Customer Services Advisor - Stratford 442R

Administrative Officer

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience.

To help you prepare, below is a rundown of what to expect during the selection process:

• Eligibility form
• Application form
• Civil Service Customer Service Test
• Video interview

We acknowledge that AI can assist you in your application. Find our guidelines here.

Eligibility & Application form

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake, please contact us via: [email protected]– Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – 408129 & vacancy closing date Monday 16th June 2025. To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.

Civil Service Customer Service Test

Please note that the Online test will not be available on

• Saturday 31st May 2025
• Sunday 1st June 2025

Our online test supplier will be completing scheduled maintenance, this is an extended outage to support a system data cleanse. Candidates will not be able to launch new tests during the downtime.

Candidates who are taking a test when the downtime starts will have their test paused. Candidates will be able to pick up where they left off after the downtime and can do this by accessing the test again from the application centre after 9pm Sunday 1st June 2025.

After submission of the first stage of your application, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Customer Service Test, If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Guidance and details on how to access the test will be given to you before you take it. Please allow yourself plenty of time to complete it, as there will be no technical help or guaranteed assistance after 08:00 on Monday 16th June 2025.

Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24 to 48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 14:00 on Monday 16th June 2025. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn.

Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The test is administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

• Please ensure that any technical issues with the test are reported with supporting evidence prior to 08:00 on Monday 16th June 2025. There will be no extension to the deadline for completing the test.
• Please also be advised that Online Tests may only be one element of the application process. You should ensure you set aside plenty of time to undertake the full application process for this role. Late applications will not be accepted.

Video interview

If you are invited to an interview, it will be a video interview, based on Civil Service Behaviours. We will send you full instructions on how to access it, what ID you’ll need to show us, and what it involves. Please read through these carefully, it will help you to be fully prepared.

After you receive your interview invite, you’ll have 7 days to complete and submit the interview. If you won't be able to do this in time, please contact us with your reasons before the deadline at [email protected]. Unfortunately, if you don't contact us in time your application will be withdrawn.

If a high number of applications are received, we may implement an interview approach whereby if you fail to achieve the minimum standard on any of the questions, the assessors will not mark the remainder of the interview. If your responses consistently demonstrate the required level in these areas, we will continue with a full evaluation.

To help you develop your skills, you will receive feedback on all scored responses.

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the UBS Recruitment Team via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Diversity and Inclusion

At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues and creating an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we welcome applications from all people, from all backgrounds, with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

We’re committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues here at HMRC and want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential.

Click here for more information on how we make this happen.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers

Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.

Note: This role is not eligible for ‘skilled worker’ sponsorship

The Home Office has specific rules around eligibility for sponsorship, including a minimum salary requirement of £38,700. In some cases, the minimum can be reduced to £30,960 (via ‘tradable points’) but this role pays below both amounts, and therefore is not eligible.

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process. Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.