What to expect at a House of Commons interview

For some roles, before your interview, you may be asked to complete some additional tasks like a test or presentation. These will always be relevant to the role we’re recruiting for, and the results will help us to understand more about your skills and experience.   

Inclusive selection process

Our selection process is designed to be inclusive. We’re a Disability Confident Leader, signatories of the Race at Work Charter, and members of the UK Carers Network and Carers UK. That means we’re taking significant action to make our candidate experience more accessible, inclusive and equitable for all.

If you require any reasonable adjustments for the interview, please let us know. This won’t affect your application, and we’re ready to make the changes that help you shine. Please contact recruitment@parliament.uk for a confidential discussion.

How to prepare

It’s important you review the Job Description and pay particular attention to the criteria in the Person Specification. It is likely you will be asked questions relating to most, if not all of the criteria.

At the House of Commons, like a lot of public sector organisations, we tend to use competency-based interviews. We would suggest thinking of multiple scenarios which fit each criteria point, so in the interview you can pick an example which best fits the question. These types of interviews assess specific skills, behaviours and competencies relevant to the job.  

Competency based questions

These types of questions are developed to measure specific competencies in candidates such as:

• teamwork
• communication skills
• leadership capabilities,
• time-management skills
• problem-solving skills

You will be asked to give an example of when you performed a particular task or skill successfully in the past. 

They can be phrased in a number of ways but most start with something like 'Tell me about a time when…..' or 'Describe a situation when…'

For example, for teamwork you may be asked 'Tell me about a time when you contributed successfully to a team project?'

For communication skills you may be asked 'Can you give me an example of when you had to explain something complex to a colleague who had no prior knowledge of the subject matter?'

Scenario based questions (also known as situational)

These types of questions can give an indication of how you will behave in a particular scenario. You will be presented with a hypothetical situation and this will help us to understand your thought processes and how you apply your skills and experience in that scenario.

An example of a scenario based question could be, 'Imagine you’re working on a project with a tight deadline and you are behind schedule, what would you do?'

Before the day

Review each criteria in the Person Specification of the Job Description and think of specific examples where you have demonstrated the skills required.

STAR method

To help structure your answers, you could try using the STAR method. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. Using STAR you would describe the problem, project or situation you were in (this sets the scene and creates context) before moving on to explaining what action you took. Finally, explain the outcome (result) of the action you took. We also suggest you include a reflection on how the situation went and what you would do differently next time, as part of your answer.

Focus your answer on the action and results section. Interviewers will want to see what you did, how you did it and what was the outcome.

On the day

Your invitation to interview will detail whether the interview will take place virtually or in person. All our virtual interviews are conducted using MS Teams. Instructions on how to access this software will be sent prior to your interview.

In-person interviews are conducted on our estate in and around Westminster. For some of our offices you will have to go through airport-style security, so make sure you arrive in plenty of time before your interview. 

Interview panels are made of up to three members of staff, including the hiring manager. Your invitation to the interview will detail the names and job titles of the people interviewing you.

During the interview

Interviews normally last around 45 minutes. Take your time to gather your thoughts and think about your answer. Ask the interviewer to repeat the question if you haven’t understood it. Remember we want you to do your best.

At the end of the interview, you will be given the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. This will be your chance to find out more about us and the role you have applied for.

What happens next?

You will be informed of the outcome of your interview by email once all interviews have been conducted. You will be given the opportunity to request feedback from your interview and will normally receive this in writing.

Conditional offer and Pre-Employment Checks

If you are successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment pending the outcome of pre-employment checks. This includes requesting references and security vetting to Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) level or Security Check (SC) or higher, as detailed in the job description.  To enable meaningful checks to be carried out, you must have normally lived in the UK for a minimum of 3 years out of the last 5 years for CTC level. For SC level, you must have normally lived in the UK for a minimum of 5 years.

We will also carry out Right to Work checks and request health and pension information from you. 

All successful candidates are required to pass these checks before an offer can be confirmed.

Reserve offer

There may be occasions where you pass the interview and assessment process, however, there are not enough roles available.  On these occasions we will put you on a reserve list for 6 months and if the same or similar role becomes available in that time you may be considered without needing to reapply.  At your request you can be removed from the reserve list at any time.