Welcome to the Acas Application Pack
Organisational Background
Acas provides help and advice to organisations to enable them to improve
their employment relations. It is an accredited NDPB with a chief
executive and reports to an independent Council made up of
representatives from bodies such as the CBI and the TUC. Acas is a BIS
partner organisation and a Civil Service employer.
Our other stakeholders include organisations such as the British Chambers
of Commerce, CIPD, Employment Lawyers Association, and the Federation
of Small Businesses.
Acas is a service delivery organisation, dealing direct with employers and
employees on issues that affect people’s working lives every day – from
helping to resolve disputes between individuals and their employer to
giving employers and employees guidance on issues such as zero hours
contracts and flexible working. We are best known for helping resolve
disputes between larger employers and unions (known as collective
conciliation).
Range of benefits
Annual leave: generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days
per year, and increasing to 30 days after 5 years service. Additional paid
time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day.
Pension: the Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you
the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.
Training: Acas is committed to staff development and offers an extensive
range of training and development opportunities.
Support: a range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to
work flexibly, access to flexible benefits such as salary sacrifice
arrangements for childcare vouchers, Ride to Work Bicycle purchase
scheme and interest free season ticket loans (following completion of
satisfactory probation.)
Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
Submitting your application
Your completed Application Form and Diversity Data Form should be sent
electronically together with your application form to Sarah Benson E-mail:
[email protected] or by post address to Sarah Benson, Acas,
Recruitment, Civic Offices, 1st Floor, Harlington Way, Fleet, Hampshire,
GU51 4AE. Please include the vacancy reference number in the
subject of your e-mail.
Applications must reach us no later than 31st July 2014. Late
applications will not be considered.
Further information
If you have any questions about the application and selection process or
the posts concerned, please email your queries to: [email protected].
If you have a disability which requires you to submit your form in a
different format or method, please email us at: [email protected].
Equality
Acas will ensure applicants will not be discriminated against because of
their protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
Protected characteristics include age, disability, gender reassignment,
race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil
partnership, pregnancy and maternity. Acas will make all efforts to meet
your access requirements.
Application Form Guidelines
The Application Form has standard sections which capture biographical
information about you. It also asks you to address the competencies
related for this job. This section is self-report and requires you to provide
evidence of how you have demonstrated the behaviours associated with
the specified competencies, defined at the end of this pack. This evidence
must be objective and truthful, and describe real examples of what
happened and how the behaviour led to the outcome. The specified
competencies represent skills and abilities, which all applicants will need
to have to be successful.
By providing us with documentary evidence of your experiences and
achievements to date in relation to the specified competencies, you are
giving us an insight into your ability to operate successfully at this level.
The Application Forms are reviewed and marked by a team of trained
Assessors, who use strict criteria to ensure that the highest standards of
accuracy and consistency are applied in all cases.
Some hints for completing the Application Form:

Read the question carefully and ensure all parts are answered.

You can provide either work-related or non work-related examples
appropriate to the questions. However, wherever possible, please
select examples from the workplace.

Give examples that are recent, preferably within the past 2 years.

Focus on what YOU did and what YOUR specific contribution was.

Be as specific as possible and try to explain exactly what you
personally did.

Ensure your examples are written clearly and legibly. We cannot
give you credit for what we cannot read. If you prefer, you can type
your examples.

You should focus on identifying how and where you have made a
contribution at work or to an outside interest. This may be:
-
A specific one-off incident, or the results of sustained effort over
a period of time.
-
An achievement in which you invested a lot of personal effort.
Further guidance is provided in the relevant section of the form.
Competencies in Key Areas
The following competencies ask you about the achievements that you are
proud of both in your work and other settings. The questions relate to
some of the skills and abilities which have been determined to be required
in order to work effectively as a Grade 8 within Acas. One of the best
predictors of how you are likely to perform in this role is your performance
in previous situations. Your responses to these questions will be used to
help assess your initial application, so please take some time to think
about your responses and present them in the format set out below.
For each of the competencies, you must include each of the following
elements in your response:

What was the situation and/or task? Briefly describe what the
situation was.

Action. What was it that you did in that situation and to what extent
were others involved?

Result. What was the actual outcome of the action that you took?
Please try to provide examples that focus on your involvement in the task,
as it is you that we are interested in. The examples you choose can be
from any setting – work, education, home life, voluntary activities etc.
However, please make them as relevant as possible. Please try to use a
different example for each question, as a spread of responses gives us the
most comprehensive picture of you.
Please avoid using ‘jargon’ in your answers.
Acas Competencies Required
Acas recognises the specialist nature of our expertise. This suite of
behaviours allows operational staff to demonstrate what makes us so
effective in improving workplaces and resolving employment disputes.
This suite concentrates on 2 main areas – “Dispute Resolution/ Promoting
Good Employment relations” and “Building Relationships”.
The levels in the operational suite reflect Civil Service competency
building as a cumulative process, with each level building on the levels
below i.e. a person demonstrating competency at level 3 should also be
demonstrating level 2 indicators as a matter of course.
Dispute Resolution/ Promoting Good Employment Practice
Level 3
Effective Behaviours
People who are effective are likely
to….
Explore parties’ positions and
interests highlighting common
ground to promote an acceptable
solution.
Overcome barriers to help
engagement. Seek consensus, but
does not compromise organisational
values.
Use a range of approaches and
strategies to break deadlock and
defuse unhelpful tension, sharing
their knowledge and expertise in an
appropriate way, remaining
independent and impartial with
clear professional boundaries.
Accurately assess customers’ real
needs through in depth diagnosis
and design solutions that work.
Confidently facilitate groups.
Create emphasis and impact
through body language, pitch, pace
and tone.
Use initiative to create and maintain
relationships with customers and
stakeholders to support and
increase the use of Acas services
and products.
Ineffective Behaviours
People who are less effective are
likely to…..
Not take account of parties’
positions or views. Does not seek to
influence them.
Allow own values/style to hamper
progression.
Demonstrate a narrow approach
when faced with an impasse.
Display minimal interest in the
needs of the customer.
Show little control and struggle to
engage audience.
Wait for work to come their way or
take minimal steps to create or
maintain relationships with
customers or stakeholders
Building Relationships
Level 3
Effective Behaviour
People who are effective are likely
to….
Pro-actively manage their work to
achieve expected standards,
outcomes and deadlines.
Encourage and facilitate
collaborative team working to
provide a high quality service to
customers and meet business
needs.
Show patience, understanding and
perseverance when dealing with
customers, building rapport without
exerting undue pressure. Recognise
the need to involve appropriate
third parties.
Demonstrate impartiality through
equal treatment of parties and use
of non-judgemental language.
Take ownership of own performance
and exercise good organisational
judgement
Ineffective Behaviour
People who are less effective are
likely to….
Be reactive and take little notice of
the standards, outcomes and
deadlines expected.
Focus solely upon own role.
Display irritation and insufficient
interest when dealing with parties.
Does not attempt to build rapport.
Through words and actions show
limited regard for the feelings or
values of others.
Show no interest in own
performance and lack organisational
judgement.
Civil Service Competency Framework
Seeing the Big Picture
Level 3 (HEO & SEO or equiv)
Effective Behaviour
People who are effective are likely
to…
Be alert to emerging issues and
trends which might impact or
benefit own and team’s work
Ineffective Behaviour
People who are less effective are
likely to…
Ignore changes in the external
environment that have implications
for Departmental policy and
considerations
Develop an understanding of own
area’s strategy and how this
contributes to Departmental
priorities
Shows limited interest in or
understanding of Departmental
priorities and what they mean for
activities in their area
Ensure own area/team activities are
aligned to Departmental priorities
Be overly focused on team and
individual activities without due
regard for how they meet the
demands of the Department as a
whole
Actively seek out and share
experience to develop
understanding and knowledge of
own work and of team’s business
area
Take actions which conflict with or
mis-align to other activities
Seek to understand how the
services, activities and strategies in
the area work together to create
value for the customer/end user
Commit to actions without consideration
of the impact on the diverse needs of
customers/end users – apply a “one size
fits all” approach
Leading and Communicating
Level 3 (HEO & SEO or equiv)
Effective Behaviour
People who are effective are likely
to…
Take opportunities to regularly
communicate and interact with
staff, helping to clarify goals and
activities and the links between
these and Departmental strategy
Ineffective Behaviour
People who are less effective are
likely to…
Be rarely available to staff and
others, communicate infrequently
Recognise, respect and reward the
contribution and achievements of
others
Take the credit for others’
achievements
Communicate in a succinct,
engaging manner and stand ground
when needed
Give in readily when challenged
Communicate using appropriate
styles, methods and timing,
including digital channels, to
maximise understanding and impact
Communicate in a set way with little
variation, without tailoring
messages, style and timing to the
needs of the target audience
Promote the work of the
Department and play an active part
in supporting the Civil Service
values and culture
Be ignorant of and/or dismissive of
broader organisational values and
goals, such as equality and diversity
Convey enthusiasm and energy
about their work and encourage
others to do the same
Communicate information without
consideration for the audience or
with limited/low levels of
enthusiasm and effort
Collaborating and Partnering
Level 3 (HEO & SEO or equiv)
Effective Behaviour
People who are effective are likely
to…
Establish relationships with a range
of stakeholders to support delivery
of business outcomes
Ineffective Behaviour
People who are less effective are
likely to…
Devote little or no time to
networking
or
engaging
with
immediate stakeholders, preferring
to work in isolation
Invest time to generate a common Demonstrate limited capability to
focus and genuine team spirit
get the best from people and create
barriers
or
negative
feelings
between and within teams
Actively seek input from a diverse Display little appreciation of the
range of people
value of different contributions and
perspectives
Readily share resources to support Create reasons why resources and
higher
priority
work,
showing support cannot be shared
pragmatism and support for the
shared goals of the organisation
Deal with conflict in a prompt, calm Show a lack of concern for others‟
and constructive manner
perspectives
Encourage
collaborative
team Support individual or silo ways of
working within own team and working
across the Department
Written Competency Example
THIS EXAMPLE IS TO BE USED FOR GUIDANCE ONLY – ADAPTING AND
IMPROVING IS NOT MEASURED IN THIS PROCESS.
Adapting and Improving
As legal counsel for a health insurance plan, I negotiated and helped
administer numerous contracts with medical service providers. These
contracts varied widely despite governing similar issues, negotiations were
time consuming and complicated; contract administration burdensome. I
proposed creating a master contract to replace these contracts, thereby
streamlining negotiations and simplifying contract administration.
First, I collected all existing contracts, identified similarities, and
researched applicable legal provisions. Next, I identified and spoke with
knowledgeable employees to determine additional desired and necessary
provisions. Then I drafted a cohesive, comprehensive, error free master
document and circulated it internally for review and suggestions to its
content and form.
There was some resistance from managers initially, but I was able to
persuade them that this would make contract negotiation and
administration more efficient, thereby freeing up employees to do other
meaningful work. I did this by arranging a meeting to allow these
concerns to be raised so I could address them and demonstrate with a
practical example how the new system would save them time.
In the end, the master contract was adopted making future negotiations
less time consuming and stressful as it served as a primary resource and
baseline. This change also made it easier for all personnel charged with
administering the contracts to know what was required of a vendor, as
they no longer had to memorize the provisions of many different
contracts. The response from managers was very positive after the
system had been in for a few months.