Careers

If your application has been shortlisted, you’ll be invited for an interview. The selection process can vary depending on the role you’ve applied for, but as a minimum you can expect a face-to-face interview. We’ll offer you a selection of time slots and you’ll have the opportunity to select your interview time.

We’ll send you all the information you need in advance of the interview, such as:

• Who you’ll be meeting

• How long the interview will be

• Whether the interview will be held at The Scottish Parliament or online

• Any specific information that may be part of the selection process

Your interview will either be held online via Microsoft Teams or in person at The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. If your interview is online, we’ll send you the link the week before the interview takes place.

If your interview is in person, at the Scottish Parliament, please allow at least 20 minutes of time, before your interview time, to go through security. On entering the building, please report to the Visitor Desk and ask for the provided contact’s name. Please note that we do not normally reimburse travel expenses for interviews held at the Parliament.

In addition to the face to face interview, we may also ask you to:

• Complete a written exercise, which is usually timed

• Prepare something ahead of the interview, like a presentation or portfolio, to present to us on the interview day, to showcase your experience, capability and potential. If we ask you to deliver this in person at the Parliament, we won’t ask you to present this with PowerPoint or via technology

Whatever the situation, we’ll let you know what to expect from your assessment or interview in advance, giving you enough time to prepare.

If you need adjustments for reasons of disability, let our People Services team know via email at careers@parliament.scot at the time of booking your interview so that we can make the necessary arrangements.

Our interviewers will ask you questions based on each of the four values. They’ll assess your responses from a values-based perspective.

We ask that you fully review the job description and understand our four values including how they relate to the role you’re applying for.

Interview Tips

During your interview, we’ll ask you questions based on each of the values. Please answer these questions in the STAR format:

• S – Situation. Where were you working, what was the situation or issue. You should be brief in discussing this

• T – Task. What was your solution, what did you consider should be done

• A - Action. Who did you propose your solution to, what did you do to implement this and how did you do it. How did you include other people’s feedback into the solution. You should focus most of your time on this section

• R – Result. What were the results of your work and how was this received. You should ensure that you’re providing a comprehensive answer to the Result section

• Reflection. Would you have done anything differently if you did it again

Always

• Prepare several examples in advance of the interview, based upon the four values in the job description

• Answer in the STAR format

• Listen to the question fully – if it’s a long question, write it down

• Say “I”

• Only evidence your own experience and contribution, even if you’re working in a team. Explain how you worked with the team

• Choose an example which is recent and at the right level for the role

• Consider your timing when you answer the questions

• Remember to explain how you did something, not just tell us what you did

• Listen out for interviewers probing while you’re answering. This means they need specific additional information. They do this to keep you focused on answering the interview question fully, to allow you to score maximum points

Never

• Be negative

• Say “we” – we can’t score your answer if we don’t know what you personally have done

• Be too brief

• Choose an example where you can’t reflect on the results of your actions

We’ll aim to let you know the outcome of your interview as soon as we can. This will normally be within one week.

If you’re unsuccessful at interview stage, you can ask us for feedback.

We want to ensure a positive candidate experience, so we’ll also contact you to ask for your feedback on the whole recruitment process.

Onboarding Process

If you’re successful at interview, you’ll be asked to complete our onboarding process. You'll be asked to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the United Kingdom. Please note that this may include a health assessment carried out by our Occupational Health provider. 

You'll also be required to complete a security questionnaire. We request that you complete the questionnaire as soon as you receive this.

Some of our roles will require membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. For further information, please see our policy on the employment of ex-offenders and use of disclosure.

If you’re successful, we’ll approach previous and/or current employers for a reference. If you have no employment history we may approach any school, college, or university you’ve attended.

We can only make a formal offer of employment once we’ve received your security clearance, eligibility to work in the UK and references. Your health assessment will be used to inform us of any adjustments you require before you start work with us.