At my last job, we had a supervisor who everyone got along with and who established a great deal of mutual trust with the team. Everyone was self-reliant, and things operated smoothly. That supervisor got transferred, and another supervisor, who was new to the job, supplanted him. The new supervisor was more inexperienced and insecure than the last. They didn't seem to have much confidence in their abilities, which manifested in a lack of trust in the team. They created all these checks and balances for everyone's work, which we all complied with, but significantly slowed productivity. It was quite an adjustment, but we all made do.

The work of someone in the civil service is often referred to as repetitive and monotonous. It is also considered the perfect working environment for someone who enjoys a predictable and routine professional environment. Civil servants are also expected to be self-managed; therefore, your interviewer wants a sense of how adaptable you are when things alter the status quo, either on a micro or macro scale, and go outside the routine.

Try to communicate how flexible you are to working in a work environment that sometimes forces you to adapt and act quickly to the occasional contingencies. Offer examples of times this has happened to you, whether it was something unexpected or a change in management where new standards and procedures were implemented. Whatever example you offer, showcase that you can handle any challenges that come your way.