Communicating and Influencing
Communicating and Influencing means sharing information clearly, listening actively, and persuading others to take action or change their view. Assessors want to see that you adapt your approach to your audience.
What assessors look for: Evidence that you communicate clearly, tailor your message to your audience, listen to feedback, and can persuade or negotiate when needed.
What Communicating and Influencing means
Communicating and Influencing means sharing information clearly, listening actively, and persuading others to take action or change their view. Assessors want to see that you adapt your approach to your audience. This behaviour is one of the nine assessed under the Civil Service Success Profiles framework. Most departments ask for 250 words per behaviour at AA–HEO level, and 500–750 words at SEO and above.
The Civil Service defines Communicating and Influencing as a core behaviour that assessors evaluate at both sift and interview stages. The exact wording of the framework may vary slightly by department — always check the job advert for the specific wording used.
Example statement
Below is a 250-word example for Communicating and Influencing. Every example on this site is original, word-count accurate, and includes a STAR breakdown.
[S] Our department was transitioning to a new digital invoicing system, but one of our key suppliers was resistant to change and continued sending paper invoices, causing delays in our payment processing.
[T] I needed to persuade the supplier to adopt the digital system while maintaining a positive working relationship.
[A] I arranged a call with the supplier's accounts manager and began by acknowledging their concerns about the transition effort. I then tailored my approach: instead of sending a generic instruction, I prepared a short guide showing how the new system would reduce their own administrative workload, and offered to walk them through the first submission over a video call. I also connected them with our IT helpdesk for ongoing support. I followed up with a concise email summarising the benefits and next steps.
[R] The supplier agreed to trial the digital system within two weeks. Their first digital invoice was processed three days faster than their previous paper ones. The supplier's accounts manager later emailed to say the process was simpler than they had expected.
- Shows empathy and listening (acknowledging concerns) before attempting to persuade.
- Tailors the communication to the audience's needs (focusing on their workload reduction, not just ours).
- Provides practical support (video walkthrough, IT helpdesk connection) rather than just sending instructions.
- Follows up with a clear summary to reinforce the message.
- Describing a presentation you gave without showing how you adapted to your audience.
- Using "influenced" as a verb without evidence of what changed as a result.
- Focusing only on speaking or writing — listening and feedback are equally important.
Plagiarism note: This example is for inspiration only. Adapt it to your own experience. Assessors can spot generic or copied statements, and they score poorly.
Examples by grade
Each grade requires a different level of complexity. Click your grade to see a tailored example.
Focus on following procedures, supporting team goals, and showing awareness of wider context.
EOShow initiative within your role and understanding of how your work supports the team.
HEODemonstrate broader awareness, stakeholder engagement, and proactive problem-solving.
SEOShow strategic thinking, cross-team influence, and management of wider priorities.
Grade 7Demonstrate senior-level strategic oversight, policy awareness, and organisational impact.
Grade 6Show director-level strategic leadership, cross-departmental influence, and systemic change.
How to write a Communicating and Influencing statement
Follow these steps to write a strong statement. For a full guide, see how to write behaviour statements.
- Pick one specific example. Choose a real situation from your work, volunteering, or education. One well-told example beats three vague ones.
- Write the Situation in two sentences. Set the scene quickly. Assessors do not need every detail — just enough to understand the context.
- State the Task in one sentence. What did you need to achieve? Be specific about your responsibility.
- Spend 60% of your words on Action. This is where you show what you did, not what the team did. Use "I" not "we".
- End with a clear Result. Include a number if you can. What changed? What was the outcome?
Write long, then cut. First drafts of 350 words usually contain a strong 250. Focus on cutting adjectives and filler phrases like "I felt it was important to" — they add words without adding meaning.
Interview questions
At interview, you may be asked follow-up questions about your behaviour statement. Prepare for questions like:
- "Tell me about a time when you demonstrated communicating and influencing."
- "What would you do differently if you faced that situation again?"
- "How did you ensure your approach was the right one?"
See the full interview question bank for Communicating and Influencing.
Frequently asked questions
Most departments ask for 250 words per behaviour at AA–HEO level. SEO and above may allow 500 or 750 words. Always check the job advert — the limit varies, and on Civil Service Jobs it is sometimes a word limit and sometimes a character limit.
Yes, but you must rewrite the example to focus on the specific behaviour being assessed. The same project could show Leadership (how you directed the team) and Working Together (how you collaborated with stakeholders), but the emphasis and wording must be different for each.
You do not need a dramatic story. A well-told ordinary example — Customer service representative who convinced a reluctant supplier to adopt a new digital invoicing system. — scores better than an extraordinary one told badly. Assessors look for clarity and evidence, not grandeur.