Southeastern talent pool seection

[Johnsterling88]

hey everyone,

Was just wondering, once you’ve been interviewed and am held in a pool is the selection done by who applied first for the training? Or age?

Heard it was by age but surely that’s not legal...

 

[Johnsterling88]

Selection not ‘seection’

 

[Twedds74]

I would think it would be done on distance from depot and interview score.
I could be wrong but that seems logical to me.

 

[Bromley boy]

hey everyone,

Was just wondering, once you’ve been interviewed and am held in a pool is the selection done by who applied first for the training? Or age?

Heard it was by age but surely that’s not legal...

It would indeed be illegal to do it by age.

If, as your username suggests, you were born in 1988 you’ll be firmly towards the younger end of the range many TOCs routinely take on.

 

[Johnsterling88]

Thanks for the reply. yes I’m a 1988 boy. I didn’t know we were given points in our line manager interview.

Seems the fairest way is whoever applied first, if someone scored low in interview they could be bipassed for years....surely it would have been better to just not offer them the role.

I’m hoping to be on the July course, so praying I’m at the front of the queu.

 

[red2005]

Could be numerous things, the depot’s in need of staff, time served in the talent pool etc, the choice of depot on your application. But I’d imagine in all likelihood it’ll be done on assessment scoring.

 

[scott118]

queue.

 

[Bromley boy]

Thanks for the reply. yes I’m a 1988 boy. I didn’t know we were given points in our line manager interview.

Seems the fairest way is whoever applied first, if someone scored low in interview they could be bipassed for years....surely it would have been better to just not offer them the role.

The way the TOCs look at it is that they simply want the “best” person for the role in every case.

A person with a higher score will be seen as “better” and will always rank ahead of someone who scores lower.

I would argue that’s also the fairest way of doing things. Turning it around, if you were a high scoring candidate, you wouldn’t consider it fair for weaker candidates to bypass you based on when they first applied which, after all, is totally arbitrary.

 

[Donhamer]

Do you think it would be the score on the Assessment Centre or the interview they would base selection on?

 

[baz962]

If Bromley boy is right then interview for sure.

 

[Johnsterling88]

Yes a slight typo Scott!

Thanks everyone. Maybe I’m just bitter as I’ve been waiting so long now!

 

[Donhamer]

That’s what I thought but wasn’t sure.

I’m in a Reserve Pool for another TOC and felt like I did really well in the interview and impressed them with the research I did and the effort I put in to finding out about the role.

Of course I could be wrong and maybe I only just passed the interview by the skin of my teeth. Who knows?!

 

[Johnsterling88]

Same here. I felt as though I did great in the interview and had an email back ten minutes after leaving offering me my place in the pool.

This is the worst part of the whole process! Waiting for the medical....

 

[scott118]

Should you search 'talent pool' you will see that you are not alone ... recruitment isn't exactly "speedy" within the railway.

 

[Bromley boy]

Yes a slight typo Scott!

Thanks everyone. Maybe I’m just bitter as I’ve been waiting so long now!

Unfortunately it will also depend on needs within the depot you’ve applied to, training school vacancies, DI availability, Thameslink programme + loads of other variables totally outside your control and unpredictable.

I appreciate its frustrating. The best advice for anyone in this situation is carry on with your life as normal until you get a firm start date.

 

[red2005]

Yes a slight typo Scott!

Thanks everyone. Maybe I’m just bitter as I’ve been waiting so long now!

How long is long?

 

[Johnsterling88]

10 months now since my DMI interview

 

[red2005]

10 months is a relative drop in the ocean mate in terms of Talent pools..... some have been sat in them so long they’ve actually forgotten they were in there!..... then end up with a random phone call out of the blue offering them a position.

That’s the only problem with talent pools..... there’s no guarantees unfortunately.

 

[baz962]

Someone on the forum was in one about six years before that call.

 

[Donhamer]

Am I right in saying some people have been told they’d be in the Talent Pool for a set period of time (2 years or so) then got the call after their time in the pool was supposed to have expired?

 

[RPOMan]

10 months now since my DMI interview

I was in a talent pool for a role with SE for just over 3 years, I start next month!

 

[Johnsterling88]

Oh that’s a long time dude! What depot are you based at?

 

[Gary hughes]

I'm in the pool to. 5th in place for Tunbridge Wells