Interdepartmental HEO

You're definitely allowed your presentation, report, and original application on hand. So I doubt they'd notice if a few notes slipped in there too. But I'd say you wouldn't want to be reading from them too much since they can see where your eyeline is. They didn't ask me to scan the area at all. That could have just been the panel I had though, I don't want to lead you astray either.

You don't have to scan the room but I found the 'blur' effect on Zoom very handy for the interview - it takes away the background altogether in a way that isn't distracting for the viewer!

Presentation and interview are both done together, one after the other, by the same interviewers.

You are given a list of three topics to choose one from, roughly a week in advance. They seem to vary per person, so there is no point preparing anything now until you get given them. Some research will probably be needed as the intent is to measure your ability to do the HEO competencies of which 'judgement, analysis and decision making' is one.

The actual topic itself isn't really the test, it's a method to uncover what type of manager you are, how you go about things, the way you tackle something like this etc. They want to find out more about you as a person and this is an avenue into that.

They estimate you should spend 3 - 4 hours on it total, but you get a full week to do it, so if you want to spend a bit longer on it that's grand. The week is plenty of time, though, so don't worry at this stage, and the 10 minutes fly by. The interview prep you're doing instead at this point is a better use of time.

40% of the marks available

I didn't even get to that stage in the last competition - how did you do?

Not today then I guess.

They can send them whenever they want, once it's a pass. :D

Does anyone know how annual leave works. I've just over 5 years service so got my first annual leave increase a few months ago. If I get a HEO position will I start off on 29 days and have to be a HEO for five years before I get another increase or will I carry across my increase and have 30 days AL?

Yeah I can't wait to be put out of my misery, waiting to hear back is always awful and it's gonna stress me out all week!

I keep flipping between being optimistic and remembering all the questions I wasn't happy with the answers I gave. Trying to err on the side of pessimism though since I've not had much luck with other interviews and I'm paranoid I missed something with the competencies again. And the presentation being marked separately is also stressing me out because it wasn't for AO.

Thanks hungerjames for the earlier info. Just back from my holidays. Good luck to all those awaiting results. It can be an anxious time.

I was really hoping for some results before the long weekend. Good luck to all.

I honestly can’t understand what the delay is in getting results out! Every other part of this competition has been fast tracked and now they hold off on this part? I was on holidays this week and really found it difficult to switch off from work simply because I’m constantly waiting for results to be released

Hey Everyone. Results are out! 62 OOM in Dublin. Do you think that'll be called?

Commiserations to anyone who didn't pass. Keep trying, this was my third attempt, and it's the first time I passed. Irrespective of outcome, I think it's a great achievement to have made it to the final round of interviews.

I got it! Best of luck everyone.