Behaviours advice: Should I pitch my examples one grade higher? (AO interview using EO indicators)
Hi everyone,
I have an AO interview coming up and I'm currently drafting my behaviour examples using the Success Profiles.
I’m debating my strategy and would love some input from people who have interviewed or been on a panel: Is it a good idea to tailor my examples to meet the criteria for the grade above the one I'm applying for?
For example, if I'm going for an AO role, should I look at the Level 2 (EO) behaviour indicators so my examples sound stronger and show I'm highly capable?
My big concern is that this might be a trap. Because the Civil Service scoring is so rigid, and the indicators for Level 1 (AA/AO) are different to Level 2 (EO), am I going to shoot myself in the foot? I’m worried that by trying to demonstrate EO-level work, I might miss the specific AO "box-ticking" criteria they actually have in front of them and end up dropping points.
Do panels reward you for showing you are already operating at a higher grade, or is it strictly "you must hit the exact AO criteria on our sheet or you score poorly"?
Any advice would be massively appreciated!