DWP AO National Services Telephony Agent

Do you have a passion for public service? Would you like to make a difference to someone’s life? If so, we would like to hear from you. DWP help people lift themselves out of poverty and to stay out of poverty, through work, saving and support. This is a hugely important public service and our challenge is bigger than ever.

DWP is hiring Administrative Officers to join our growing National Services team, as part of our Universal Credit Service Centre, in Stockport. You’ll play an important role in helping us to deliver vital services to UK Citizens. As part of a supportive team, you’ll help us deliver an excellent customer experience to the people we advise and support.

These are key roles in making a real difference to people’s lives. They support a wide range of claimants. You will be working in a fast-paced telephony environment, responsible for answering customer telephone calls. National Services primary function is telephony, however, some administrative work is also undertaken, which may form part of this role in the future.

You will provide a key role through a flexible innovative approach to this work ensuring that you always provide an excellent Quality Service. You will have the key skills to manage the customer journey effectively and efficiently, building strong relationships with all key stakeholders to ensure we work as “One Service”. You will recognise where your role fits to deliver a quality service to both UC customers, your colleagues and the business as a whole.

Job Description

• Flexibly manage customer expectations by efficiently handling telephone calls maintaining, at all times, excellence in customer service.
• Build positive relationships with claimants that encourage, motivate and build trust by demonstrating empathy and compassion.
• Handle sensitive and challenging situations with all claimants in a positive way, handing off and safeguarding as appropriate.
• Encourage positive team morale by managing your availability and workload effectively and sharing best practice to support others.
• Build strong collaborative relationships with other parts of the business to support and enhance the customer journey.
• Communicate effectively and confidently with customers and colleagues via the appropriate channels, adapting quickly to meet the ever-changing shift to digital service.
• Keep up to date with IT and Service feature changes and developments to support the UC strategic intent and manage own learning, encompassing these changes to accurately gather information.
• Communicate with a diverse range of customers and stakeholders; both verbally and in writing.
• Build rapport with customers and stakeholders; motivating and influencing all to reach a successful outcome.
• Maintain professionalism in making informed, robust decisions, fair to both the customer and the business. Communicate those decisions appropriately and sensitively to those affected.
• Adhere to a ‘Once and Done’ approach, effectively manage telephone calls ensuring the customer needs are met.
• When a query cannot be resolved ensure a clear concise handover is sent to the relevant party to answer.
• Maintain the security and integrity of customer information through appropriate use of IT, with adherence to data sharing processes and system security protocols.
• Take ownership of personal development by accessing digital learning and communications tools.

Person Specification

• To be able to deliver good quality customer service to customers, tailoring the service to meet the needs of the individual.
• Communicate effectively with a diverse customer base.
• Ability to work flexibly to meet changing priorities.
• Strong digital skills across multiple IT systems.
• Be able to work independently and as part of a team.

Essential Criteria

• The ability to communicate effectively and confidently with a diverse range of customers, via both telephony and digital channels, to achieve a fair resolution for both the customer and business.
• The ability to manage sensitive and challenging customer conversations with empathy, understanding and positivity.
• The ability to work flexibly to meet changing priorities, managing a diverse workload to deliver a high-quality service to customers.
• The ability to make informed fair decisions and communicate these sensitively to those affected.
• Strong digital skills and the ability to operate between multiple systems effectively to complete tasks accurately and efficiently.

Behaviours

• Managing a Quality Service
• Developing Self and Others

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Managing a Quality Service.

Alongside your salary of £26,770, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £7,755 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro-rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Selection Process Details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience. As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and 250 word Behaviour statement for Managing A Quality Service.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. In no more than 250 words, tell us about a situation relating to “Managing a Quality Service”. Your behaviour needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets the requirements set out above.

Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. One narrative example may cover the requirements needed. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why. What you can do, the skills you have that are transferable and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role.

If you do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in.

We recognise that AI may be helpful when applying for this role, but it is important to use it in the right way.

Important

If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.

Nationality Requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:

• UK nationals
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities.