Working Together
Working Together means building positive relationships, respecting diversity, and collaborating effectively to achieve shared goals. Assessors want to see that you contribute to a team and value what others bring.
What assessors look for: Evidence that you collaborate effectively, respect different perspectives, share information, and resolve conflicts constructively.
What Working Together means
Working Together means building positive relationships, respecting diversity, and collaborating effectively to achieve shared goals. Assessors want to see that you contribute to a team and value what others bring. 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 Working Together 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 Working Together. Every example on this site is original, word-count accurate, and includes a STAR breakdown.
[S] Two colleagues in my team had developed a tense working relationship due to conflicting approaches to case prioritisation. One preferred to tackle urgent cases first; the other focused on complex cases regardless of deadline. The tension was affecting team morale and causing delays.
[T] I needed to help restore effective collaboration without taking sides or escalating unnecessarily to management.
[A] I suggested a brief team discussion about how we prioritise cases, framing it as a process improvement rather than a conflict resolution. I prepared a simple matrix showing how both approaches had merit depending on the case type. During the meeting, I ensured both colleagues had equal time to explain their reasoning, and I summarised the common ground: both wanted the best outcome for the client. I proposed a hybrid approach where urgent cases were flagged by 10am and complex cases were scheduled for afternoons. Both colleagues contributed refinements.
[R] The team adopted the hybrid approach within a week. Case turnaround times improved by 20% and the two colleagues began collaborating on a shared spreadsheet to track priorities. My manager noted the improvement in team dynamics at the next one-to-one.
- Addresses conflict constructively without escalating or taking sides.
- Shows respect for both perspectives by finding the merit in each approach.
- Facilitates a solution rather than imposing one — both colleagues contributed.
- Uses a concrete tool (the matrix, shared spreadsheet) to make collaboration tangible.
- Describing a team project where you only mention what "we" did, with no evidence of your individual contribution.
- Claiming you "work well with everyone" without a specific example.
- Confusing this with Leadership — Working Together is about collaboration, not direction.
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 Working Together 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 working together."
- "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 Working Together.
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 — Team member who helped resolve a conflict between two colleagues with different working styles. — scores better than an extraordinary one told badly. Assessors look for clarity and evidence, not grandeur.