About the job

Job summary

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are the public sector’s property valuation experts and advisers. Our work is vital to the collection of over £60 billion of revenue which goes back into communities, touching every citizen and every business across England and Wales.

We are committed to providing our people with a work environment which is accommodating and accessible to all, one which values diversity and inclusion in everything we do. We welcome applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds, who bring different perspectives, promote innovation and enable us to be representative of the communities we serve. 

Job description

Job Title – Role Overview

The Customer Service Centre (CSC) sits at the heart of our operations here in the Valuation Office Agency.  You will pay a crucial role supporting our customers’ needs and upholding the agency’s reputation through your excellence in telephony, email, and written correspondence. 

Working with internal and external customers, you’ll ensure they receive a prompt, efficient and effective service enhancing their overall experience.   

We are looking for someone who has a real passion for providing an exceptional Customer Service and is able to work at pace.  You’ll be flexible and adaptable but above all personable with the ability to put the needs of our customers first. 

For an insight into working for The Customer service Centre within the VOA, please click on the video link below.

https://youtu.be/CAPxCn3yF0Q?si=mD-ljGtMDofEA5g7

Job Title – Key responsibilities

• Providing excellent customer service mainly via telephone and on occasions email and written correspondence. 
• Providing telephone support to our customers ensuring that they are content and understand our processes.
• Ensuring that customers provide all necessary information and providing them with clear advice based on their query.
• Providing assistance including explaining procedures or policies, giving reasons for enquiries and justifying decisions. 
• Allocating work to others in your team including quality assurance. 
• General Administration including using our tools and databases to gather and analyse data.

Person specification

We are looking for an individual with a willingness to contribute to the Customer Service Centre and exceptional verbal communication skills. 

It’s not necessary for you to have experience in this area but you’ll be passionate about providing a high level of service and be a great team player. 

Essential Criteria

• Customer focussed with strong customer service skills learned in a previous customer facing role.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to communicate with different types of people with a range of needs.
• Excellent listening skills.
• Good keyboard skills. 
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Willingness to learn new process and a positive attitude to work and the workplace.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £24,330, Valuation Office Agency contributes £6,569 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience.

If you can meet our person requirements above, we are keen to hear from you.

To apply for this post, you must complete an online application with the following:

Customer Service Skills Test.

If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the next stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 11th April 2024. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

A Personal Statement (maximum 500 words), please outline your suitability for the role. Please pay particular attention to the ‘Essential Criteria’ and ‘Person Specification’ outlined in the advert when providing your answer.

Sift – 17th April 2024 - Please note this date is provisional and may be subject to change.

We will assess you on your Customer Service Skills Test and your Personal Statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift via the online test , may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.

Interviews – 1st May 2024 - Please note this date is provisional and may be subject to change. This will be confirmed should you be invited to interview.

Interviews are currently taking place using Microsoft Teams Video. We will provide more detail if you are shortlisted for interview.

We will assess you on the Behaviours listed in the job description and Strengths.

At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.

Behaviours

The distinguishing Behaviours (the required skills, knowledge and behaviours) for this role are set out in the Civil Service Behaviours Framework 2018 (Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and should be referred to when making this application.

You are required, under the Behaviours approach, to describe how you have dealt with a specific situation.

You must give evidence of your knowledge, skills and behaviours and how you have applied this, such as what you did or said and how you interacted with other people.

When you are giving your examples, do not spend too many words on description and background information. Avoid using general or unspecific statements. Instead say what the situation was, what you did what your thought process was and so on.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Customer Service Skills test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 11th April 2024. 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 tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Further Information

This post is full time however those applicants who do or wish to work an alternative working pattern are welcome to apply. The preferred working pattern may or may not be available. You should discuss this with the vacancy holder.

Any move to VOA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

VOA employees only:  If you are currently in receipt of DTA as a result of a VOA office closure/restructure and it is agreed for you to take up this role in your current location, you may continue to receive DTA for the remainder of the period you can claim for.  Please check with the Vacancy Holder on preferred locations for this role before you apply.

We will initially be scheduling our people between the hours of 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday. Whilst we are flexible to take personal circumstances into account wherever possible when setting the rotas, we are limited in allowing people to ‘fix’ set hours outside of these times. However, please do contact us if you would like to discuss any individual circumstances which may restrict your availability between these hours (e.g. caring responsibilities, or childcare). Please be aware that our future hours of operation are under review, and in future may be between 7am & 9pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on weekends.

In the VOA, we are an office-based organisation, but all colleagues have access to hybrid working by default, as our roles have aspects which can be completed from home. The amount that colleagues work from home or office is defined by several factors including the nature of the work they carry out, the needs of their stakeholders, their development needs, and personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities. With this specific role we’d be looking for colleagues to work around 3 days per week in the office once they have been trained. Upskilling is largely expected to take place within the workplace. To learn more about the specific hybrid working arrangements for this role, please contact the vacancy holder.

Pre-employment Checks

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Terms & Conditions

Voluntary terms apply.

Reserve Lists

If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 6-month reserve list by exception.

During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order.

Starting Work

The successful candidates will normally take up duty within one month from notification of successful completion of pre-employment checks.

Applying

All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email voarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Concerns/Complaints

The Valuation Office Agency’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the Central Recruitment Team at the following address: resourcingteam@voa.gov.uk

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint you have the right to complain to the Civil Service Commissioners.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run 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.