H Ampshire Constabulary Recruitment Department Candidate Guidance For

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ampshire Constabulary
Recruitment Department
Candidate guidance for completing Police Staff application forms
Thank you for your interest in joining Hampshire Constabulary, you
should see this as your opportunity to highlight your skills,
abilities and experience to show you can do the job. The application
form is crucial to the recruitment and selection process as it will
allow the Recruitment panel to assess your application against the
criteria for the job.
Please do not attach a CV or covering letter unless the job advert
specifically asks you to do so.
To assist you in completing the application form, some key points are
listed below that you should address in order to produce a good
application form and increase your chance of being selected for
interview.
 Examine the job profile. This will consist of a description of the
role and the tasks you could undertake and a ‘person specification’
which has the essential criteria for the role and the competencies and
values you need to give specific examples against on your application.
Read all of this carefully before completing your application.
 You may wish to complete your evidence in a Word document first,
before copying and pasting in to the online application.
 Analyse the essential criteria and competencies/values. What
evidence can you provide to demonstrate that you have the necessary
skills, knowledge, experience and personal qualities to meet each item
in the person specification? Consider any experience that you may have
acquired outside of work, such as community or voluntary interests.
Competencies/values: What are they?
Competencies/values are abilities or attributes, described in terms of
behaviour, key to effective and/or highly effective performance within
a particular job.
They are applicable across a range of jobs, unlike specialist or
technical skills which may be job specific. They provide a common
language for describing performance and the abilities/attributes
displayed by individuals. They focus on ‘how’ tasks are achieved, not
‘what’ is achieved.
Competencies differ from competence, which relates to tangible
knowledge and skills relating to a particular job or task (normally
covered in the skills and knowledge section of a role profile).
 Set out your supporting evidence using the sections given in the
application form, ie Essential Education / Qualifications required and
Essential Experience required, etc.
 As part of your application you will be asked to give evidence
against a selection of competencies and values. All the
competency/value based questions are designed to assess your potential
and to offer you the opportunity to demonstrate the behaviours that
are indicative of effective performance in the role you are applying
for.
Use the competency and value headings (i.e. Integrity or We take
ownership etc) to provide evidence with relevant examples to support
each individual requirement within each category as far as possible.
It is very important that you provide sound evidence in completing the
application form; that the information you supply clearly relates
directly to each of the competences and values and that you
demonstrate by means of a real example, how you applied that skill,
gained or used that knowledge, or exercised that ability.
Providing a clear verifiable example helps the Constabulary/panel see
in practical terms how you meet that particular selection criteria or
competency. It also assists the interviewers to explore in more detail
what you have to say during the interview.
One of the best strategies for evidencing examples concisely is to use
the STAR technique:
Situation Briefly describe the where / when / who
Task Outline the task or objective – and what you hoped to achieve
Action Describe what you did – focus on your role and your input. This
should be the main part of your example.
Result Explain what the outcome was, and what skills you developed as
a result
For more information on the Competency and Values Framework (CVF) and
definitions please see this document: Competency and Values Framework
for Policing.pdf
Each of your examples will be scored out of 5. All candidates must
score
2's and above to qualify as a pass, in the essential and competency/
values areas. Candidates who score 0’s or 1’s are considered as
failing to meet the criteria and will not be considered for interview.
Please see example below of how scores are likely to be allocated to
your examples.
 Don’t merely repeat your career history, detail how your career
history relates to each individual criteria or requirement
*
Don’t assume that the recruitment panel scoring your application
knows how your evidence relates to the criteria/competency/value
or has enhanced your skills or knowledge – you must explain
clearly.
*
Do not send in your CV unless it is accompanied by a properly
completed application form, otherwise you may not score highly
enough during shortlisting to be invited at attend an interview.
*
Finally - Make sure that you read the form fully before
completing, check your spelling and grammar, answer every question
and make sure that you submit your application before the closing
date.
If you do not get invited to an interview then please know we were not
placing any judgement on your previous or current role
responsibilities, career path or commitment to the police service.
Please therefore do not feel that a rejection on means you are not
suitable. It merely demonstrates that you did not supply sufficient
information to score well in that application.
Completing the Application Form
Factual Information - Complete the factual parts of the form first –
things like name, address etc.
Education - The holding of an educational qualification will only
influence shortlisting where this is specifically recorded as a
criterion. If you do not hold a qualification that is required but can
demonstrate comparable / relevant work experience you will need to do
this and provide evidence of how this ensures you are the same level.
Employment History - Write the names and addresses of present and past
employers. Remember, if you have done voluntary or community work or
have had a career break for any reason you must detail it.
How we score your application:
5
Consistently shows thorough and comprehensive positive evidence,
covering all of the competency definition and its associated positive
behavioural indicators. PASS
4
Consistently shows strong positive evidence, covering the majority of
the competency definition and its associated positive behavioural
indicators.
PASS
3
Shows relevant positive evidence, covering a significant proportion of
the competency definition and it’s associated positive behavioural
indicators.
PASS
2
Covers some of the competency definition and associated positive
indicators, showing insufficient strong positive evidence to be judged
entirely competent. PASS
1
Covers a small proportion of the competency definition, and associated
positive indicators, showing insufficient positive evidence to be
judged competent. FAIL
0
Provides negative or no information or evidence that criteria is met.
FAIL
Example:
Essential criteria - Experience of Supervising & Appraising Staff.
4/5
As Team Leader my role incorporated the management of several
individuals, as such I had responsibility for all aspects of staff
management from induction, appraisals, mentoring, discipline and
performance management. I had a member of staff that wasn’t coping
well with new procedures brought in, so I managed the individual by
the use of an action plan drawn up in conjunction with the person,
detailing the activities that would support their long and short term
objectives/targets for the coming year and regularly reviewed these. I
also kept their morale high by giving praise when it was due. I
understand the benefit of the appraisal system linking personal/
organisational objectives and motivating staff in order to achieve the
organisation’s aims and objectives and keep a happy team.
2/3
I have managed a team for 3 years and regularly undertake performance
reviews. I understand the benefit of the appraisal system linking
personal and organisational objectives, motivating staff in order to
make the most effective use of resources.
1
I have managed a team for 3 years and regularly undertake performance
reviews.
0
Nothing mentioned in application.
Thank you for your interest in Hampshire Constabulary, more
information on our organisation can be found at
https://www.hampshire.police.uk/join-us/ or
https://careers.newjob.org.uk/
CJ-05/09/2018