Civil Service Success Profiles: 250-Word Behaviour Examples

If you are applying for a UK Civil Service job, you will probably be asked for behaviour statements. Many adverts limit each one to 250 words. This guide gives you civil service success profiles behaviours examples written to that limit, a STAR word budget you can reuse, and a checklist to run before you submit.

The examples below are models, not scripts. Your statement has to describe something you actually did. Assessors read many applications, and generic or borrowed examples tend to read as hollow. They can also fall apart at interview when you are asked follow-up questions.

How behaviours fit into Success Profiles

Success Profiles is the Civil Service's recruitment framework. It can assess five elements: Behaviours, Strengths, Ability, Experience and Technical. Each advert chooses which of these it uses, so always read the job description first. The official guidance is on GOV.UK's Success Profiles page.

There are nine behaviours:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Each behaviour is described at different levels, which roughly match grades (for example, Administrative Officer up to Senior Civil Service). Read the indicators for your grade in the framework document. A strong Executive Officer example looks different from a strong Grade 7 example.

Adverts sometimes name a lead behaviour. If there are many applicants, the first sift may be based on that statement alone. Write it first and give it the most time.

A 250-word STAR budget

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. With 250 words, the common mistake is spending 120 words on background. Assessors score what you did, so the Action section should be the largest.

Section	Suggested words	What to include
Situation	30-40	Where, when, what the problem was
Task	20-30	Your specific responsibility
Action	130-150	What you did, step by step, linked to the behaviour indicators
Result	30-40	Outcome, what changed, what you learned

This is a guide rather than a rule. If your result is complex, borrow a few words from the Situation.

Rules that save words

• Use "I", not "we". Panels need to see your contribution.
• Cut phrases like "I was responsible for the task of". Write "I had to".
• Drop the organisation's history. One clause of context is enough.
• Use numbers only if they are accurate and you can explain them.
• Avoid acronyms the panel may not know, or spell them out once.

Civil service success profiles behaviours examples (worked)

Both examples below are roughly 250 words. They are fictional illustrations written to show structure, not real candidates' statements. Notice how the Action section maps onto the behaviour indicators.

Example 1: Delivering at Pace (around Executive Officer level)

Situation: In my role as a customer service team leader at a regional housing association, a system change created a backlog of repair requests. Tenants were waiting longer than our published response times, and complaints were rising.

Task: My manager asked me to clear the backlog within six weeks while keeping new requests on track.

Action: I first sorted the backlog by urgency, separating safety issues such as heating and electrics from routine jobs. I agreed with my manager that safety cases would be handled within 48 hours. I then set daily targets for each of my five team members based on their experience, giving newer staff simpler cases and pairing them with experienced colleagues. I held a ten-minute check-in each morning to review progress and move work where someone was stuck. When two contractors could not meet our dates, I escalated this to the contracts lead the same day with a summary of affected tenants, so alternatives could be arranged. I kept tenants informed with a standard update message, which reduced repeat calls. I also tracked progress on a shared spreadsheet so my manager could see the position without asking.

Result: We cleared the backlog in five weeks. Complaints about delays fell over the following month, and my manager adopted the daily check-in for other teams. I learned to escalate risks earlier rather than waiting until a deadline was close.

Why it works: it shows prioritising, taking responsibility, managing others' work and acting on obstacles. These ideas appear in the Delivering at Pace indicators at this level.

Example 2: Working Together (around Administrative Officer level)

Situation: At a GP surgery where I worked as a receptionist, the reception and prescriptions teams often gave patients different information about repeat prescription timescales. This caused confusion and extra calls.

Task: Although it was not formally my job, I offered to help the two teams agree one consistent message.

Action: I spoke to the prescriptions lead to understand their process and the steps that caused delays. I then asked my reception colleagues which questions patients asked most. I noticed that we were quoting two working days while prescriptions needed three in busy weeks. I suggested a short joint meeting, and I prepared a one-page summary of both teams' views beforehand so the discussion stayed focused. In the meeting, I made sure quieter colleagues were asked for their views, because some had useful knowledge about pharmacy collection times. We agreed a single wording, which I drafted and shared for comments before the practice manager approved it. I also set up a shared folder of standard answers so new staff could find them easily, and I checked in with both teams a fortnight later to see if the wording was working.

Result: Both teams used the same message, and staff reported fewer repeat calls about prescriptions. The practice manager asked me to help with similar guidance for test results. I learned that small conflicts often come from missing information rather than disagreement.

Why it works: it shows building relationships, involving others, sharing information and supporting colleagues, which match the Working Together indicators at this level.

A fill-in template

Copy this into a document and draft each behaviour separately.

1. Behaviour and grade: Which behaviour? Which level indicators am I targeting?
2. Situation (30-40 words): Where was I, when, and what was the problem?
3. Task (20-30 words): What was I asked to do, or what did I decide to do?
4. Action (130-150 words): Three to five things I did, each starting with "I". Which indicator does each one show?
5. Result (30-40 words): What changed? How do I know? What did I learn?

After drafting, highlight each sentence that maps to an indicator. If a sentence maps to nothing, cut it or replace it.

Choosing your examples honestly

You do not need civil service experience. Examples can come from retail, hospitality, volunteering, caring responsibilities, university or community groups. What matters is that the actions are real and yours.

A few honesty checks:

• Don't stretch your role. If you supported a project, say so, and describe your part well. Our guide on how to tailor a CV without lying explains the line between fair framing and fabrication.
• Don't invent results. "Complaints fell" is fine if true. "Complaints fell by 40%" needs to be something you could evidence.
• Use different examples for different behaviours where you can. Reusing one example everywhere can look thin.
• Use recent examples where possible, ideally from the last few years.

If you get an interview, the panel may ask about the same behaviours, sometimes using your written examples. Practising out loud helps. The interview preparation tool can help you rehearse STAR answers and spot gaps, though it cannot predict what a real panel will ask.

Statements vs CVs and personal statements

Civil Service adverts may also ask for a CV or a personal statement (sometimes up to 750 or 1,250 words) assessed against Experience or Technical criteria. These are different from behaviour statements. A personal statement usually covers several essential criteria; a behaviour statement answers one behaviour.

If you are also applying to the NHS or local councils, their supporting statements follow different rules. See how to write a supporting statement for that format.

Notes for applicants outside the UK

The STAR method is widely used, but formats differ by country:

• UK: Behaviour statements are submitted through Civil Service Jobs. Word limits vary by advert, so follow the one stated.
• Nigeria: If you are a Nigerian national, check the Civil Service nationality rules on GOV.UK and the advert's eligibility section before applying. Many posts have nationality and right-to-work requirements. This is general information, not immigration advice; check official sources for your situation. If you are converting a Nigerian CV, our post on Nigerian CV vs UK CV differences covers what to change.
• Australia: Australian Public Service roles often use pitch documents or selection criteria responses. STAR still helps, but the format and length come from each agency's advert.
• Canada and the US: Federal applications rely more on how your resume demonstrates qualifications, plus assessments. STAR thinking still helps you write concrete achievements, but don't paste UK behaviour statements in directly.

Final checklist before you submit

• Each statement is within the stated word limit (check the box counts spaces correctly)
• The lead behaviour has had the most attention
• I used the indicators for the correct grade
• At least half of each statement is Action
• Every sentence uses "I" for my own actions
• Results are true and I could explain them at interview
• Acronyms are spelled out
• I have read each statement aloud to catch clumsy wording
• I saved copies, because adverts close and pages disappear

Good behaviour statements will not guarantee a sift pass or an interview, as competition and scoring vary by role. But a clear, honest, well-structured 250 words gives assessors exactly what they need to score you fairly.