We published 355 articles this year. That’s approximately 280,000 words — or three detective novels’ worth of government insights, opinions and stories.

Alongside the Apolitical Q&A forum, courses and live events, you could probably spend all your working life learning on Apolitical. You’d be the perfect public servant—but get nothing done.

To save you from that, we’ve rounded up the 10 most-read articles this year. Enjoy!

1. How to interview for civil service jobs

Learn the 4 essential ingredients of a successful interview. Plus a separate deep dive into frequently asked interview questions.

– Apolitical

2. 3 ways to have a productive workday in the public service

Do less, prioritise more, defend your boundaries and look after yourself, even if you only have 5 minutes. If you don’t prioritise your life, someone else will do it for you.

– Summary of a talk by Sandra Naranjo Bautista, BetterGovs, USA

3. Toxic leadership is widespread in government. Here’s why it doesn’t get fixed

Toxic leaders exploit formal power gradients to serve themselves. These kinds of power gradients are everywhere, but we make several mistaken assumptions about how to fix the problem.

– Susan Broomhall, Bright Research and Insights, Australia

4. So what does policy actually mean anyway?

“Policy” has become a misnomer for document types like “procedures”, “protocols”, “guidelines” or “standards”.

– Mark Sutherland, Provincial Health Services Authority of British Columbia, Canada

5. Inclusive language: steps to be more mindful of the words you use

Our words matter, and we can often cause harm without meaning to. Luckily, there are practical steps you can take to be more inclusive in the words you use at work.

– Anatole Papadopoulos, Canadian Digital Service

6. The introvert superpowers your team needs

Extroverts are championed in government, often at the expense of introverts. Rather than encouraging extroversion, it’s time we celebrate the quiet superpowers of introverts.

– Kathrin Stokes-Bonhomme, Public Services and Procurement, Canada

7. The art of writing a good memo

5 tips for finding the perfect balance between being guiding and being objective.

– Dr. Ulrik B. U. Roehl, Aalborg University, Denmark

8. The 2022 reading list for public servants

It’s getting towards “unwind with a good book” season. Here are the suggested reads from the Apolitical community and team.

– Apolitical

9. Prepare to tackle your next difficult conversation

“If you’re avoiding a tough conversation, you might be babysitting the problem, and when it grows up, the problem may be emotionally out of control.”

– Denise Grant, Ministry of the Attorney General, Canada

10. 5 ways to grow in the public service beyond your job description

“Being more than your job does not have to mean that you are stretching yourself thin, taking on too much or feeling voluntold.”

– Diana Smyth, Rouge National Urban Park, Canada

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