• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Distance from home to depot for new trainee drivers (GTR)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

whoosh

Established Member
Joined
3 Sep 2008
Messages
1,361
I think it would be worthwhile if the mods could merge the two threads as you only get the full story if you read both. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of travel distance from depot, I'm sure being on a stage 2 or especially 3 MFA is going to have a very negative effect on their chances of getting a job.

I used to work with a Shunter who went for a Trainee Driver job with another TOC. Unfortunately, at the getting references stage I think it was, it became apparent that he was under MFA in his current job for a fair amount of absence and the Trainee Driver offer at the other TOC wasn't progressed.

He was annoyed to day the least.

Happily, his attendance improved and he came out of the MFA process, so when the other TOC advertised for Trainee Drivers again a year or two later, he became successful at his next attempt and landed the job.
 

Jz2307

Member
Joined
3 Mar 2016
Messages
44
Just for clarification I’m not on a stage 2/3. However I was seeking advice as someone else who was on a stage was given a position and I was on the understanding that you couldn’t progress your application if you were on a stage.

however the time for myself and another person have been looked at differently and I have had my times rejected even though the other person is over an hour and as far as I am aware you have to be under the hour or your application would be progressed
 

craigybagel

Established Member
Joined
25 Oct 2012
Messages
5,061
Just for clarification I’m not on a stage 2/3. However I was seeking advice as someone else who was on a stage was given a position and I was on the understanding that you couldn’t progress your application if you were on a stage.

however the time for myself and another person have been looked at differently and I have had my times rejected even though the other person is over an hour and as far as I am aware you have to be under the hour or your application would be progressed
Fair enough. My other point still stands though - I would strongly recommend you go solely through your reps for advice rather then asking on a public forum. I appreciate your frustration, but I fear you're doing your career prospects more harm than good by posting here.
 

dctraindriver

Member
Joined
9 Jan 2017
Messages
580
I think it would be worthwhile if the mods could merge the two threads as you only get the full story if you read both. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of travel distance from depot, I'm sure being on a stage 2 or especially 3 MFA is going to have a very negative effect on their chances of getting a job.

That said, I would also recommend the OP take a step back, a deep breath, and then delete these threads and contact their reps. It's hard to see how any good will come of it these threads - but its easy to say how anyone at GTR HR could put two and two together and work out who exactly is being discussed here, and that is definitely going to have a negative effect on their chances of getting a job.
Good advice, delete the thread
 

SpamHammer

Member
Joined
11 Feb 2014
Messages
45
Why is the gender of the successful trainee relevant?
It isn't.

Quite honestly, it sounds like OP has sour grapes about not being offered a course. It cannot possibly be because the other candidate did better on assesments/interviews. The latent sexism apparent in OP cannot fathom any reason for denial of their application other than the gender of the other candidate being preferred.

Maybe the sexist attitude was detected during interviews and somewhat ironically was the very reason for their failure?
 

LCC106

Established Member
Joined
16 Nov 2011
Messages
1,301
Playing devil’s advocate, you say she lives over an hour away by train and doesn’t drive. Just because people don’t drive themselves, doesn’t mean to say they can’t get a lift or taxi in (which could take less than an hour). If as you say you were first on the list talk to your rep as suggested above. Reps can often get a straight answer where we don’t feel we can.
 

skyhigh

Established Member
Joined
14 Sep 2014
Messages
5,219
Just for clarification I’m not on a stage 2/3. However I was seeking advice as someone else who was on a stage was given a position and I was on the understanding that you couldn’t progress your application if you were on a stage.
So it sounds to me like that thread was looking for reasons why someone else who got the job ahead of you shouldn't have, and this one is the same?

To be honest, your application is all you should be concerned about. What happens to anyone else applying isn't really your concern. You don't know the full details about the situations others are in, and it just comes across as sour grapes.
 

FGW_DID

Established Member
Joined
23 Jun 2011
Messages
2,724
Location
81E
………………Maybe the sexist attitude was detected during interviews and somewhat ironically was the very reason for their failure?

The OP hasn’t failed, they have passed everything and are in a talent pool awaiting a course, so probably not! If it was that apparent in any of the interviews I doubt they would have reached the stage where they are at now.

As for the original distance/time question posed by the OP surely if both are in the talent pool then it can’t have been a problem. If it was, again they wouldn’t have got as far as the talent pool. It would seem strange to progress someone that far just to say, sorry you live to far away, these problems should be weeded out at the paper sift and definitely should be addressed in the Managers Interview.
 

ComUtoR

Established Member
Joined
13 Dec 2013
Messages
9,399
Location
UK
The OP hasn’t failed, they have passed everything and are in a talent pool awaiting a course,

There is often a misperception that being in the talent pool means you have go the job and are simply waiting for a course to come up. Unless you have a formal letter stating you have an offer of employment and a contract then your still just another tiny fish in a very large pool. Some talent pools are at different stages in the assessment process. There is often still the medical left to pass.

so probably not! If it was that apparent in any of the interviews I doubt they would have reached the stage where they are at now.

It certainly seems to be very deep into the process to get a rejection.

It would seem strange to progress someone that far just to say, sorry you live to far away, these problems should be weeded out at the paper sift and definitely should be addressed in the Managers Interview.

If anyone wishes to read the previous GTR talent pool thread they can see just how quick things can change. When I first applied it was 30 minutes from your depot. Generally its an accepted hour now. At my TOC there was an advert relativly recently that stated you needed to live within 10miles of the depot. With talent pools there is often a change to the criteria over time so you get recruited using generic criteria and then shuffled around acordingly. There may also be a case where a depot may be moving location. I know of at least 1 GTR depot that may be moving soon or even potentially closing.


Its difficult to comment directly regarding the OPs case because there just aren't enough facts to support a reasonable response at this time. It is always hard when you don't get a job or get rejected so tend to see unfairness and disparity everywhere.
 

FGW_DID

Established Member
Joined
23 Jun 2011
Messages
2,724
Location
81E
There is often a misperception that being in the talent pool means you have go the job and are simply waiting for a course to come up. Unless you have a formal letter stating you have an offer of employment and a contract then your still just another tiny fish in a very large pool. Some talent pools are at different stages in the assessment process. There is often still the medical left to pass.

I can only comment on my TOC and it‘s just the medical hurdle to overcome once you are in the talent pool but as you say, it’s definitely not a stone cold guarantee of a position that some people think it is, as the poor souls found out a couple of years back when the talent pool was terminated at the two year mark.

The OP does mention that they have already done the Psychometrics, DMI & MMI. My main point was that the issues being raised such as the time/distance should have been addressed well before reaching the stage where they are currently at. But yes, if circumstances change such as the depot closure you mention this may well have a bearing.
 

ComUtoR

Established Member
Joined
13 Dec 2013
Messages
9,399
Location
UK

Care to digress or is it just mess room gossip?
PM ok ?

My main point was that the issues being raised such as the time/distance should have been addressed well before reaching the stage where they are currently at. But yes, if circumstances change such as the depot closure you mention this may well have a bearing.

It could just be the simple point I made regarding a change of criteria. They may have just changed the criteria for recruitement and then adjusted the distance parameter for any applicant that hadn't recieved a firm offer. There really is a multitude of things that could have affected the application.

Some of the talent pool applications just say "for future employment" You could easily be in a pool for the entire company and any distance is accepted and then just individuals pulled out for specific depots. Again, way to many questions and not enough information.

Cheers for the reply.
 

Jz2307

Member
Joined
3 Mar 2016
Messages
44
Well surely if they don’t like you got some Reason they could keep making you take it again and again? I thought it was marked against a set industry standard?
 

221129

Established Member
Joined
21 Mar 2011
Messages
6,520
Location
Sunny Scotland
Well surely if they don’t like you got some Reason they could keep making you take it again and again? I thought it was marked against a set industry standard?
The DMI is basically the same as any other job interview.
 

FGW_DID

Established Member
Joined
23 Jun 2011
Messages
2,724
Location
81E
Well surely if they don’t like you got some Reason they could keep making you take it again and again? I thought it was marked against a set industry standard?
I think you are way overthinking this and it’s only because you were told you would be next for a course and somebody else has been given a course ahead of you and you are trying to justify their reasoning.

At the end of the day you have successfully passed the Psychometrics, the DMI & MMI and you are now sat in the Talent Pool and there you will stay until:

1. You get allocated a course
2. Successfully pass a medical
3. Sign a contract (hurrah you’re in!)

or

your Psychometrics time expire or the talent pool is disbanded as they no longer require everybody in it!
 

TheAnswer89

Member
Joined
3 Feb 2020
Messages
105
Location
England
I think you are way overthinking this and it’s only because you were told you would be next for a course and somebody else has been given a course ahead of you and you are trying to justify their reasoning.

At the end of the day you have successfully passed the Psychometrics, the DMI & MMI and you are now sat in the Talent Pool and there you will stay until:

1. You get allocated a course
2. Successfully pass a medical
3. Sign a contract (hurrah you’re in!)

or

your Psychometrics time expire or the talent pool is disbanded as they no longer require everybody in it!
That or part hardly ever happens if ever really happened.
 

FGW_DID

Established Member
Joined
23 Jun 2011
Messages
2,724
Location
81E
That or part hardly ever happens if ever really happened.

It certainly has really happened, a couple of years back GWR binned an entire talent pool at something like the two year mark. On another thread in the last day or two, someone has said they were dropped from a talent pool when their psychometrics expired.
 

Joliver

Member
Joined
29 Apr 2018
Messages
224
It certainly has really happened, a couple of years back GWR binned an entire talent pool at something like the two year mark. On another thread in the last day or two, someone has said they were dropped from a talent pool when their psychometrics expired.
I think it was Virgin at the time (now LNER), binned all of their talent pool too a few years back. There is an old thread on here about it somewhere.
 

LCC106

Established Member
Joined
16 Nov 2011
Messages
1,301
Quick question.... how long are driver manager interviews valid for?
Probably depends from company to company. One factor may be whether or not the Manager who interviewed you has left in the intervening period. We just don’t know. You need to ask your HR or recruitment department tomorrow.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top