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The Commission’s role is to check that Civil Service recruitment is done on merit, through fair and open competition – as required by law.

Why our audits matter

The most visible part of the Commission’s work is probably its team of independent Commissioners who personally chair Civil Service recruitment competitions at senior levels, but we also audit recruitment carried out by departments and public bodies at all other levels each year.

We also look at how well departments are complying with the Recruitment Principles and are proactive, in their engagement with the Commission, to improve their processes

We recently completed this year’s audit round and here’s what we found.

What we did

Our team reviewed recruitment in all the 71 departments and public bodies we regulate.

We carried out full audits of 39 departments considered higher risk including:

reviewing a sample of recruitment campaigns and exception cases;
assessing innovation and diversity in recruitment practice;
focus on SCS recruitment;
meeting with the department (full audits); and
issuing a final score and recommendations (full audits).

Our audits take into account the size and complexity of each organisation and all full audits are checked by a panel of our independent Commissioners.

We also completed 32 interim audits as a light health check of practice in the remaining organisations that were not subject to full audit this year..

The good news

We found most departments are broadly compliant with the Recruitment Principles. Good examples included:

Clear, accessible job adverts.
Strong evidence of merit-based processes.
Innovative practices to reach new pools of people and improve diversity – like drop-in sessions and training for interview panels.

Areas for improvement

On occasions we found:

Confusion over the use of essential and desirable criteria.
Unclear use of CVs.
Lack of clarity and consistency at sift stages.
Errors on the management of appointments by exception (where open and fair recruitment is not followed)
Some lack of familiarity with the Recruitment Principles, especially in smaller organisations.
Limited evidence of efforts to reach more diverse pools of candidates.

What’s next

We will continue to share the findings of the audit programme with departments and senior leaders.

Organisations that received a lower rating will be re-audited by the Commission in 2025/26 and others close to this threshold will also be rechecked.

We will be monitoring how departments follow the Commission’s recommendations.

We will also continue running workshops and training, including on the correct use of exceptions, frequent breaches and how to avoid them, and other common mistakes that we see in fair and open recruitment.

We are also looking at new tools, including digital solutions and AI, that will help us to improve the efficiency of our audits.

Final word

It’s clear that most departments are doing well – but there is always room for improvement. The Commission is here to help ensure Civil Service recruitment is fair, open and is based on merit. We are committed to supporting a highly skilled Civil Service workforce to deliver for the country.

We were delighted that over 400 people attended our Meet the Commissioners online event in March where three Civil Service Commissioners talked about how they oversee Senior Civil Service (SCS) recruitment to ensure it is carried out fairly, openly and on the basis of merit.

“We facilitate the process, but also oversee the fairness of the process, including in relation to ministerial involvement.”

- Martin Spencer

First Civil Service Commissioner Baroness Gisela Stuart joined Atul Devani, Link Commissioner for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and Martin Spencer, Link Commissioner for the Department for Business and Trade. Between them, Atul and Martin bring a wide range of experience in business, technology and entrepreneurship.

The panel explained the remit of the Civil Service Commission, as set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and interpreted by the Commission’s Recruitment Principles. For Senior Civil Service roles at SCS Pay Band 2 (typically referred to as Directors) and above (Directors General and Permanent Secretary), a Commissioner will personally oversee the recruitment process. At other grades departments make appointments in line with the Recruitment Principles and the Commission carries out audits of their recruitment practice.

"We aim to bring out the best in all candidates."

- Atul Devani

The Commissioners explained the Senior Civil Service recruitment process from start to finish - from deciding the essential criteria and putting together the application pack, to agreeing the different types of assessments that candidates will be asked to take part in to ensure the criteria is thoroughly and accurately tested.

The panel also offered views on how candidates can optimise their CVs and explained what to expect from a Staff Engagement Exercise, which are often used as part of the appointment process to the most senior roles. Finally, they touched on what candidates should expect from the interview stage and how they can ensure their best performance, particularly when they are new to the public sector.

“No organisation has all the skills it needs at any one time. The Civil Service often needs to look to external applicants for skills it urgently needs.”

- Baroness Gisela Stuart

Atul explained that guidance from the Commission helps ensure processes are accessible for candidates from outside of the Civil Service and that Commissioners see it as a priority to ensure that external competitions demonstrate openness to all candidates, whether from inside or outside the Civil Service.

“Questions are designed so external candidates can answer questions and utilise their own experience.”

- Atul Devani

Atul and Martin talked about the importance of candidates shaping all stages of their application, such as when writing personal statements, with explicit reference to the advertised essential criteria. They explained that these are key when a panel is considering merit order. They also provided advice on applications for roles that represent a career shift for the candidate.

“When you are applying for roles, think laterally about how your experience can be applied. Don’t apply for the job you currently have. Rather, project yourself onto the role you will transition into. I'm always impressed by candidates who understand the environment in which the role is operating and think about what they can bring to the role."

- Martin Spencer

Gisela ended the discussion by outlining the Commission’s plans for enhancing the fairness and openness of Civil Service recruitment in the next financial year. This will include new bespoke internal training sessions and further events like this one.

We’d like to thank all those who attended the event. Keep an eye on our website for future Civil Service Commission online and in person events.

The First Civil Service Commissioner, Baroness Gisela Stuart, hosted the joint winners of the Commissioners’ Mark of Excellence at the House of Commons on 6th March.

The Home Office won for their strategic approach to recruiting more women into frontline roles and outstanding work to support external candidates at different stages of the recruitment process.

They shared first place with the Government Digital and Data Function whose innovative regional tech partnerships helped secure senior digital talent on secondment to contribute to the work of Government.

Baroness Gisela Stuart said:

‘We want to celebrate and share the success of hiring teams that go the extra mile to attract external talent into civil service roles.

“The Home Office and Government Digital Services entries impressed our judging panel with innovative new approaches, demonstrating just what is possible within the ‘fair, open and on merit ’ principles for appointment into the Civil Service.

“It was a real pleasure to meet the teams and hear more about what they did and the benefits they are seeing in their departments.’

Find out more about the 2024 joint winners

Commissioners’ Mark of Excellence winners, Home Office

Commissioner’s Mark of Excellence winners, Digital and Data Function

A new Framework Agreement with the Cabinet Office for monitoring and understanding the strategy, performance and delivery of the three Independent Offices supported by the Commission secretariat – the Civil Service Commission, the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments - has been published today.

Framework Document (PDF)

It sets out the core responsibilities of each organisation, describes the governance and accountability framework that applies between the Cabinet Office and the three offices, and sets out how the day-to-day relationship works in practice, including in relation to governance and financial matters.

The Framework Agreement replaces a previous Memorandum of Understanding dating back to 2010 and ensures that the Independent Offices are not treated as a Business Unit of the Cabinet Office for the purposes of business planning.

This agreement is in line with the expectations set out in the latest HM Treasury guidance in Managing Public Money.

Are you thinking about applying for a Senior Civil Service role?

Do you know what to expect when an independent Civil Service Commissioner chairs the recruitment process?

The Commission provides assurance that civil servants are appointed on the basis of merit, after a fair and open competition, and helps safeguard an impartial civil service. For senior roles, an independent Commissioner will oversee the recruitment process and chair the interview panel.

Join our free online event on 18th March from 12 to 1pm where you can hear from three of our independent Commissioners, Baroness Gisela Stuart (First Civil Service Commissioner), Atul Devani and Martin Spencer. They will talk through the SCS process and give their own hints and tips about successful applications.

You can RSVP to the online event via EventBrite

You can also ask questions via Slido.

Are you new to working in Civil Service HR or would you like refresher training on the Recruitment Principles? Or a Civil Service manager who needs to understand what to do to recruit in compliance with the Principles?

The Commission offers regular online training on the Recruitment Principles which set the framework for all recruitment into the Civil Service. These sessions are intended to support staff using the Recruitment Principles to make appointments on merit after a fair and open competition, and to better understand the role of the independent Commission as the regulator.

The training will cover how to use the Recruitment Principles, Exceptions to appointment on merit, how complaints are handled, what to expect from our audit, and an introduction to the role of our independent Commissioners. There will also be time at the end for any questions.

“These sessions are intended to be practical and useful, to help you gain the confidence to develop and apply recruitment processes that best meet your business needs, while following the Recruitment Principles. Sessions are free and online, so please do sign up.”

Our next session will be via MS Teams on 24 February 2 pm - 3 pm.

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Kate Owen, CEO, Civil Service Commission

If you have a specific query or need advice, or would like to suggest specific areas where additional training would be helpful, please contact compliance@csc.gov.uk, and one of our team will contact you.

30 January 2025

The Home Office and Government Digital and Data Function have been jointly awarded the 2024 Commissioners’ Mark of Excellence for their innovation and commitment in recruiting external candidates who may not have previously considered a role in the Civil Service.

Home Office won for their strategic approach to recruiting more women into frontline roles and outstanding work to support external candidates at different stages of the recruitment process.

The Government Digital and Data Function won for their innovative regional tech partnerships to secure senior digital talent on secondment to contribute to the work of Government.

First Civil Service Commissioner, Baroness Gisela Stuart, said:

"The purpose of the Mark of Excellence is to showcase some of the exemplary work occurring across government, highlighting innovative and thoughtful initiatives that attract strong and diverse fields of candidates for Civil Service jobs.

"Both the Home Office and Digital and Data Function team demonstrated exceptional commitment to attracting, encouraging and retaining applicants who may never have considered working in the Civil Service before. They have tried new and different approaches within the Commission’s Recruitment Principles, which ensure appointment on merit after fair and open competition.

“Home Office’s work to provide tailored support for external candidates in bulk campaigns using information events, chat bots, call centres and videos, providing advice and insight to candidates, demonstrated real impact - delivering 22,000 applications for these campaigns alone in 2024 with a high proportion from female and ethnic minority candidates.

“The Digital and Data Function entry impressed the panel with its professional collaborations across the sector to bring in senior tech specialists on secondment. Digital is an area in which the Civil Service can struggle to recruit; their cross-government secondment programme develops the Civil Service’s capability in an ever-evolving digital landscape and builds greater understanding of government work.

"Being joint winners is a testament to their consistent and innovative work, illustrating what can be done within the Recruitment Principles to attract and recruit new skills and talent.

"One of the Commission’s strategic priorities is to support departments to comply with the legal requirement to recruit on merit, after a fair and open competition. As well as highlighting best practice through the Mark of Excellence, we do this through our revised audit approach and outreach work with departments. These monthly sessions have attracted over 200 attendees per session. We will continue these this year and provide more bespoke support to individual departments where their audit results indicate that this is required.”

The 2024 Mark of Excellence judging panel included Baroness Gisela Stuart, First Civil Service Commissioner, Tony Poulter, Civil Service Commissioner, who was a PWC Partner for over 25 years and Liz Walmsley, Civil Service Commissioner, who held senior roles in ICI and a private equity firm.

There were 27 applications from departments and agencies for the Commissioners’ Mark of Excellence, now in its third year.

Winning organisations are entitled to display the Mark of Excellence logo on all their recruitment advertisements for one year.

Website http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Notes to Editors

More information about the work of the Commission is available on its website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/
Media enquiries about the work of the Commission should go to Maggie O’Boyle on 07880 740 627.
The Civil Service Commission was established as a statutory body in November 2010 under the provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. The Commission is independent of Ministers and the Civil Service. It is responsible for upholding the requirement that recruitment to the Civil Service is based on merit through fair and open competition. The Commission comprises senior figures from the private, public, and third sectors who oversee recruitment into the Civil Service. Commissioners are appointed by the Crown for five-year non-renewable terms of office.
You can also follow the Commission on LinkedIn and X @CivServComm.

Baroness (Gisela) Stuart

First Civil Service Commissioner

Maintaining Civil Service integrity in recruitment

On 5^th July the party in power changed for the first time in 14 years and – unlike in the United States - existing UK civil servants must turn to serve a new government overnight. Often wrongly described as ‘independent’, the civil service is actually part of government in the UK. It must be impartial - permanently ready to serve the democratically elected government, whatever its colour. Impartiality isn’t passivity or indifference; it requires that civil servants must serve the government of the day with energy and commitment.

There are around 510,000 civil servants across the UK – and approximately 30,000 leave every year. Maintaining a workforce with the necessary skills ready to deliver the government’s agenda is an important function of the leadership of the Civil Service.

The Commission’s role - as the independent statutory regulator - is to provide public assurance that entry into the Civil Service is on merit, after a fair and open competition. This long-standing convention became a legal requirement in the UK in 2010 and is interpreted through the Commission’s Recruitment Principles. Recruitment on merit is core to maintaining the integrity and impartiality of the Civil Service.

Exceptions to appointment on merit are allowed within the Principles and the law only in specific circumstances and are time limited. Used appropriately, they can be a sensible and practical way to bring in skills needed for short periods, for example, or where a particular role will only exist for a short time. There are also Exceptions to support schemes for veterans and care leavers.

The recent interest in some appointments by exception is legitimate scrutiny of whether appointments are being made in line with those Principles. However, some of the headlines could benefit from greater understanding of the purpose and use of Exceptions. There is a balance to strike here - protecting the important principles but allowing leaders some flexibility where a full recruitment competition isn’t practical or proportionate.

Exceptions should be exceptional. Indeed, of the 98,328 appointments made this year, 6.977 were by Exception, with the proportion appointed by Exception falling year on year post Covid. The majority relate to temporary appointments of, for example, interns, employment lawyers, driving examiners and public inquiry staff to meet short term business needs – as well as my personal favourite - Christmas elves, temporarily recruited by the Forestry Commission for the Christmas season.

For more senior roles and those paying £97,000 or above (and in other specified circumstances), departments must submit a request to the independent Commission for approval to appoint by exception to the legal requirement. We may approve, not approve or change the length of time the Exception is allowed for.

Below that level, the power to appoint by Exception is delegated to departments and they must follow the Recruitment Principles in doing so – and the Commission’s regular audit process looks at departments’ handling of these appointments too.

Given the importance of public trust in appointments to the Civil Service, the Commission has been carrying out a rapid review of appointments made under those delegated powers since the election and will be reporting on our findings later this month as the regulator.

Appointment on merit is vital to the integrity of the Civil Service and we want departments to get better at workforce planning to reduce their need to use Exceptions further. Fair and open recruitment competitions need not take very long. As well as being the law, fair and open recruitment has wider organisational benefits. It allows the hiring team to properly test the market fully for potential new candidates and gives the successful candidate the legitimacy that they were the best person available.

The Commission has long supported open recruitment and we use our regulatory influence to encourage departments to do more to attract new pools of candidates for civil service jobs. We already see excellent practice in some departments and agencies. Our Commissioners’ Mark of Excellence – now in its third year – seeks to recognise and share some of the more innovative work underway attracting and selling civil service roles to people who may never have thought about it.

Our independent Commissioners, who personally oversee recruitment processes for senior roles, come from a wide range of different backgrounds. They unanimously tell me they find the breadth and complexity of the Civil Service roles incredible. To attract new talent in a competitive skills market, the Civil Service needs to do a lot more to sell the fascinating and unique challenge of – for example – leading digital change in the justice system or strategy on climate change at the Ministry of Defence. These are jobs like no others. We also need to do more to sell the Civil Service values – honesty, impartiality, integrity and objectivity. They are the bedrock of trust in our system and underpin the Civil Service Code which all civil servants must follow.

At a time of major global uncertainties, our Civil Service will require the flexibility and skills to handle increasingly complex decisions and deliver the changes the new government has set out. To do this, our focus must be on attracting and retaining the best talent available to serve the country.

This article first appeared in The House magazine.

The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 stipulates that the Civil Service Commission may “except” certain appointments from the requirement that recruitment into the Civil Service takes place on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

The First Civil Service Commissioner has today (20 November 2024) written to the Cabinet Secretary outlining action taken by the Commission to provide assurance around the use of appointments by exception.

Read: First Civil Service Commissioner to the Cabinet Secretary, 20 November 2024

The Commission has also published a review of appointments by exception made by departments which did not require prior approval by the Civil Service Commission in July and August 2024.

Read: Review into appointments by exception delegated to departments (November 2024)

Read: First Civil Service Commissioner to Heads of Departments, 20 November 2024

Our next session will be via MS Teams on 8 January 2 - 3 pm.

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