Make Working Together visible through specific AO-level actions
Working Together is about contributing to shared work while building respectful and supportive relationships. This guide translates the official AA/AO points into practical evidence and shows how to build a complete statement without inflating the level of responsibility.
Working Together is about contributing to shared work while building respectful and supportive relationships. For an AO role, this usually means being flexible, listening to different needs, asking for help at the right time and helping to maintain a safe and inclusive team.
At AO level, the behaviour is often demonstrated through practical situations such as covering an unfamiliar task, supporting a colleague, resolving a practical disagreement, sharing information or responding appropriately to behaviour that could exclude someone. A strong answer shows both delivery and the quality of the working relationship, rather than presenting teamwork as simply being friendly.
What are the criteria at AO level?
The official AA and AO behaviour guide lists 6 points for Working Together. Quote them exactly in your planning notes and make each point visible through evidence.
1
“proactively contribute to the work of the whole team and remain open to taking on new and different roles”
2
“get to know your colleagues and build supportive relationships”
3
“listen to alternative perspectives and needs, responding sensitively and checking understanding where necessary”
4
“ask for help when needed and support others when the opportunity arises”
5
“are aware of the need to consider your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues”
6
“understand that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable”
What each criterion means in practice
1
Contribute flexibly
Take responsibility for your normal work and be willing to support a different task when the team needs it.
2
Build supportive relationships
Learn how colleagues work, communicate reliably and create trust through everyday actions.
3
Listen to different perspectives
Ask what another person needs, respond sensitively and confirm that you have understood.
4
Seek and offer support
Recognise when you need help, ask early and support colleagues without taking over their responsibility.
5
Consider wellbeing
Notice pressure on yourself and others, use available support and avoid treating overwork as proof of commitment.
6
Protect an inclusive environment
Do not ignore bullying, harassment or discrimination. Respond safely and use the correct reporting route.
How to structure your statement
Use Situation, Task, Action and Result as a private writing structure. Do not add the labels to the final application unless the vacancy specifically asks for them. Keep the opening short and reserve most of the word count for your personal actions.
A practical 250-word balance
Part
Suggested space
What to include for Working Together
Situation
25 to 40 words
The setting, people involved and the issue that made the behaviour relevant.
Task
25 to 35 words
Your own responsibility and the outcome you needed to achieve.
Action
130 to 160 words
The criterion-linked steps, decisions, checks, communication and reasons for your approach.
Result
30 to 45 words
The practical outcome and any useful improvement that followed.
Weak evidence
I am a team player and helped colleagues whenever they were busy.
Stronger evidence
I agreed tasks around colleagues’ experience and access needs, asked for guidance on an unfamiliar step, supported a new colleague without taking over and addressed an inappropriate comment through the correct route.
Subscribers can unlock the full AO Working Together scoring method below, followed by three complete example statements close to 250 words, detailed explanations of why each example works and a final checklist for adapting your own evidence.
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