Civil Service Fast Stream Recruitment 2008
The Fastream Selection Process
The Cabinet Office, in partnership with Parity plc, managed the development and delivery of the 2008 competition. As always, 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 were:
- Speed and efficiency The Fast Stream selection process uses the latest online selection technology, and we continue to develop it so that it is faster and more efficient. We aim to complete the process in the shortest possible time, and to make job offers to the best candidates as quickly as possible.
- Fairness and objectivity The Civil Service maintains, and must be seen to maintain, the highest standards of open and fair recruitment. The Fast Stream selection process has been designed to be demonstrably fair. We do everything possible to ensure that our assessment methods are scientifically robust, psychometrically valid and capable of withstanding close scrutiny.
- Diversity and best practice We are keen to reach out further to minority groups who have not always been proportionately represented in the Fast Stream. By ensuring that key stages are online, we aim to achieve greater transparency and also allow candidates to drive themselves through each stage of the process using a personalised management support system.
- Alignment with the transformational government agenda Throughout government, civil servants increasingly make use of online technology to deliver key public services. The Fast Stream selection process demonstrates commitment to this aim.
The selection process consists of the following stages
- Register interest on Fast Stream website
- Work through online self-assessment
- Application and online tests
- Invigilated electronic in-tray exercise
- Fast Stream Assessment Centre
Candidates are ranked in order of merit, based on a final mark awarded at the Assessment Centre. All candidates, whether successful or unsuccessful, receive detailed feedback on their performance at the Assessment Centre.
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:
The Fast Stream competency framework
| Skill set | Competency |
| Delivery Skills |
Drive for results |
| Learning and improving |
| Intellectual Capacity |
Decision-making |
| Constructive thinking |
| Interpersonal Skills |
Building productive relationships |
| Communicating with impact |
