Complaints Officer
Also known as: Complaints Officer · Complaints Coordinator
Handles formal complaints from citizens or clients under the statutory complaints procedure, mediates between parties and advises on structural improvements.
The complaints officer investigates complaints independently of the department being complained about and tests them against the applicable complaints scheme and, in a government context, the General Administrative Law Act. Unlike a customer service employee, they handle formal, often legally substantiated complaints that can result in a ruling or recommendation. Selection often tests empathetic listening separately from the willingness to rule against one's own organisation when a complaint is justified.
Competencies to measure
These are the behavioural and ability constructs in this profile. Each one shows which hrmforce questionnaire measures it.
| Competencies to measure | Target level | hrmforce instrument | Assessment method | Behavioural anchor at target level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| integrity and dependability Competency (50-framework): Integrity Knockout | N4 | Big Fifty (Integrity Scale), 360 Feedback, Structured interview | Personality questionnaire | Reports a possible conflict of interest on own initiative and asks for review before a decision is taken. |
| Verbal reasoning | N4 | Ability Scan | Cognitive ability test | Extracts the core arguments from a report of several pages and shows with textual references which conclusion does and does not follow. |
| Empathy in service delivery Competency (50-framework): Sensitivity | N4 | Big Fifty, 360 Feedback | Personality questionnaire | Puts self in the position of a client in a vulnerable situation, chooses words carefully and keeps the agreement businesslike. |
| Judgement under uncertainty Competency (50-framework): Judgment | N3 | Big Fifty, Competency Check | Situational Judgement Test | Forms a judgement on incomplete files, names the assumptions used and states which new fact would change that judgement. |
| organisational awareness Competency (50-framework): Organizational Sensitivity | N3 | Big Fifty, Competency Check, 360 Feedback | Situational Judgement Test | Assesses which interests a proposal touches, involves the right people beforehand and chooses a suitable moment to raise it. |
| independence Competency (50-framework): Independence | N3 | Big Fifty, 15PF | Personality questionnaire | Takes a decision that departs from the group line, explains the reasoning behind it and accepts the consequences. |
| Stress tolerance Competency (50-framework): Stress resilience | N3 | Big Fifty, 15PF, Mental Resilience (4C) | Personality questionnaire | Keeps working in a structured way at peak load, keeps agreements with clients clear and flags early which results are at risk. |
Short profile
The ten heaviest skills in this profile. The full profile with every skill, behavioural anchor and assessment method is in the download.
| T | Skill | Target level | Weight | Knockout | Assessment method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Complaint handling | N5 | 5 | yes | Situational Judgement Test |
| V | Critical thinking and source evaluation | N4 | 5 | yes | Work sample test |
| V | Business reporting | N4 | 5 | yes | Work sample test |
| G | integrity and dependability | N4 | 5 | yes | Personality questionnaire |
| V | Legal analysis | N4 | 5 | yes | Work sample test |
| K | Applying legislation | N3 | 5 | no | Knowledge test |
| A | Verbal reasoning | N4 | 4 | no | Cognitive ability test |
| G | Empathy in service delivery | N4 | 4 | no | Personality questionnaire |
| V | de-escalating and setting limits | N4 | 4 | no | Situational Judgement Test |
| G | Judgement under uncertainty | N3 | 4 | no | Situational Judgement Test |
See all 25 skills in the full profile
Assessment instruments for this job
Competency Check
Behavioral-Level Competency Assessment
Work sample test
Representative work sample under standardized conditions
Knowledge test (client-specific)
Professional knowledge test, customized for each client
Big Fifty
Personality questionnaire, 150 items, 25 factors
360 Feedback
Multiple assessments based on behavioral anchors
Conflict Styles
Preferred style in conflict situations
Structured interview
Behavioral interview with a fixed structure
Ability Scan
Aptitude Test: Verbal, Numerical, and Abstract Reasoning Skills
Mental Resilience (4C)
Mental Resilience According to the 4C Model
Portfolio
Evaluation of prior work against fixed criteria
15PF
Personality Profile, a shorter alternative to the Big Fifty
Big Fifty (Integrity Scale)
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