCO, your expectations of the career, and how it affects your life Your chance to talk to a diplomat about their career and ask questions

Life as a faststreamer Two years spent in London First year delivering policy (for example, dealing with security and defence issues or working to improve human rights abroad) Second year delivering a service (for example, providing assistance to British citizens who are forced into marriage overseas Second year learning a hard language (such as Mandarin or Arabic) Then go on a three- four year posting overseas You apply and interview for all of the positions you are interested in overseas Enter at middle management Responsibility from the start UNCLASSIFIED EU Careers Charlotte Sanderson Senior EU Staffing Officer EU Staffing Unit Interested in Europe?...how about a career as an EU civil servant? Work in a multicultural environment Face the challenges of the future >>Surrounded by 24 languages and 28 Nationalities? That’s working and living in the heart of Europe.<< Spring time graduate recruitment Various fields / policy roles Based in Brussels / Luxembourg

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