Northern - Conductor Talent Pools

[Starz]

Moderator note: Have added various posts to make this a general topic regarding Conductor talent pools for Northern as there were multiple disparate threads.

Does anybody have experience of northern conductor talentpool (Leeds)

Just had an email explaining I met the criteria but no immediate start dates so In a talentpool for next 9 months.

Question is.......in your experience what's the chances of a start date coming up within that 9 months?

Sorry if this has been asked many times before.

 

[LokiB]

No guarantees of a place in the 9months. Mine has just expired but was at a smaller station but Leeds will have a higher staff turnover so I imagine more chance.
I know a few people who were in a pool a Leeds, some got on a course after a couple of months and others got selected at the last minute.
Fingers crossed for you.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Talent pools really are a conundrum I'm afraid. It might not necessarily come to anything, but then again one day next January you might just get a random phone call from HR when you least expect it. Good luck anyway.

CJ

 

[Starz]

No guarantees of a place in the 9months. Mine has just expired but was at a smaller station but Leeds will have a higher staff turnover so I imagine more chance.
I know a few people who were in a pool a Leeds, some got on a course after a couple of months and others got selected at the last minute.
Fingers crossed for you.

Thanks

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Sep 2021 ==

Talent pools really are a conundrum I'm afraid. It might not necessarily come to anything, but then again one day next January you might just get a random phone call from HR when you least expect it. Good luck anyway.

CJ

Thanks for reply. Its what I thought. Just have to wait it out

 

[Mat17]

I got into a talent pool, but then got no further sadly.

 

[skyhigh]

Leeds is currently over establishment (more people than there are agreed to be). There's been a delay in driving courses and other positions coming available that current guards are transferring into, meaning that they are still in the role longer than was expected- however this is starting to move on now.

I'd suggest the biggest issue is the Covid recovery planning- if there are cuts in roles, it's been promised that staff will be transferred internally to other vacancies where possible. So it's possible that surplus staff from other roles may be offered any conductor vacancies before external applicants are considered. The good news is that the dust will almost certainly be settled within the next 9 months however

 

[Starz]

I got into a talent pool, but then got no further sadly.

Oh I'm sorry about that. I guess its just a waiting game and perhaps starting all over again!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Sep 2021 ==

Leeds is currently over establishment (more people than there are agreed to be). There's been a delay in driving courses and other positions coming available that current guards are transferring into, meaning that they are still in the role longer than was expected- however this is starting to move on now.

I'd suggest the biggest issue is the Covid recovery planning- if there are cuts in roles, it's been promised that staff will be transferred internally to other vacancies where possible. So it's possible that surplus staff from other roles may be offered any conductor vacancies before external applicants are considered. The good news is that the dust will almost certainly be settled within the next 9 months however

Thanks for the insight. I am gonna just have to try forget about it and see what happens. Very frustrating. I applied for this role January 2021 and they kept opening and closing the vacancy throughout the year. Then offered me an interview for last Friday and then put in talentpool yesterday.

 

[RailLady]

Look... lets be honest, none of you lot see the intricacies of recruiting.

When handling volume recruitment, talent pools will occur. To manage expectations, they have to explain about expiration of applications and reapplying if you expire. But you never know, they may do some other things, so you do have to do that (they just wont be able to say until it gets to that time).

TOCs/FOCs will also plan in advance for their recruitment needs. But as pointed out things like a Pandemic can have a massive impact on how that recruitment will come to pass.

If you're at a talent pool stage, you are in a good position.

If you see the role being advertised whilst in a talent pool, don't panic. It just further cements the need to recruit.

Also, if the application does expire, its not because you were rubbish. It is more than likely that they just could not offer start dates because their recruitment needs changed. It happens but its no reflection on you as an individual.

 

[LokiB]

I think you're right RailLady, none of us on the outside really know what happens with the rail recruitment team and we try piece it together from past experiences.
All we really know is the recruitment team are very busy and can only do what the business needs allow.
It can be a frustrating 9months that ends in disappointment or could be on a course within a month. We are at their mercy.

 

[Starz]

Look... lets be honest, none of you lot see the intricacies of recruiting.

When handling volume recruitment, talent pools will occur. To manage expectations, they have to explain about expiration of applications and reapplying if you expire. But you never know, they may do some other things, so you do have to do that (they just wont be able to say until it gets to that time).

TOCs/FOCs will also plan in advance for their recruitment needs. But as pointed out things like a Pandemic can have a massive impact on how that recruitment will come to pass.

If you're at a talent pool stage, you are in a good position.

If you see the role being advertised whilst in a talent pool, don't panic. It just further cements the need to recruit.

Also, if the application does expire, its not because you were rubbish. It is more than likely that they just could not offer start dates because their recruitment needs changed. It happens but its no reflection on you as an individual.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. It makes sense of course, thanks for the insight

 

[GBoss1]

Hi,

I got an email from Northern, I passed the interview for train conductor for Liverpool Lime street. However, there's no spaces available at the training course and I'm in the holding pool for a max of 9 months.

Anyone know what are the chances of being offered a training course within the next 9 months? And is anyone in the same situation? Also, how does it work?

 

[CreamNCookies]

Talent pools are common for Northern. I believe they wouldn't put you in one unless they believed they needed you.

In the past I've been in one for conductor, it expired and I was offered another interview.

Fast forward a year and a bit, I've applied to be a train driver, put in a talent pool and 7 months down the line been called up for a medical.

You aren't guaranteed a position in the pool, but you got a damn good chance of getting out of it! To make it into the pool is a huge achievement in its own right, well done!

 

[GBoss1]

Thank you!
I was very disappointed yesterday when I received the email tbh, but I feel a bit better now
It's just the waiting game now, isn't it? Everyone's favourite
Well done you, hopefully I'll get lucky as well

 

[CreamNCookies]

I learnt the hard way to never put all my eggs in one basket.

Just because you're in a talent pool I personally feel you shouldn't stop applying else where - there may be other opportunities out there for you.

 

[GBoss1]

Agreed. I'll keep on applying and see what happens, thank you

 

[RSTurbo50]

Im in the same boat....I reached the standard for the Conductor Post in Liverpool but in the Holding Pool. Keep my fingers crossed I get an opportunity in the next 9 months. How did you find the interview?

 

[GBoss1]

Lets keep our fingers crossed
It wasn't nearly as scary as I expected. There were some predictable questions and then questions I did not expect to be asked at all it was overall a good experience. What about you?

 

[SherwoodBandit]

Lets keep our fingers crossed
It wasn't nearly as scary as I expected. There were some predictable questions and then questions I did not expect to be asked at all it was overall a good experience. What about you?

Congratulations GBoss!

Coming onto these message boards recently was the first time I have heard about talent pools. I appreciate it must be irksome to have that uncertainty around your future, but on the other hand you've proved yourself worthy and you made it this far which is a great achievement and definitely something to be proud!

I have a Conductor interview coming up next week and my nerves are starting to jangle. I have read tonnes of blogs and guides and done basic prep but I am worried about the curve balls they might throw at me. Do you have any tips? Or were there any questions that you wish you'd been better prepared for?

Congrats again and fingers crossed you will get a starting date soon!

 

[RSTurbo50]

Lets keep our fingers crossed
It wasn't nearly as scary as I expected. There were some predictable questions and then questions I did not expect to be asked at all it was overall a good experience. What about you?

Yeah the guys interviewing were really decent and put me at ease. The questions were ok but one or two caught me out a little bit ill be honest.

 

[travel_geek83]

I've been in several talent pools for another TOC. Then just before the pandemic, I managed to get a confirmed offer but then it was dropped because of COVID. Don't give up. Thats what I keep telling myself. Get on with the current job at hand and just wait for the call. In the meantime look for other roles. Just don't sit on the fence and wait. That's what I've learnt.
All the best.

 

[SeanW90]

I’m a conductor at Northern and have just been put in an ‘on hold pool’ for a driver role. They need conductors to replace those going driving so I’d be confident about your chances.

 

[Raymond Chiu]

Hi,

I got an email from Northern, I passed the interview for train conductor for Liverpool Lime street. However, there's no spaces available at the training course and I'm in the holding pool for a max of 9 months.

Anyone know what are the chances of being offered a training course within the next 9 months? And is anyone in the same situation? Also, how does it work?

Congratulations, I'm in same situation I got email on Monday. I jus hope with lime st being a bigger station the turnover of staff will be more and I get a call up within the 9 months.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Nov 2021 ==

I’m a conductor at Northern and have just been put in an ‘on hold pool’ for a driver role. They need conductors to replace those going driving so I’d be confident about your chances.

Congratulations on getting on the driver role pool! Which station are you based in? Hopefully there's going to be enough of a shift of conductors into driver roles for all of us here to go into conductor jobs lol

 

[Starz]

Moderator note: Have added various posts to make this a general topic regarding Conductor talent pools for Northern as there were multiple disparate threads.

Does anybody have experience of northern conductor talentpool (Leeds)

Just had an email explaining I met the criteria but no immediate start dates so In a talentpool for next 9 months.

Question is.......in your experience what's the chances of a start date coming up within that 9 months?

Sorry if this has been asked many times before.

Just thought I would update and to also give hope to others in the same situation. I got a phonecall today with a date for a medical and a provisional start date in December.

 

[Liverpool 507]

Im in the same boat....I reached the standard for the Conductor Post in Liverpool but in the Holding Pool. Keep my fingers crossed I get an opportunity in the next 9 months. How did you find the interview?

Have you had an interview for this post yet? I’ve applied for Liverpool two months ago and passed the assessments and received an email to say through to the interview stage a month ago but not heard anything.

 

[LokiB]

Has anyone who appiled for the Leeds vacancy from October heard anything? I completed the online assessments on 26th (I messed up the maths I think) but haven't received anything to say if was a pass or a fail yet.

 

[Raymond Chiu]

Just thought I would update and to also give hope to others in the same situation. I got a phonecall today with a date for a medical and a provisional start date in December.

Congratulations Starz!

 

[Starz]

Congratulations Starz!

Cheers mate

 

[GBoss1]

Congratulations GBoss!

Coming onto these message boards recently was the first time I have heard about talent pools. I appreciate it must be irksome to have that uncertainty around your future, but on the other hand you've proved yourself worthy and you made it this far which is a great achievement and definitely something to be proud!

I have a Conductor interview coming up next week and my nerves are starting to jangle. I have read tonnes of blogs and guides and done basic prep but I am worried about the curve balls they might throw at me. Do you have any tips? Or were there any questions that you wish you'd been better prepared for?

Congrats again and fingers crossed you will get a starting date soon!

Hi, sorry I never replied. I never got any notifications about the replies. Apologies. I hope it went well for you

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Nov 2021 ==

Congratulations, I'm in same situation I got email on Monday. I jus hope with lime st being a bigger station the turnover of staff will be more and I get a call up within the 9 months.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Nov 2021 ==


Congratulations on getting on the driver role pool! Which station are you based in? Hopefully there's going to be enough of a shift of conductors into driver roles for all of us here to go into conductor jobs lol

Thank you, right back at you fingers crossed we get the phone call/ email, letter or whatever soon!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Nov 2021 ==

Yeah the guys interviewing were really decent and put me at ease. The questions were ok but one or two caught me out a little bit ill be honest.

Agreed. I got a bit nervous about some silences sometimes, I understand they needed to take notes of what I was saying but at that time it kinda threw me off a bit.

 

[LokiB]

I've got a conductor interview coming up in a few weeks, anyone know if they are back to face to face interviews or is it still on Teams?

 

[Raymond Chiu]

Where are u based? I had mine few weeks ago for Liverpool and it was on teams.