Interdepartmental HEO

Shutuplaura

Thanks for the answers folks. Both unexpected and annoying! Ah well.

eimaj18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118833232#Comment_118833232

I forgot to say - in previous HEO competitions you had to do a presentation exercise on the same day as your interview, as far as I can remember. You get a scenario with lots of documents - usually you've just taken over as a new manager - giving you the lie of the land. They ask you to do up a plan for how you would approach things. This is about an hour and a half to do all that. You then go for a short interview with a panel who question your rationale etc.

onlydaughter30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118884363#Comment_118884363

i completed the interview for the 2021 a few weeks prior to the announcement of this one. The process was the tests, a preliminary pre recorded interview on your examples, then 7 days prior to your interview date you are given a topic upon which you must submit a 3 page report and also present it for 10 minutes at the start of your interview, I was then questioned on my presentation for 10 minutes before proceeding to a 40 minute competency based interview.

eimaj18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118892626#Comment_118892626

Thanks onlydaughter, that's very helpful. Thinking about it, all mine were pre-Covid, so that's obviously the way they do it now.

onlydaughter30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118892675#Comment_118892675

No problem, on the pre recorded interview they examine your leadership competency first and if you dont reach the qualifying mark for that then you wont proceed to the next stage.

i noticed this week there is a lot of movement, a number of my own CO's were called for EO interviews, my other half got offered his permanent HEO offer (it was internal specific to a particular department not this comp), and calls for more HEO interviews also. I think there is a move happening now. I would imagine panels will start to move now as i know there has been little or no movement on current formed panels.

senseitwiggy

Any idea how many stages there are in the HEO 2022 comp

Jenda

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118925488#Comment_118925488

We don't know.

maccydoodies

Anyone get a text? 👍

RandomUser17

Yep, stage 1 opening 25th and have until 3rd May to do it

maccydoodies

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118952284#Comment_118952284

Same. Wondering if everyone got invited or did they do a shortlist? Suppose it's no skin off their noses for everyone to do the online tests. Would be nice to know if the did shortlist though .

Skweefie

In the familiarisation booklet it mentions that this is the 'initial selection stage', this implies to me that the applications weren't shortlisted.

simo999

Can anyone recommend any pre tests website? I bought them for the EO and they came in useful :) my brain isn’t cut out for this!!

eroc79

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118956464#Comment_118956464

SHL is one I've used before.

Sennie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118952564#Comment_118952564

I think you are right. They did this last year too if i remember correctly. Do up an application form and then the tests although they gave about 3 weeks notice for the tests last year. I need to practice those and as much time as possible. Less than 2 weeks is tight.

Rikand

Tests out since this afternoon. Think I might try give it a dart tomorrow night

farmboy1

How was it?

larrybarry1979

Hi has anyone taken the tests yet? Any feedback?many thanks

Rikand

Didnt get to do them yet. A friend of mine did them and he was not over confident of his performance....

foreboding...

I'm sure they are grand :D

clairevoyant

My sister did hers yesterday - she said there is a huge amount of numerical and that the verbal reasoning is done in tabular form with each tab having a passage (hope that makes sense)! She said that she only got 9 of the numerical ones done so she thinks she’s screwed - she’s not overly happy with the verbal either - she seemed to think that for people who have done a few of these tests before they should be able to do extremely well

lizglennon

I just completed them. There is too many to get through. I found the numerical easier than the verbal its quite tricky. I'm just glad to have them over but not very confident. Good luck to everyone .

clairevoyant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118985964#Comment_118985964

indeed the best of luck to ye all too - i might attempt to try it tomorrow 😏

Purpletoes

I usually score really well in the first stage testing and in last years heo (my first time to apply) I was in top 10 for my two counties but messed up the shortlisting (still not 100% over it!) anyway, for anyone who has done them before this is a different testing set up to last year. It’s all tabs so you have to search for the info before you can answer if that makes sense. I found the numerical tough even though that’s usually what I score highest in. Only answered 18/37 and 25/49 of the verbal. Not feeling super delighted or confident after them but anyway…. Good luck to everyone… what will be will be and all that jazz!

Jassgal

Just completed the tests, I found the numerical one tricky! I answered 17 but not too sure on some of the answers. The verbal was easier than some other tests I have done so happy with that :) best of luck to everyone taking part

liverbird1

liverbird1

Is a calculator required for numerical?

liverbird1

Is a calculator required?

itsallabit

Have to hand anyway some calculations required not a lot but still would recommend having one.

boccers

Anyone ever experienced anything like this doing these tests?

I just did the numerical reasoning test and at the start clicked the button to allow them to use my camera and microphone. When the page for taking photo came up it was blank. I was planning on using my laptop (which was closed) connected to a monitor with a USB camera attached. I figured it wasn't detecting the USB camera and there was nowhere to check so I opened the laptop and used the integrated webcam to take the photo. I then proceeded to complete the practice questions and then moved to the actual test. I clicked the first answer and moved to the second question and got a warning box saying microphone not detected. A bit of panic set in then but I could see at the bottom of my screen that the mic was on and had tested it on the windows settings beforehand. Permission was allowed for everything so as the timer was still going I cracked on but this error came up throughout at random times. I probably got to question 28 or 29 in the alloted time but was quite flustered by this. I am usually very good at the numerical ones and found this one fine outside of the panic at the mic situation but now I'm worried this will disqualify me and have emailed them before I attempt the verbal one.

itsallabit

Happened to me doing mine. Got one notification mic not detected but I think I was silently reading the question and it may have triggered something.

liverbird1

I just finished mine and got that mic not detected message too? I just ploughed on.

itsallabit

Might be a very sensitive system not worrying about it. If they view the recording they can see.

Acquiescence

I had the same issue with the microphone. The dialogue box must have popped up 15+ times.

Emailed tech support at aon who were less than concerned.

Switched laptops for the verbal but I was so thrown by the numerical issues that I may as well not have bothered continuing.

*Works well under pressure*

bleaks

Is a calculator necessary?! Who buys/uses calculators these days. Surely it's okay to use a phone for this.

Yossarian_Lives

While I didn't think I did well, it was far easier than I thought it was going to be. I was preparing to do calculations for the past few weeks. which I didn't need to do really any complex ones I think that through me off.

It really wasn't much more difficult than the 2018 EO comp ones IMO. Best of luck lads.

Abbotsford5

Just completed. Time is issue got high teens in numerical and twenties for verbal. Not confident at all. Remember negative marking could be applied for wrong answers.

Yossarian_Lives

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118997418#Comment_118997418

Can it? I don't remember reading that?

Rikand

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119000396#Comment_119000396

They don't normally tell you about negative marking but often apply it.

Purpletoes

The do use it. It’s in their document on their website

‘Points are usually added for each correct answer and usually deducted for each incorrect answer. At the end of the test points are calculated to give you a final score.’

Available here on page 14: https://assessment.aon.com/aon.assessment/media/files/factsheets/All-You-Need-to-Know_Practice.pdf

Abbotsford5

Yes it states on pg8 of the Pre-Test Information Booklet “the number of items attempted as well as the accuracy of responses is factored into the final score. This means that points may be deducted for wrong answers.”

Ber25

Hopefully the number of points deducted for a wrong answer are less than the number of points for a right answer.

Vologda69

Why did they ever switch to AON. I find their tests awful.

clairevoyant

applejunkie

Just did the tests , my god that was horrible. So confusing and having to go through all the tabs was just way too much . Definitely won't be getting past this round anyway .

Sartre

I received errors all the way through both tests saying "audio not detected". I have no idea what that meant. Camera was on and microphone symbol was showing on the taskbar too, so hopefully whatever it was it didn't interfere with the proctoring. Very annoying and slowed me down, however it still let me finish the tests.

I assume Aon are really cheap and PAS are saving a load of money with them because they are very poor. And like with the AO tests last year, I worry there are mistakes in some of the questions.

Skweefie

A few too many 'cannot say' answers on the numerical has me concerned but will just have to wait and see. Verbal was easier than numerical imo. Im curious as to how the batch order is being determined. Previous competitions would deem your order of merit on verbal plus management scenario ones and you only had to pass numerical.

Rikand

I flew through the maths. Nearly got them all done and I feel pretty confident in them. Reckon I got most of them right.

The verbal, eh, not so much. Got a little over half of them done.

It's a pity the maths doesnt usually count for where you place. I reckon it definitely would be boosting me up.

Vologda69

Is it tabs on both verbal and numerical?

Ber25

I wonder how many of the maths you have to get right to pass

Do you need your ID for this part of it?

itsallabit

No ID required they get you to take a picture at the beginning of both tests.