The Official View: Former communities minister Bob Neill on the strengths and weaknesses of the civil service

New report shows rise in successful applications to graduate scheme from black and minority ethnic candidates, but slight dip in proportion of women accepted onto the programme

Treasury minister Greg Hands tells pay review bodies to target higher rises in areas which would improve recruitment and retention

Recruitment drive for job centre staff on temporary contracts slammed by PCS in the wake of departures of permanent staff

Successful bidders for government contracts will see agreed commitments to apprentice recruitment written into contracts above £10m from next month

Three new members join former DfE non-executive Sir Theodore Agnew as Ministry of Justice’s non-executive board

Images of journeys, food and friends work wonders in speeches – but phrases like “accelerating reform” are a definite turn-off. Oliver Rowe reviews Simon Lancaster’s Winning Minds: Secrets from the Language of Leadership

Public and Commercial Services union makes "strong representations" to tax authority about "timescale and process" of 90-day talks, which department says may result in compulsory redundancies

With nominations for the 2015 Civil Service Awards closing at midnight tonight, cabinet secretary Jeremy Heywood talks to Civil Service World about why he thinks officials should shout louder about the achievements of their colleagues

Exclusive: Tax authority says it will aim to "avoid the need for compulsory redundancies" when 90-day process opens next week

Ofqual’s chief regulator announces plans to step down in February 2016

Government Digital Services chief Mike Bracken – who is leaving the unit in September – to become chief digital officer at the Co-op group