Doug, thank you, that's an interesting insight. I think the thing that I often feel that posters on the discussion forum overlook is that the H&S role is to most companies more than being about quoting chapter and verse from the regs etc. The reality is that they don't need a H&S officer to do that, just someone who can read and recite. Increasingly, I suggest the role is far more rounded than that and that H&S officers need to have a good understanding of business, business needs,business impact, best value, and how the H&S role fits into that in a proportionate, practical and pragmatic way, to suit the business. All that said however, it is strange that H&S didn't feature in the interview. Perhaps their line of questioning was trying to determine whether the candidates fully understood the business aspects of the role rather than merely focusing on H&S. Who knows. Keep plodding on

Doug, I note you are also in South Wales, You probably saw the same H&S & compliance manager job advertised on Direct.gov as myself, a little while back (Swansea ish). When I pulled the job spec which was several pages long, I think it only mentioned H&S on one line!. To be honest I could not work out the main focus of the job, not sure they knew either, so didn’t apply. Whatever the job was, it was not H&S. I admit it did amuse me for the half hour or so of my time it wasted. Keep trying and good luck. Chris

Doug To the above constructive and helpful observations, may I add a couple more 1. This is one side of the triangle: the role is far more rounded than that and that H&S officers need to have a good understanding of business, business needs,business impact, best value, and how the H&S role fits into that in a proportionate, practical and pragmatic way, to suit the business. 2. A second side might be summarised as 'personality', as jontyjohnston's story illustrates. Although 'personality' can seem daunting, in reality interviewers and interviewees are both managing their impressions of each other the whole time. One of the most technically reliable model of personalities at work is known as the 'Big Six' qualities of extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openmindedness, stability and honesty/humility. Whether these qualities are formally assessed or not, you may find them useful to consider in the stories, etc you use to portray yourself 3. A third side of the triangle is 'organisational culture', as chris42 illustrates. One of the most reliable model of this complex phenomenon is summed up in five dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance (often either very high or very low in relation to safety), masculinity-feminity, individual-collective, and long term-short term. This framework can be used to co-ordinate a lot of information about any organisation, as its inventor, Hofstede showed in 'Software of the mind'

Doug, Keep focussed and positive, I several years and many frustrating interviews before i landed a H&S Managers role, after two years in that position, I appkied for a role that i thought was a little out of my reach, it wasnt i got the job and its my current role as a H&S Manager in Bahrain, i love the job and the company is brilliant. Take the "sorry you came second" as a positive, keep doing the research and whatever happens something will come up. All the best Mark