Network Rail - Pathetic telephone test

[Clip]

So there i was thinking could do with maybe a change but not really angling for one out of necessity or anything so thought i might give NR a try.

Why and who the hell decided to do a telephone pre interview - recorded at that?

Got all the answers correct and maybe on the end 2 questions when they ask you something rather random i may not have done so well but it appears they are now judging you on solely this rather then your CV which is pathetic in my eyes.

My CV starts out with them and my work history for them is exemplorary too and since then ive moved onto a TOC and have a rather nice group station manager job yet they can see all this and still base their choice on an automated recorded phone assesment.
Now i havent got a very good accent which gets mixed up between geordie yorkshire and lancashire cos i have been around the country a bit so i may have sounded funny to them but everything was clear as day.


Im just extremely annoyed to not even get through to a face to face interview and actually needed a rant and i would love to know who thought this was a good idea.

And are verisant a US company?


yours

Annoyed Clip.

 

[185]

Haha I've done that Versant test last year before my interview, it's utterly ridiculous.

 

[Clip]

I actually have no idea how they can form a judgement of someone through that test, its wholly unacceptable IMO for a company to make you do this. If they dont like the look of the CV then fine, but you need to get a feel for the person face to face and such like.

 

[Greenback]

I am highly dubious about the effectiveness of a telephone interview. They mave their place if you are going for a job that is predominantly based on telephone working (I did one for a callc entre based ambulance controller), otherwise I fail to really see the relevance.

 

[185]

I think they said it was for assessing whether or not people have the skills to communicate clearly perhaps on NRN radio, station walky talkies or calling signallers; also listening to messages and not forgetting bits.

Speaking to some of the long serving signallers on the Humber branch, I'm assuming they never sat it in the 70s/80s. Most of them need subtitles

 

[Greenback]

Yes, listening accurately and ensuring relevant detaisl were remembered were the main purposes in my telephone interview.

I do think it would be better to test that as part of the assessment process though, rather than reject a candidate on the basis of one phone call. I passed mine, by the way, but I didn't take the job!

 

[GB]

IMO it is not designed to get the best applicant but rather a way purely to wittle down numbers, similar to that of companies that use an automated system to pass or reject applications sent in via email.

 

[Greenback]

I think you are probably right. If there aren't already laws against that, there should be.

 

[Donachie]

Well I to fell at the first hurdle on this telephone test recently. Feel hard done by on this one, there was supposted to be 3 open questions for the last section but I had only 2.

Dont know where I went wrong so a bit unsure if I should apply again.It was a signallers post.,

Very strange testing system I would agree.

Donachie.

 

[Clip]

I think they said it was for assessing whether or not people have the skills to communicate clearly perhaps on NRN radio, station walky talkies or calling signallers; also listening to messages and not forgetting bits.

Speaking to some of the long serving signallers on the Humber branch, I'm assuming they never sat it in the 70s/80s. Most of them need subtitles

Probably was. But one look at my CV wouldve shown kings cross station officer on there so they can safely assume that after 4 years there people can understand what i said on a radio.Oh and speaking to signallers as i was also in the control room.

All round the test is a pain. Though i have calmed down about it more now. I just really want to keep my interview skills up!

 

[DarloRich]

Contact them directly and ask why they knocked your application back - ask for some feedback if you have a point of contact

 

[Jam67]

Well I to fell at the first hurdle on this telephone test recently. Feel hard done by on this one, there was supposted to be 3 open questions for the last section but I had only 2.

Dont know where I went wrong so a bit unsure if I should apply again.It was a signallers post.,

Very strange testing system I would agree.

Donachie.

Hi Donachie, do you know for certain that you've actually failed the test? The reason I ask is that I've done two of the 'Safety Critical Communications Tests' so far that I know I've passed & on each occasion there have been only two questions in the final section instead of the three indicated in the guidance notes.

Apologies if you already know this, but you can check your score in a test by inputting your 'Test Identification Number' (on the test instructions sheet NR send you) in the box, here: http://www.versanttest.com/support.jsp


Kevin

 

[Redviper]

And are verisant a US company?

A Quick look on their website suggests they are a Yank company.

 

[Clip]

Contact them directly and ask why they knocked your application back - ask for some feedback if you have a point of contact

I havent with this one yet but i did for the last one I went for in Jan and they said due to the large amount of applicants they couldnt give feedback.

Im actually starting to not like the company that got me into working on stations one little bit.

But an email is going their way

 

[es373]

No offence intended but...
You could have all the right levels of education and tick all the right boxes on qualifications but if you do not have a good understanding of safety, customer service, safety critical or whatever they are looking for - then you wont make it through.

Sorry to hear about it though fella! I know exactly how you feel and I was absolutely fuming!

 

[Clip]

No offence intended but...
You could have all the right levels of education and tick all the right boxes on qualifications but if you do not have a good understanding of safety, customer service, safety critical or whatever they are looking for - then you wont make it through.

Sorry to hear about it though fella! I know exactly how you feel and I was absolutely fuming!

Hmm, let me think about that from my earlier post.
This is just a phone call to a recorded phone test. It mentions nothing about safety,customer service or anything safety critical.

You have to arrange sentences in order and answer some really pathetic questions.

Given they already know what i can do cos i used to work for them and they were the ones who trained me in all aspects of the rule book and i have then gone on to higher roles with someone else, your point is null and void.

 

[es373]

I didn't specifically mean safety etc etc.

I went for an assessment for my job having no qualifications for the job, But I have 5 years experience and there was a guy there who was very highly skilled and trained. I got the job he didn't. Do you see where I am going with with?
I suggest you cool it down a little bit and don't run judging "pathetic" answers.

ToC's usually will not employ ex staff members. It's what you get for thinking the grass is greener on the other side.
Like I said, I'm not going to argue with you despite your rude comments.

Fix up.

 

[Greenback]

I don;t think you nudnerstand es373. Clip is not an ex TOC employee, he states he is a Group Station Manager. He has the experience, we are not specifically talking about qualifications. With respect, you need to cool down as you have misunderstood the reasons why Clip posted in the first place.

To be frank, I too would be upset if I had reached a senior level and my CV was not even considered by another employer in the same field. It has nothing to do with the grass being greener, Clip seems merely to have been looking into what alternative roles may be about that might suit, moving on and so forth.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

A Quick look on their website suggests they are a Yank company.

This is bourne out by:-
1) Opening hours 9am to 6pm Pacific time
2) We are closed on all major U.S. bank holidays

They class their language sections as:-
1) English
2) Spanish
3) Arabic
4) Aviation English

In all my years as a Senior Manager, I would never have considered this type of company to be suitable for recuitment purposes, as I always saw candidates as having personal qualities that cannot possibly be revealed by such a non-empathetic system. I should imagine George Orwell may have envisaged such a system when writing the novel 1984.

 

[185]

Aviation English!!?! This is the 1520 service, rotate, flaps, over over, vector victor, roger roger. Next stop Wilmslow. Cabin crew seats for landing.

 

[Greenback]

This is bourne out by:-
1) Opening hours 9am to 6pm Pacific time
2) We are closed on all major U.S. bank holidays

They class their language sections as:-
1) English
2) Spanish
3) Arabic
4) Aviation English

In all my years as a Senior Manager, I would never have considered this type of company to be suitable for recuitment purposes, as I always saw candidates as having personal qualities that cannot possibly be revealed by such a non-empathetic system. I should imagine George Orwell may have envisaged such a system when writing the novel 1984.

I completely agree. It is a shame that companies using this sor tof approach can easily miss out onan excellent candidate. It's a shame for the company and for the applicants.

 

[mac]

just done test today,anyone no what the pass rate needs to be

 

[Tin Rocket]

network rail are pathetic full stop,and i'm someone who should know.

 

[Clip]

I don;t think you nudnerstand es373. Clip is not an ex TOC employee, he states he is a Group Station Manager. He has the experience, we are not specifically talking about qualifications. With respect, you need to cool down as you have misunderstood the reasons why Clip posted in the first place.

To be frank, I too would be upset if I had reached a senior level and my CV was not even considered by another employer in the same field. It has nothing to do with the grass being greener, Clip seems merely to have been looking into what alternative roles may be about that might suit, moving on and so forth.

Indeed Greenback.. Now ive just looked at my score on the link that Jam67 posted and it appears that i have top marks on each of the categories which makes it even more odd that i never got considered through.

And its good that evey email i try and send to the relevant party for feedback isnt actually a real address and gets sent back as failed.