Customer Services Advisor - Newcastle (444R)

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it's really like to work at HMRC.

At HMRC we have a vital purpose. We help people pay the correct amount of tax and provide financial support to families and individuals. We make sure money is available to fund the UK's public services such as hospitals and schools, answering around 50 million calls and handling 15 million items of customer correspondence every year. Our services support customers on behalf of the entire department, dealing with a broad range of different and complex customer enquiries.

This is a great chance to start your career with HMRC and we offer real opportunities to progress and develop your career with us or the wider Civil Service if you choose. We're striving to be the best customer service organisation in the UK, and we need enthusiastic people to help us achieve this.

Our Customer Service Advisors are the voice of HMRC, using their brilliant communications skills to give our customers the best possible experience. You'll be the first point of contact for our customers, providing a first-rate service by telephone, email or web chat. Your can-do attitude and passion for helping people will be key, as we fully train you to navigate various conversations and provide clear, quick information.

We'll invest in you by providing structured training, development opportunities and a clear path for advancement. We are proud of our supportive, inclusive culture here at HMRC, with an emphasis on work-life balance. The work we do is meaningful, from supporting public services to ensuring the timely payment of benefits. We impact society positively; and by joining us, you'll contribute to a greater cause.

As a Customer Service Advisor at HMRC, you will be the frontline support for our customers, providing essential advice and assistance, predominantly over the phone.

• Speaking to customers on the phone, helping them with their questions or issues.
• Helping customers to pay the correct amount of tax at the right time.
• Taking payments by phone and via our online services.
• Creating customer records and keeping them up to date.
• Using webchat and email to support our customers online.

If you are allocated to our Debt Management team your duties will also include discussing, calculating and collecting interest and penalties for late payments or late filing of tax returns.

We work a variety of shifts between 7:45am and 8pm, Monday to Saturday, to make sure we can help customers when they need us. You will work a maximum of one late shift per week (ending at 8pm) and a maximum of 6 Saturdays each year. The majority of roles within customer services allow you to work from home two days a week if you choose, this includes Saturday and 8 pm shifts.

During your induction training programme, which will last between 6 -12 weeks, you will be expected to work full time 37 hours per week and your working pattern will be Monday – Friday between 9.00am and 5.00pm. All training will take place in your designated Regional Centre and further details will be confirmed once you start your employment with HMRC. Time off or annual leave is not normally allowed during the first 6 weeks of training.

No experience is necessary as you will be fully trained, but we would like you to be comfortable talking on the phone and discussing debt with our customers. You will also need to be comfortable writing up notes, as this is mainly a phone-based role.

• Great verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Dedication to providing brilliant customer service.
• A can-do attitude and passion for supporting people.
• Resilience to work in a demanding and rewarding environment.
• The ability to provide information quickly and clearly.
• Comfortable in handling various types of conversations.
• Basic maths skills.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC, hear from our insiders.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience. To help you prepare, below is a rundown of what to expect during the selection process: Eligibility form, Application form, Civil Service Customer Service Test, Video interview.

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues and creating an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.