Thames Valley Police Interview Questions
& Process

Applied, then did an assessment centre with role play, and had an interview. The application form was quite thorough, the assessment centre was also with front line officer recruitment, and the interview was with two employees. The process took a bit of time.

The interview process felt a bit odd. The two interviewers didn't really introduce themselves, nor did they discuss the job role or the company. Right after I sat down, they immediately told me the working hours, asked about my notice period, and then jumped straight into the questions. Their demeanor was quite cold, and it didn't seem like they were very prepared. While I was answering, they both kept their heads down writing notes, didn't ask any follow-up questions, and there was no casual conversation.

So, my interview for the Assistant Procurement Manager role at Thames Valley Police highlighted some issues. First, one interviewer didn't turn on their camera, which felt unprofessional for a virtual meeting, especially for a senior role. It seemed like they weren't prepared. Also, the interview itself wasn't well-structured. The questions were too general and didn't really get into the skills needed for a management position. It felt more like an interview for a junior buyer, which was weird given the title and salary. What was most concerning was that the panel didn't seem to know basic procurement stuff, even one person who said they were MCIPS-qualified. This suggests problems with how they hire, define roles, and the expertise in their procurement team, which is concerning for managing public money.

After applying online, I was emailed to schedule an interview. The interview was in-person with two people, a junior and a senior team member. We had a standard interview, and I was also given a brief about a seasonal awareness campaign. I then presented my ideas for it to the interviewers. Even though I didn't get the job, the staff were friendly and gave helpful feedback.