Environment Agency Interview Questions
& Process

Applied online and got an interview offer. The interviews were in 3 different places which was strange as I wasn't sure where the job was actually located. I picked the closest one to my home. I got there on time but had to wait a bit. I tried to say hi and shake hands, but they just stared at me weirdly, no response XD. There was a panel of 3 people, and they each asked questions, 5 in total. They didn't look at me or smile, just kept staring at their papers. It was hard to connect with the team during the interview, definitely use the STAR method. I asked about the role and how I could progress, but no one seemed to have an answer. I was the last person interviewed after 3 days, so I figured they already had someone in mind. They said I'd hear back in a few days, and since I didn't, I figured it was a no. I emailed for feedback and got an automated rejection email from a different address an hour later. It was a weird experience, but good luck to anyone else applying.

The application process started with an online form that had a word count limit. I typed my answers directly into the website, but it timed out and didn't save my work. After trying to contact support unsuccessfully, I emailed a generic recruitment address. My application was eventually retyped and submitted. I was contacted by the hiring manager who was very helpful, but the shared HR services were slow. The hiring manager offered a call to clarify the role, which wasn't clear if it was internal or external facing. They sent a transcription of a previous Q&A session which was helpful. I was asked about reasonable adjustments, which I provided via email, and the hiring manager was very responsive and honored them. The HR shared services took a week to respond to my reasonable adjustments. The interview was based on the civil service model, focusing on behaviors rather than specific skills, which I found disappointing due to its vagueness. I had to give a five-minute talk on three things I'm good at. Then, I was asked four behavioral questions about qualities, not specific skills. The interview felt like I was just talking while they wrote things down, rather than a back-and-forth discussion. I discussed leadership, communications, and politics. I was told a decision would be made early the following week after one more interview. I contacted shared services to find out the status and they were unaware I had already interviewed. The hiring manager called on Friday to give me the news. Three weeks after the interview, shared services finally sent me the same news. I did not get the job.

Communication before the interview was good, they confirmed the appointment and said to reach out if any issues. I was interviewed by 3 people, one mentioned being there for diversity. They took turns asking questions. There was a warm-up question and then 4 questions about the application competencies, which were different from the application questions. Sometimes they asked follow-up questions. I used the STARR format for my answers. I'd say the interview difficulty was average because I had lots of career examples that fit the competencies, any extra difficulty was just my nerves. They were fine with me looking at notes, which was helpful as I had some bullet points.

The interview experience was terrible. I was expecting three competency-based questions that were supposed to be provided in advance. However, the interview only included one and a half competency questions and a bunch of random stuff. It felt more like an interview for a fast-food job than for a highly technical role. There were no environmental agency staff on the panel, and I couldn't ask technical questions. It also took them more than 8 weeks to get back to me after the interview. The water companies clearly have nothing to worry about!