Working as a statistician how we recruit and

“Working as a statistician, how we recruit and select” Dani Wills and Chris Payne

Today we will cover. . . • • ONS What we do Sandwich placement Recruitment process • Applications • Assessment Centre

What is ONS? • The Office for National Statistics • Government’s single largest statistical producer • Internationally recognised National Statistical Institute for the UK

So What Does ONS Do? • Collects and publishes official statistics about the UK’s society and economy • Census for England & Wales • 285 unique statistical releases

Who uses our data? Our work is vital to: • Government • Local Authorities • Health Authorities • Industry • Researchers • Students • The Public

So What Can you Do at ONS? Varied statistical careers available… • Census • Survey Output Areas Production and analysis of surveys and results • Public policy analysis • Population, health and regional analysis • Methodology in Strategy and Standards Lots of scope for moving around and changing posts!

What we do Strategy and Standards > Survey Methodology • Work with Output Areas: - Providing expertise and guidance to other areas - Achieving best use of most appropriate methods • Grouped into several centres of expertise such as: - Data Collection Sample Design & Estimation Editing & Imputation Statistical Quality Measurement Time series analysis Index Numbers, Prices & Inflation

Chris • My background • Social Surveys Division (placement year) • Living Costs and Food Survey • Survey Methodology and Statistical Computing • Time Series Analysis

Living Costs and Food Survey • Measures household expenditure • Questionnaire and Diary • Data used by Retail Price Index, Consumer Price Index, National Accounts, Defra, Household Income and Expenditure • Family Spending published annually

Time Series Analysis • • Advice on all aspects of time series X-13 ARIMA-SEATS Seasonal adjustment reviews Forecasting Benchmarking Interpolation Methodological research

What is a Time Series?

Seasonal Adjustment “The process of removing the variations associated with the time of year or the arrangement of the calendar from a time series”

Why Seasonally Adjust? • Seasonality can mask underlying movements of interest to users • The aim of seasonal adjustment is to aid interpretation

Why Seasonally Adjust? • Seasonality can mask underlying movements of interest to users • The aim of seasonal adjustment is to aid interpretation

What are Moving Averages?

What are Moving Averages?

What are Moving Averages?

What are Moving Averages?

What are Moving Averages?

What are Moving Averages?

X-13 ARIMA-SEATS • Step 1: Removes calendar effects and outliers from original series • Step 2: Use moving average algorithm to ‘smooth’ the series • Step 3: Re-introduce temporary effects

Dani • My background • Survey methodology and statistical computing • Sample design and estimation (social) – SD&E(S) • Being part of a team • Regular Events

Opinions Survey (OPN) • Wellbeing Survey – monthly • Four key wellbeing questions: 1. Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays? 2. Overall, to what extent do you feel that the things you do in your life are worthwhile? 3. Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday? 4. Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?

Opinions Survey (OPN) • Split trials • • • Interview/laptop Order of questions Change of wording Different days of the week Different months Showcards • Significance testing • User friendly program in SAS and Excel

Opinions Survey (OPN) • User friendly program in SAS and Excel

Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS) • Finance, Pension, Property, Physical • Longitudinal – Currently collecting wave 3. • Oversampling of wealthier households • Skewed – high level of variability • Non response

Distribution of Total Wealth

Distribution of Total Wealth (x axis range up to £ 2, 000)

Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS) • Flag HH with high wealth members • 2. 5/3 times more chance of being selected • Analysis: • Weight/calibrate data • Order and find decile cut off points • Calculate the percentage of sample with a total wealth more than 10 th decile point • Aim – 14. 1% of sample in top wealth decile

WAS - Findings Decile groups of total wealth Decile low high Total Breakpoint N Per cent 2, 601 2786 9. 1 2 20, 281 2772 9. 1 3 63, 939 2758 9. 0 4 125, 150 2794 9. 1 5 189, 346 2831 9. 3 6 266, 433 2936 9. 6 7 366, 985 3013 9. 9 8 518, 073 3169 10. 4 9 818, 122 3389 11. 1 37, 913, 858 4147 13. 6 30, 595 100. 0 Breakpoint based on weighted data

Opportunities • Training: • Personal development • Statistical courses • Statistical Analysis Scheme • Further education

Working at ONS • Sandwich placement student • Researcher, Analyst, Statistician • Fast streamer

Qualifications Placement student: • Working towards a BA or BSc with greater than 50% research/statistical component • A Level Maths/Statistics qualification Graduate entry: • 2 nd class honours degree in a numerate discipline, • or equivalent knowledge gained through work experience or other means, • or a postgraduate qualification that contains an element of numerate research and analysis

ONS Competencies • Evidence of statistical experience • Manipulation and analysis of data and presenting research results • Computer literate - experience of working with a variety of software, including experience of statistical software • Good team working skills • Written and verbal communication skills, with ideally an experience of a range of formats and audiences • Manage and deliver to time, quality and discrete pieces of research work

Evidence of competency • Examples should be set out using the following STAR format: • Situation/Task – Brief description of what the situation or task was so that the assessor can clearly understand the context of the example. • Action – What action did you have to take or what was your role in the situation/task? • Results – What results did you achieve/what was the outcome/what conclusions did you reach?

Sandwich Placement Recruitment Interview questions: • Analysing data • Working with a dataset or spreadsheet • Using initiative • Teamwork

ONS Assessment Centre • Written test • Competency-based interview • Technical interview • Presentation

Fast Stream Recruitment 1. Written and numerical aptitude tests 2. Application form 3. Statistical assessment centre • Includes FSAC written exercise 4. Fast Stream Assessment Centre (FSAC) 5. Pre-appointment checks

Fast Stream Recruitment • A minimum 2: 1 required in a degree containing more than 50% statistical content Statistical Competencies: • Data Analysis • Data Collection • Data Dissemination

Fast Stream Recruitment Fast Stream Competencies: • • • Drive for results Constructive thinking Learning and improvement Building productive relationships Decision making Communicating with impact

Recruitment • Now online via Civil Service Jobs https: //jobsstatic. civilservice. gov. uk/csjobs. html/ • Placement student recruitment opens end October • Ongoing recruitment at graduate level, next closing date 31 October • Faststream - Round 1 – Registration 17 th Sept – 17 th Oct • Round 2 - take place in spring 2013. • Email RASjobs. Application@ons. gsi. gov. uk for more information on recruitment

(Many) Benefits to Working at ONS • Excellent annual leave allowance • Privilege Days • Total flexible working hours • Relaxed & sociable environment • Lots of onsite facilities: • Opportunities for secondment • Membership of a GSS

And Now for What You Really Want to Know … … Graduate Starting Salaries at ONS Level Minimum (£) Maximum (£) Sandwich Placement 15, 500 15, 000 Researcher/Statistician 25, 460 31, 804 Senior Researcher/Statistician 32, 754 38, 668 Fast stream 29, 500 Grade 7 £ 44, 000 £ 50, 000

Find out more online www. ons. gov. uk – the corporate website www. statistics. gov. uk – home to all codecompliant National Statistics data http: //faststream. civilservice. gov. uk/ - the fast stream website Any Questions?