This particular client applied for the role of Workforce Analyst in an APS Government department and was successful in going through to the job interview stage. A total of five selection criteria required to be addressed; following are part excerpts from two of the criteria.
Demonstrated high level communication skills including the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
My influencing skills are demonstrated through negotiations. One example was when I received a request to apply phone restrictions for a staff member who was returning from leave. The information was provided in a percentage format with no clear indication of what the percentage equated to in hours per day or week. To gain a clearer understanding I contacted my team leader and was methodical in the manner in which I relayed my request by advising on the current phone requirements set out for the business. I stayed focused and emphasised (verbally) the percentages provided were open to interpretation and may not meet the expectation to support their staff members’ training requirements, and I acknowledged the importance of Employee Agreement conditions. I negotiated with my team leader and was assertive by reiterating the importance of best business practices; specifically, that they be set out in phone hours rather than percentages. I maintained an assertive and positive approach and applied in-depth knowledge of the subject matter throughout the negotiation process with my team leader. Subsequently, this served to help my team leader gain a solid understanding of what we were trying to achieve. As a result, my team leader favoured my argument and a suitable timetable set out in hours was negotiated.
Well-developed ability to plan, organise and prioritise work to accomplish outcomes.
When I managed the XX build, I was responsible for coordinating the day-to-day tasks of the build, and motivating 13 other Workforce Analysts who were located nationally to ensure the build ran smoothly and interim and final deadlines were met. This entailed ensuring instructions and expectations for each task were clear and understood by all in order to deliver a consistent quality schedule on time. To stay on track and effectively manage the build, I created a checklist and timeline to track the progress of the build from the outset throughout its progress through to completion. The timeline was detailed by showing the exact status on any time of the day, and how many corresponding days it would take to complete each task. I frequently managed ad hoc and urgent requests in an efficient manner during this process. These tasks needed to be completed to ensure the build ran smoothly and did not hold up any of the other Analysts or the build. In these instances, I reprioritised work and dependent on both time and resource availability, I initiated and requested support or delegated other Analysts within my build to help complete the tasks. As a result, I consistently delivered high quality and timely schedules that supported the section’s objective of delivering consistent services to stakeholders which reflected positively on the entire department.
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Cheers,
Annie Cerone
