Household Survey Interviewer 2025

Overview of the Role Title of the position: Temporary & Permanent Household Survey Interviewers (Average weekly hours 25.15). Locations: We are recruiting in the following locations: Clare, Sligo, Carlow, Cavan, Limerick, Wexford, Longford, Donegal, Laois, Leitrim, Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon, Westmeath, Offaly, Waterford, Louth and Galway. Survey interviewing work is carried out across the whole country. However, it is the policy of the CSO to assign interviewers to suitable geographical locations based on their home address. Therefore, the offer of an appointment to a position will depend on both the candidate’s geographical location and their position on the panel. Roles and Responsibilities Preparation for interviewing/collection process This involves attending appropriate training sessions as directed by field management/CSO headquarters. Trainings may be conducted on-site or virtually. This training process involves studying any necessary documentation, learning how to use IT systems and processes as well as testing new questions/processes. A tablet computer and smartphone will be used to manage interviewer workload. Attendance at training is mandatory. Survey Interviewing/Collection Survey work requires interviewers to carry out data collection by means of electronic data capture, using a tablet or other data capturing device. Interviewers will be required to transfer data to CSO headquarters in the manner prescribed for each particular survey. Interviewers will be expected to meet minimum data collection targets and deadlines as outlined by field management. Interviewers are expected to meet high data quality standards in a timely manner. Liaison with Field Management/CSO Headquarters Interviewers are expected to be in regular contact with field management through telephone, email, virtual meetings (e.g., MS Teams) or in-person contact. Administration Interviewers will be expected to complete and submit relevant administrative documentation by specific deadlines using both electronic and paper methods. Data Protection Interviewers will ensure high levels of data governance and information security, particularly regarding access to confidential data. Other duties Any other duties, which may be assigned from time to time, as appropriate to the position of Survey Interviewer. Eligibility to Compete and Certain Restrictions on Eligibility Citizenship Requirements Eligible candidates must be: (a) A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; or (b) A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK); or (c) A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or (d) A non-EEA citizen who has a Stamp 4 permission1 or a stamp 5 permission. 1 Please note that a 50 TEU visa, which is a replacement for Stamp 4EUFAM after Brexit, is acceptable as a Stamp 4 equivalent. Requirements for the Position • Education requirement: intermediate certificate/junior certificate or equivalent. • Hold a current full driving licence with authorisation to drive in Ireland and have the full use of a car for the hours spent working on the survey. • Fluent English both written and spoken. • Proven experience of personal interaction with the public ideally through face to face and telephone interviewing, practical social work or related work. • Good IT software skills, e.g., Microsoft Office 365 and MS Teams. • Availability to work flexible hours. This flexibility extends to working variable hours during evenings, Saturdays and some daytime work when potential respondents are at home. • The ability to guarantee confidentiality at all times in relation to your role. • Good communication/articulation skills together with good persuasion and negotiating skills. Special Features The Interviewer position is a lone worker position. This means that the Interviewer works from their home and organises and completes their own work under the supervision of the Survey Coordinator in line with role requirements. Interviewers must be available to work flexible hours. Survey Interviewers are expected to work on average 25.15 hours per week. Depending on the survey involved, this flexibility will extend to working variable hours during evenings, Saturdays and some daytime work when potential respondents are available. Being a Household Survey Interviewer in the CSO What surveys will I work on? You could be working on a range of different surveys and may be simultaneously working on up to 3 surveys at a time – so time management and multi-tasking skills are a must. Some of the main surveys conducted by CSO Household Survey Interviewers are the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC), and the Household Budget Survey (HBS). The CSO arealso recruiting through this campaign for interviewers to work on the Growing Up in Ireland survey – the national longitudinal study of children in Ireland which has been following the progress of c.20,000 children and their families since 2006. From time-to-time the CSO conducts other surveys, as requested, and you may be asked to work on these as well. More information on CSO Household Surveys can be found on the CSO website: https://www.cso.ie/en/surveys/householdsurveys/ What will my working hours be? You will be contracted to work 25.15 hours per week. You will have flexibility in working these hours, but there is a requirement for evening and Saturday work – you are not required to work any Sundays. We have found that the best times to interview households tend to be between 4pm and 8pm, though this may vary depending on the area you are in. Households are willing to give up their free time to participate in our surveys and it is important that you are as flexible as possible to find a time that suits them to participate. Where will I be working? Your work assignments will be based on your home location and will branch out from there. You may need to travel further from home at times and the distance of the travel will depend on whether your location is urban or rural in nature. Flexibility in relation to travel is required at times to meet the demands of individual surveys. Your area of work may change from time to time. What will I be paid? Starting rate of pay effective 1st March 2025 is €387.85 (ppc) per week. A different rate will apply where the appointee is not required to make a Personal Pension Contribution (non ppc). In addition to this, there is also the potential to earn an additional completion payment of up to 13% of grosspay depending on response rates achieved. Civil service mileage rates apply for any work-related travel in addition to other allowances which may be payable. What training will I receive? All household survey interviewers will receive comprehensive training on the role before starting work. This usually involves initial training in a specified location which will last approximately 2 weeks, with further on-site and online training sessions depending on which surveys you will be working on. Quarterly, regional in-person training sessions are also organised, as well as ad-hoc training sessions from time to time. On-going training and support will be provided by your appointed Coordinator, who will be your first line of contact with the CSO and will manage your work on a day-to-day basis. What is expected of me? Minimum expected response rates will apply to each of the surveys on which you work, and you will be expected to achieve these rates. Household survey interviewers are the CSO representatives at doorsteps across the country and must at all times carry out their work in a professional and respectful manner. You will be expected to maintain regular contact and communication with your Coordinator. Key Competencies for Survey Interviewer SURVEY INTERVIEWER COMPETENCIES Customer Service & Communication Skills • Actively listens to others and tries to understand their perspectives/requirements/needs. • Understands the steps or processes that customers must go through and can clearly explain these. • Is respectful, courteous and professional, remaining composed, even in challenging circumstances. • Can be firm when necessary and communicate with confidence and authority. • Communicates clearly and fluently when speaking and in writing. Delivery of Results • Takes responsibility for work and sees it through to the appropriate next level. • Completes work in a timely manner. • Adapts quickly to new ways of doing things. • Checks all work thoroughly to ensure it is completed to a high standard and learns from mistakes. • Demonstrates initiative and flexibility in ensuring work is delivered. • Is self-reliant and uses judgment on when to ask manager or colleagues for guidance. Information Management/Processing • Approaches and delivers all work in a thorough and organised manner. • Follows procedures and protocols, understanding their value and the rationale behind them. • Keeps high quality records that are easy for others to understand. • Is comfortable working with different types of information, e.g., written, numerical, charts, and carries out calculations such as arithmetic, percentages etc. Drive & Commitment to Public Service Values • Consistently strives to perform at a high level and deliver a quality service. • Serves the government and people of Ireland. • Is thorough and conscientious, even if work is routine. • Is enthusiastic and resilient in the face of challenging circumstances and setbacks. • Is personally honest and trustworthy. • At all times acts with integrity. • Understands own role in the team, making every effort to play their part. Selection Process The selection process may include some or all of the following elements: • Shortlisting of candidates based on the information contained in their application form; • Competitive preliminary interview; • Any other tests or exercises that may be deemed appropriate. Applicants who are successful in this competition will be placed on a panel, in an order of merit. The offer of an appointment to a position will depend on both the candidate’s geographical location and their position on the panel. Permanent Panel: The permanent panel will be maintained for no longer than 3 years. The offer of an appointment to a position will depend on both the candidate’s geographical location and their position on the panel. Temporary Panel The temporary panel will be maintained for no longer than 3years. The offer of an appointment to a position will depend on both the candidate’s geographical location and their position on the panel. Should similar vacancies, including temporary positions, arise elsewhere in the CSO candidates may be drawn from this competition. Security Clearance You will be required to complete and return a Garda eVetting form should you come under consideration for appointment. This form will be forwarded to An Garda Síochána for security checks on all Irish and Northern Irish addresses at which you resided. If you have resided/studied in countries outside of the Republic of Ireland for a period of 6 months or more, it is mandatory for you to furnish a Police Clearance Certificate from those countries stating that you have no convictions recorded against you while residing there. You will need to provide a separate Police Clearance Certificate for each country you have resided in. Clearance must be dated after the date you left the country. It is your responsibility to seek security clearances in a timely fashion as they can take some time. You cannot be appointed without this information being provided and being in order. The Importance of Confidentiality Subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts, 2014, applications will be treated in strict confidence. All enquiries, applications and all aspects of the proceedings are treated as strictly confidential and are not disclosed to anyone, outside those directly involved in that aspect of the process. Certain items of information, not specific to any individual, are extracted from computer records for general statistical purposes Code of Practice This competition is being organised in accordance with the Code of Practice titled Appointment to Positions in the Civil Service and Public Service published by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). The CSO will consider any requests for review in accordance with the provisions of this code. A copy of the Code may be accessed at www.cpsa.ie. The CSO is an equal opportunity employer. Assignments will be made based on qualifications and the ability to carry out the responsibilities of the grade or post. Candidates’ Obligation Candidates should note that canvassing will disqualify and will result in their exclusion from the process. Candidates must not: • knowingly or recklessly provide false information • canvass any person with or without inducements • personate a candidate at any stage of the process • interfere with or compromise the process in any way. It is important to remember that this is a competitive process for a role where integrity is paramount.Sharing information on the selection process e.g., through social media or any other means, may result in you being disqualified from the competition. A third party must not personate a candidate at any stage of the process. Specific Candidate Criteria Candidates must: • Have the knowledge and ability to discharge the duties of the post concerned. • Be suitable on the grounds of character. • Be suitable on the grounds of health and physical fitness. • Be suitable in all other relevant respects for appointment to the post concerned. If successful, they will not be appointed to the post unless they: (a) Agree to undertake the duties attached to the post and accept the conditions under which the duties are, or may be required to be, performed. (b) Are fully competent and available to undertake, and fully capable of undertaking, the duties attached to the position. Quality Customer Service We aim to provide an excellent quality service to all our customers. If, for whatever reason, you are unhappy with any aspect of the service you receive from us, we urge you to bring this to our attention. Feedback will be provided on written request. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on the 25th of May 2018, replacing the existing data protection framework under the EU Data Protection Directive. When your application form is received, we create a record in your name, which contains much of the personal information you have supplied. This personal record is used solely in processing your candidature and should you be successful certain information will be retained by the CSO’s HR division for employment purposes. Salary - PPC (Personal Pension Contribution) The weekly salary scale for this position effective from 1st March 2025 is as follow: €387.85, €407.01, €411.90, €426.06, €440.28, €454.52, €468.74, €482.96, €496.78, €510.62, €524.47, €540.65, €552.03, €573.46 (NMAX), €590.32 (LSI1), €598.05 (LSI2) Long service increments may be payable after 3 (LSI1) and 6 (LSI2) years satisfactory service at the maximum of the scale. The PPC pay rate applies when the individual is required to pay a Personal Pension Contribution (otherwise known as a main scheme contribution) in accordance with the rules of their main/personal superannuation scheme. This is different to a contribution in respect of membership of a Spouses’ and Children’s scheme, or the Additional Superannuation Contributions (ASC). A different rate will apply where the appointee is not required to make a Personal Pension Contribution. Hours of Attendance Formal hours of work do not apply to these duties. Permanent Survey Interviewers will be assigned a quota of weekly work on CSO household surveys which, on average over the period of a quarter, should not exceed 25.15 hours per week. Temporary Survey Interviewers will be assigned survey duties as required on a weekly basis. Workinghours for Temporary Survey Interviewers will depend on the number of households to be surveyed. Working patterns can be flexible but Survey Interviewers should be available to take on work at least 5 days on average per week outside of the headquarters which in respect of this employment is based in the Survey Interviewer’s home. The flexibility of the working hours is such that the Survey Interviewer is expected to work when potential respondents are available, and the Survey Interviewer will be expected to minimise unproductive work hours and journeys in this regard. Sunday working is not permitted in this employment. No additional payment will be made for extra attendance over and above 25.15 hours per week as the rate of remuneration payable covers any exceptional extra attendance liability that may arise from time to time. Survey Interviewers will be obliged to keep a record of the hours worked as outlined in the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997 (Organisation of Working Time (Records) (Prescribed Form and Exemptions) Regulations, 2001.