Crosscountry - Apprentice Drivers - Multiple Depots (12/01/22)

[Jeffers]

Thanks for this, I guess from my postcode they will be able to work it out.

 

[Owen2323]

I know it shows the salary after initial training but does anyone know what the salary is once fully substantive (and how long it takes to get to that stage?)

 

[Dre]

will be over 60k once you sign your route and drive on your own

 

[Owen2323]

will be over 60k once you sign your route and drive on your own

Thanks

 

[60074]

Spoke to recruitment yesterday. They don’t actually know where they want the drivers yet. He’s got a meeting with head of train crew next week!

Unbelievable.. So people could potentially be applying for the sake of it

 

[ThePeakNed]

Unbelievable.. So people could potentially be applying for the sake of it

I think that statement just about covers most peoples applications, when you consider the ratio of applicants : positions.

 

[NorthernTech]

Unbelievable.. So people could potentially be applying for the sake of it

I think this covers most positions advertised, especially freight and those stated as talent pools. Bit of a lottery as to whether it will lead to anything at all. But you have more chance if you apply than not..

 

[Newapplicant]

Unbelievable.. So people could potentially be applying for the sake of it

Forgive me if i've misinterpreted what you've said but without wishing to sound rude I think that statement is fairly naive. Becoming a train driver, for the most part, these days is a complete lottery at the paper sift stage given how many applications are received. Once you reach interview and psychometric testing then that's where you get your fighting chance to prove that you can do what they are asking but for the paper sift it's whoever is luckiest on the day.

I dare say that everyone will apply for any train driver provided the location isn't too far away because it gives them that very small but very real fighting chance.

@NorthernTech hit the nail on the head for me "but you have more chance if you apply than not..." this is just everyone applying so that they can have their chance!

 

[WaterCup123]

Did anyone notice that after completing the General Questions, it skips the Job Questions and goes straight to the Apply page?

Yep, bit weird - guess they didn't setup any questions specific to the job!

 

[dereksingh291]

I wonder how long it will take for Cross Country to look at the applications for these vacancies and I also wonder when they'll be inviting people to the testing and interview stages including medical? Applied for Derby.

 

[Owen2323]

Is everyone filling out the application and uploading a CV and covering letter etc as well? I haven't had that good a look at the application yet........

 

[60074]

@ThePeakNed @NorthernTech @Newapplicant I think you’ve all misunderstood my point.

As @D Rivers said, recruitment haven’t even decided where the vacancies will be yet:

Spoke to recruitment yesterday. They don’t actually know where they want the drivers yet. He’s got a meeting with head of train crew next week!

So why waste peoples time giving a list of [potential] locations to apply for if potentially, the jobs don’t even exist at said depots?

 

[NorthernTech]

@ThePeakNed @NorthernTech @Newapplicant I think you’ve all misunderstood my point.

As @D Rivers said, recruitment haven’t even decided where the vacancies will be yet:


So why waste peoples time giving a list of [potential] locations to apply for if potentially, the jobs don’t even exist at said depots?

Because, as eluded to before, it costs them little to run a campaign covering a lot of their depots to put a talent pool together to cover them for future need. The recruitment process and training takes that long they may think they have the potential for a course and new drivers and then change their mind later. Gets loads of people‘s hopes up for a job that may never happen. So apply for the job if you can, but don’t pin your life on it. If they get back to you, then maybe you begin the process.. But keep looking elsewhere and applying to see if any even go anywhere. You only have to read around the forum to see people who have got as far as passing tests, or on to a DMI or even be told they are in the talent pool for them to sit waiting for YEARS.. It happens, but the amount of posts on here of those saying ‘I applied a week ago but I’ve heard nothing yet…’ People need to get real, rail recruitment is mainly very long winded, and you may just never hear back from a recruiter. If you notice, many don’t give out their email because they don’t want to be bombarded with ‘what happening with my application’ type emails constantly

 

[dk1]

Because, as eluded to before, it costs them little to run a campaign covering a lot of their depots to put a talent pool together to cover them for future need. The recruitment process and training takes that long they may think they have the potential for a course and new drivers and then change their mind later. Gets loads of people‘s hopes up for a job that may never happen. So apply for the job if you can, but don’t pin your life on it. If they get back to you, then maybe you begin the process.. But keep looking elsewhere and applying to see if any even go anywhere. You only have to read around the forum to see people who have got as far as passing tests, or on to a DMI or even be told they are in the talent pool for them to sit waiting for YEARS.. It happens, but the amount of posts on here of those saying ‘I applied a week ago but I’ve heard nothing yet…’ People need to get real, rail recruitment is mainly very long winded, and you may just never hear back from a recruiter. If you notice, many don’t give out their email because they don’t want to be bombarded with ‘what happening with my application’ type emails constantly

I’ve even know some start pestering TOCs Twitter feeds for updates. What’s that all about? You just have to be very patient in many cases these days.

 

[NorthernTech]

I’ve even know some start pestering TOCs Twitter feeds for updates. What’s that all about? You just have to be very patient in many cases these days.

Yeah I’m not surprised at all. If the TOC or FOC required drivers quickly they wouldn’t be posting for trainees, the time taken to recruit, begin and finish training to get a driver in the cab is gonna be a long time, in some cases I’d say about 2 years from posting the advert, happy to be corrected on that but it seems a good estimate. So the recruiter has to forecast when they need to fill ‘potential’ future vacancies, I can’t imagine that is easy. They won’t have placed an advert if they didn’t think they may at least need some names to work with.

 

[dk1]

Yeah I’m not surprised at all. If the TOC or FOC required drivers quickly they wouldn’t be posting for trainees, the time taken to recruit, begin and finish training to get a driver in the cab is gonna be a long time, in some cases I’d say about 2 years from posting the advert, happy to be corrected on that but it seems a good estimate. So the recruiter has to forecast when they need to fill ‘potential’ future vacancies, I can’t imagine that is easy. They won’t have placed an advert if they didn’t think they may at least need some names to work with.

Sounds about right from what I’ve been told by others. In fact, until a round 2017 I had never heard of ‘talent pools’ but these companies can now really pick & choose who they wish to recruit.

 

[60074]

Because, as eluded to before, it costs them little to run a campaign covering a lot of their depots to put a talent pool together to cover them for future need. The recruitment process and training takes that long they may think they have the potential for a course and new drivers and then change their mind later. Gets loads of people‘s hopes up for a job that may never happen. So apply for the job if you can, but don’t pin your life on it. If they get back to you, then maybe you begin the process.. But keep looking elsewhere and applying to see if any even go anywhere. You only have to read around the forum to see people who have got as far as passing tests, or on to a DMI or even be told they are in the talent pool for them to sit waiting for YEARS.. It happens, but the amount of posts on here of those saying ‘I applied a week ago but I’ve heard nothing yet…’ People need to get real, rail recruitment is mainly very long winded, and you may just never hear back from a recruiter. If you notice, many don’t give out their email because they don’t want to be bombarded with ‘what happening with my application’ type emails constantly

I’m fully aware how long talent pools can last..

My point is that the recruiter will only have a “talent pool” of candidates once them people have been shortlisted, interviewed, then put into it.

To interview people takes up managements time and money. Therefore, they won’t be interviewing people [or making talent pools] for jobs that don’t exist!

It’s a waste of peoples time to advertise for locations/depots that you have no intention of interviewing for, leaving candidates ghosted and people frustrated, perhaps meaning they don’t bother applying again in future.

 

[Stigy]

To interview people takes up managements time and money. Therefore, they won’t be interviewing people [or making talent pools] for jobs that don’t exist!

It’s a waste of peoples time to advertise for locations/depots that you have no intention of interviewing for, leaving candidates ghosted and people frustrated, perhaps meaning they don’t bother applying again in future.

TOCs/FOCs quite often advertise for talent pools for jobs that don’t yet exist (that’s the whole idea of a talent pool usually). You only have to look at GWR and Freightliner to see this. Talent pools are generally introduced to take in to account prospective recruitment due to increasing establishment/retirement etc. If the vacancies already existed, it would be easier just to advertise for jobs rather than talent pools.

You can almost guaranty there will be far more people in pools than there are any vacancies either now, or will be in the future. It obviously makes financial sense to them.

 

[Donny1992]

Has anyone else received the “application received” email? Says to expect a response in 2-4 weeks.

 

[Diedinium]

Has anyone else received the “application received” email? Says to expect a response in 2-4 weeks.

Yep I got the same. Pretty sure everyone will get that and they'll start filtering people out next.

Fingers crossed I guess at this point lol

 

[newcastleboy]

Yep I got the same. Pretty sure everyone will get that and they'll start filtering people out next.

Fingers crossed I guess at this point lol

When did you get the email? Still waiting for mine

 

[Legion]

I did not get an email but my application status changed from ''received'' to ''in process''.

 

[newcastleboy]

I did not get an email but my application status changed from ''received'' to ''in process''.

There might just be a delay in sending everyone the email

 

[bcfc171081]

Yep mine has now changed to application in process

 

[Diedinium]

When did you get the email? Still waiting for mine

Got mine at 4:14pm, depending on their system it could take a while for all the emails to go out I guess.

 

[newcastleboy]

Got mine at 4:14pm, depending on their system it could take a while for all the emails to go out I guess.

Let’s hope so, the status has changed on their system so that’s a bit of progress

 

[Efini92]

I’m fully aware how long talent pools can last..

My point is that the recruiter will only have a “talent pool” of candidates once them people have been shortlisted, interviewed, then put into it.

To interview people takes up managements time and money. Therefore, they won’t be interviewing people [or making talent pools] for jobs that don’t exist!

It’s a waste of peoples time to advertise for locations/depots that you have no intention of interviewing for, leaving candidates ghosted and people frustrated, perhaps meaning they don’t bother applying again in future.

There’s a lot leaving XC so it’s not a case of there’s no jobs at the minute it’s HR deciding where to place candidates to cover the shortfall.

 

[D Rivers]

There’s a lot leaving XC so it’s not a case of there’s no jobs at the minute it’s HR deciding where to place candidates to cover the shortfall.

I’ve been told this directly off the recruitment team.

 

[Jaytrains]

Has anyone else received the “application received” email? Says to expect a response in 2-4 weeks.

I received the same email

 

[dk1]

There’s a lot leaving XC so it’s not a case of there’s no jobs at the minute it’s HR deciding where to place candidates to cover the shortfall.

Sounds like when Virgin lost XC in 07. There was a mass exodus to VWC & personally couldn’t blame them.