Interview question

Hmm that's an interesting one, never imagined that such a question would be asked. It's possible that SWT wanted to see how you would react to such a situation, and if that reaction was best practice for the role, think of how they'd want you to react and what actions to take.

Comiserations for not passing this time around, that six months goes quickly though so you will get another chance soon!

 

Regarding ASB I would think that in the guard role you would need to risk assess to determine the course of action eg dealing with the matter yourself or contacting control for assistance from station staff or the police, etc.

Some ASB is down to peer pressure, bravado or perhaps people under the influence of alcohol or drugs and it might suffice to have a polite and perhaps humorous word to settle things down (there is a degree of pressure to keep trains moving albeit safely!). If that doesn't work then a more authoritative word might help being mindful of professional boundaries and being versed in managing potential conflict or hostility. If other passengers or staff or yourself are placed at risk or a criminal act is taking place then that's another matter. I would say the question is both about your confidence in dealing with ASB issues in different ways as well as risk assessing on the spot and knowing when you need to communicate to obtain appropriate assistance.

 

Thinking about the question, did you mention how it could affect the other passengers on your train? and how people don't want to encounter that sort of behaviour on their journey? and how would you deal with it?

One of the main roles of the guard is to "ensure the safety and comfort of passengers." Most passengers won't feel comfortable if there is ASB happening on the train and part of the guards role is to deal with it in a safe manner.

Keep your chin up though, at least you get another crack at it!

I hate those killer questions, I once got asked at an interview, "what do you think of the statement, the customer is always right!"....

 

I had a question about how I would react to it, in my first driver interview (for a DOO role).

I answered that there was a limit to what I could do myself in such a situation, and that I would seek assistance from the Police, etc. They were looking for that type of restrained attitude, rather than for people that would wade in and try and sort it themselves, exposing themselves to risk in the process. You can't drive (or guard) a train from A+E.

 

You can do a risk assessment for anti-social behaviour but each incident will be different as not everyone you encounter is the same. However you'd do a dynamic risk assessment on the spot - from that you'd be able to quickly know what you should do, and what point you need to get help.

In all cases there is no point in putting yourself or passengers in harms way, so the interviewers would no doubt want to hear that.

 

I'd imagine they would be less than impressed with the two extremes - either piling in single handed to teach them a lesson, or, at the other end of the scale, it's nothing to do with me, I'll not get involved.

As has been said, I think the key is assessing any situation before making any decision.