Civil Service Fast Stream Recruitment 2006
The Fast Stream Selection Process
The Cabinet Office in partnership with Parity plc managed the development and delivery of the 2006 scheme. Our priority was to recruit the best talent available to us, while building on past achievements to make Fast Stream recruitment as diverse, efficient, attractive and accessible as possible. The key considerations informing the selection process were
- Speed and efficiency. In today's highly competitive graduate recruitment market, it is essential to be able to make job offers to the best candidates as quickly as possible. The Fast Stream selection process capitalises on the benefits of latest online selection technology, and we continue to develop the process so that it is faster and more efficient.
- The employer brand and candidate experience. The selection process allows candidates to gain a realistic understanding of working life within the Fast Stream (and to opt out if they feel unsuited to the Fast Stream). It is also a highly effective mechanism for encouraging realistic applications and discouraging unrealistic ones.
- Fairness and objectivity. The Civil Service maintains, and must be seen to maintain, the highest standards of open and fair recruitment. It is therefore essential that the assessment measures it uses are scientifically robust, psychometrically valid and capable of withstanding close scrutiny. The Fast Stream selection process has been designed to be not only fair in practice, but demonstrably fair.
- Diversity and best practice. The selection process is an opportunity to reach out further to minority groups who have not always been proportionately represented in the Fast Stream. By transferring key stages to the online environment, we aim to ensure greater transparency and also allow candidates to drive themselves through each stage of the process via a personalised management support system.
- Alignment with the transformational government agenda. Throughout government, Civil Servants are implementing a reform agenda that emphasises the use of online technology to deliver key public services. The Fast Stream selection process is visible evidence of commitment to this aim.
The Fast Stream competency framework
Fast Stream candidates are assessed against six competencies, determined by the needs of the Civil Service. They are spread across three skill sets, as follows:
Skill set and competancies
| Skill set |
Competancies |
| Delivery skills |
Drive for results |
| Learning and improving |
| Intellectual capacity |
Decision–making |
| Constructive thinking |
| Interpersonal skills |
Building productive relationships |
| Communicating with impact |
The selection process is as follows.
- Register interest on Fast Stream website
- Online self–assessment
- Application
- Invigilated final sift
- Assessment Centre
Candidates are ranked by board mark in order of merit, based on their performance in the assessment process
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