HM Revenue and Customs Interview Questions
& Process

They sent a technical task a week before the interview. The task was straightforward, and I created a good presentation by cleaning data and visualizing it. I had to present my findings within 10 minutes. I thought I did well on the technical part. However, the strength-based and behavioral questions were challenging. Even when I used the STAR method, they wanted more explanation. If I didn't understand a question, they didn't rephrase it, just repeated it.

So first you have to do this online test, it's competency-based and has a timed section for numerical and analytical skills, like testing your attention to detail. Honestly, it's pretty easy if you're just truthful, 'cause it asks for two-part answers. If you pass that, you get invited to a pre-recorded interview. It has 5 steps: you show your ID, then there's an ice breaker - like 'what was your favourite place you visited?' These first two parts aren't scored though. After that, there are 3 questions. The ones I got were: Q1. Tell me about a time you had to meet a challenging deadline, how you did this and communicated with people? Q2. About a time where you had to adapt your communication (more sympathetic, direct, assertive eg). Q3. A time you have dealt with a difficult group or individual? How did you deal with this? These questions aren't word-for-word exact, but they're close. Just so you know, the questions can change, so don't prep answers from Googling them. I'd suggest looking at different questions and thinking about real situations you've been in. It's fine to take your time thinking and speak slowly.

The interview process will include Behaviour Questions, where they expect you to use the STAR method. Common behaviours for Compliance Officer roles are Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Working Together, and Managing a Quality Service. Example questions include: “Tell us about a time you analysed information to make a decision.”, “Describe a situation where you had to challenge something that wasn’t correct.”, and “Tell us about a time you explained something complicated to someone.” They’re looking for clear structure, evidence, and impact. There will also be Strength Questions, which are quick, instinctive questions like: “Do you enjoy detailed work?”, “How do you feel about working with rules and regulations?”, and “What motivates you to complete tasks to a high standard?”. For these, no STAR method is needed — they want your natural preference.

The interview process had 3 stages. First, there were 2 online assessments. After that, I had an interview with a group of panelists. The questions were about 3 different Civil Service behaviours and 3 strength-based questions. I used the STAR technique to answer. The job description had already highlighted the specific behaviour questions they wanted to assess, which was helpful for preparing. The interview took about 45 minutes.