Communicating and Influencing HEO Example Statement (250 Words)
At HEO, assessors want real persuasion: you built a case with evidence, framed it around the other side's interests, and handled objections without damaging the relationship. Routine updates no longer cut it. Show a situation where someone needed convincing and your communication made the difference.
Example statement
SAs a housing officer for a housing association, I handled complaints that frontline staff could not resolve. A resident sent a four-page letter listing nine months of missed repairs, poor communication and a flooded kitchen.
TI owned the response: investigating what had gone wrong, putting it right, and replying in a way that rebuilt her trust.
AI read the letter twice and listed her eleven separate concerns, because a reply that missed even one would confirm her view that nobody listened. Before writing anything, I phoned her to say I was sorry, that I owned the case, and when she would hear from me next; she told me later that call was the first time she felt believed. I checked every repair record, found three jobs wrongly closed, and booked the outstanding work with confirmed dates, not promises. Then I drafted the reply. I structured it around her eleven points in her order, answered each in plain English, and cut defensive template phrases like we regret any inconvenience caused. Where we were at fault I said so plainly; where her expectation was unreasonable, such as a same-day boiler replacement, I explained why honestly and offered what we could do. A colleague challenged the draft for tone, and I enclosed a named contact and direct line, not the general inbox.
RAll outstanding repairs were completed within three weeks, each point answered in writing. The resident withdrew her ombudsman complaint, accepted £150 compensation, and later joined our residents' scrutiny panel.
Use this as a model, not a script. This is an original example written for this site. Adapt the structure to your own experience — copying it word for word risks plagiarism and will not reflect your evidence.
Why this scores well
- Shows written and spoken channels used together deliberately: the human phone call first, then the structured written reply.
- Demonstrates HEO-level judgement on tone: plain admissions of fault, honest explanation where the expectation was unreasonable.
- Result goes beyond fixing the problem; the complainant withdraws the ombudsman case and becomes a scrutiny volunteer.
What HEO level requires
| Grade | What assessors expect |
|---|---|
| EO | At EO level, Communicating and Influencing means tailoring your message to different audiences, choosing sensible channels, and starting to persuade with evidence rather than just passing on information. |
| HEO ← this page | At HEO level, Communicating and Influencing means communicating with impact across teams and external contacts, building an evidence-based case, and handling challenge constructively to win people over. |
| SEO | At SEO level, Communicating and Influencing means winning support across teams and stakeholders without line authority, shaping messages for senior audiences, and turning sceptics into supporters. |
Common mistakes at this level
- Skipping the evidence: saying you made a strong case but never showing the data, options or framing you used.
- Presenting a compromise as a defeat rather than showing how your concessions were deliberate and bought movement.
- Ending with agreement in principle but nothing delivered, so the assessor cannot see the influence actually worked.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Real negotiation involves give and take, and assessors know it. Saying what you offered, a phased trial, adjusted terms, a compromise on timing, shows judgement, not weakness. The key is showing the concession was deliberate and moved the other side towards the outcome you needed.
Numbers the other side would recognise: percentage improvements, money saved, deadlines met, escalations avoided. For influencing examples, also show the relationship survived: the supplier still works with you, the complainant withdrew escalation, the sceptic became a champion. Both together make a complete result.
Most departments ask for 250 words at HEO, though some adverts allow 500, so check the wording of yours. In 250 words you cannot tell everything: pick one negotiation or one complaint, keep context to a few sentences, and spend the bulk on the moves you made and the objections you handled.
Next step
Get the free HEO statement template pack — the same STAR structure used in this example.
Download the template pack