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About the job
Job summary
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.
We’re striving to be the best Customer Service organisation in the UK, and we need enthusiastic people to help us achieve this.
See what it’s like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert
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.
Job description
Our Customer Service Advisors are the voice of HMRC, using their brilliant communications skills to give our customers the best possible experience.
Your primary role will be handling contact from customers effectively and efficiently across different lines of business.
You'll be the first point of contact for our customers, providing a first-rate service by telephone, email or web chat.
Your duties will depend on the line of business you join; however, all business areas expect your duties will include:
- speaking to customers on the phone, helping them with their questions or issues,
- creating customer records and keeping them up to date,
- helping customers to pay the correct amount of tax at the right time,
- using webchat and email to support our customers online,
- taking payments by phone and via our online services,
If you are allocated to our Debt Management directorate your duties will also include:
- discussing, calculating and collecting interest and penalties for late payments or late filing of tax returns.
The Line of Business you are allocated to is decided at the time a formal offer is made depending on where resource is needed.
We work a variety of shifts between 7.45 am and 8 pm, 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 8 pm) 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.
On the days you attend the office, you will be working in the location shown in the title heading of this advert.
As a flexible employer, we will consider part-time requests (Part time is a minimum of 25 hours per week covering variety of shifts. All shift patterns, working days and hours will be discussed with your manager when you join us. Pay and annual leave will be pro-rata if we can agree your request.)
However, we do expect you to complete your training in the office on a full-time basis, usually 6 weeks Monday to Friday between 9 am and 5 pm.
You can find out more about what it’s like being a Customer Service Advisor at HMRC on the Civil Service Careers website.
Watch these videos to find out more about Customer Service roles at HMRC:
Our Professions – Customer Service Advisor at HMRC
Our Professions – Customer Services Group at HMRC
Our Customer Service Advisor role - all you need to know
Person specification
What are we looking for?
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.
We are looking for individuals with the drive and passion to make a difference to people’s lives, and need people:
- with great communication skills, both verbal and written in English language (and Welsh where required)
- dedicated to providing a brilliant Customer Service
- with a can-do attitude and a real passion for supporting people
- with the personal resilience to work in a demanding and rewarding environment
- able to provide information both quickly and clearly
- comfortable handling different types of conversations
- with an ability to do basic maths calculations
Benefits
- Excellent training and career progression
- Competitive pensions
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
Find more about HMRC benefits in 'Your little extras and big benefits handbook' for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths and Experience.
To help you prepare, below is a rundown of what to expect during the selection process:
- Eligibility form
- Civil Service Customer Service Test
- Application form
- Video interview
After the eligibility form you’ll be asked to do a Civil Service Customer Service Test.
Guidance and details on how to access the test will be given to you before you take it. Please allow yourself plenty of time to complete it, as there will be no technical help or guaranteed assistance after 8 am on the closing date.
Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24 to 48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the test is 11.30 am on 20/05/24. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn.
Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The test is administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.
Please ensure that any technical issues with the test are reported prior to 8 am on 17/05/24. There will be no extension to the deadline for completing the test.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
If you are invited to an interview it will be a video interview, based on Civil Service Strengths. We will send you full instructions on how to access it, what ID you’ll need to show us and what it involves. Please read through these carefully, it will help you to be fully prepared.
After you receive your interview invite, you’ll have 7 days to complete and submit the interview. If you won't be able to do this in time, please contact us with your reasons before the deadline at recruitmentqueries.csg@hmrc.gov.uk. Unfortunately, if you don't contact us in time your application will be withdrawn.
We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.
Interview dates to be confirmed.
A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.
Eligibility
To check that you are eligible to apply, review this eligibility information
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:
Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.
Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, review this information on reasonable adjustments, and contact ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible.
Diversity and Inclusion
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.
Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role. We’re committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues here at HMRC. We want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential at HMRC.
For more information on how we make this happen, review this information on our culture and values
Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.
We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible after considering operational and Customer Service needs. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.
The Civil Service runs a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Locations
HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.
Security Update
For more information on the level of security checks we will carry out, review this information on security checks
Further Information
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.
Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application/s will be withdrawn from the process.
Duplicate applications for the same vacancy will also be withdrawn.
Transferring into HMRC from Civil Service If you are currently working for an ‘Other Government Department’ (OGD) and would like to consider the impact on your pay when joining HMRC, please see the attached document "Combined T&C and OGD Pay English”, found at the bottom of this advert. Further information on staff transfers can be found on gov.uk
Problems during the application process
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
If you think you’ve made a mistake on a short application form (e.g. you’ve ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we won’t be able to reopen your application.
Please use the subject line to insert appropriate wording e.g. Please re-open my application -352120 & vacancy closing date 20th May 2024. Please note that we cannot amend or re-open your application if you have submitted your full application in the interests of fair and open recruitment.
For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details within reasonable adjustments section above.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for 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
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
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