Talent pools... What to do?

[RileyDog2018]

Hi all, (sorry for the long post)

So back in March this year, I applied for Trainee Depot Driver with EMR, and thanks to some great guidance and advice on this forum I was successful getting through interviews, group assessments, psychometric tests and the Dreaded MMI recieving the great news via email on 13 October. I also got a call from their recruitment, congratulating me and saying to stay in touch.

So the wait for call up started. After getting the great news I had successful, the joy quickly dissipates, and coming up to two months, with no news, it drags!! I have read several posts on here that no one knows how long it might be. I have also read that some people never got a call in the 2 years of being in the talent pool. So I am not asking how long I will have to wait, how long is a piece of string right?? (although if anyone working for EMR Notts/Derby has any insights I will gladly take them ) But I do have some questions about Talent pools which if answered will be helpful and will probably help others also.

Do I just wait, or should I attempt to contact recruitment regularly to stay in touch? I have worked in an office environment and can believe that my name might get lost/forgotten quite easily. So dont really want to "just wait". If I should contact them regularly, how often?? I should say i have already emailed recruitment once but that was 4 weeks ago and heard nothing back. So should I email or call?

Also, how long before a potential start date do they invite you to accept an offer (medical pending of course)?

Finally, I understand there is a period of time from a start date you are not able to take holiday, how long is that? With no news so far, I have planned and booked a family holiday for next year, but am concerned this might cause an issue?

Sorry for all the questions, but I have never come across Talent pools before, from reading posts on here, I understand they are industry wide, and the reason for having them, but I just want to understand how I should behave whilst in one???

Any other help or guidance for coping with being in a talent pool will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Reactor Scram]

Hey, some good questions that I'm sure many are thinking. Firstly, well done on getting through everything.

I'm external and have been in a talent pool with everything done for nearly one year now and been in the process for well over two years (since initial online application). I know from reading posts on here that many have been waiting longer for various companies.

It's a bit like being stuck in traffic - there's very little you can do and you have to trust that things will move (you don't have a choice). Personally, I drop an email about once every quarter and I do not expect a reply. I usually say something along the lines of I'm still here and interested in the role. I don't believe the names will get lost. There has already been a decent level of investment in you (psychometrics and company interview). It's just getting a clear picture of depot requirements seems to not be projected as far in advance as anybody would like. Notice for leaving or retirements, I suspect, is only a month, maybe three at most.

Call or email. Leave a message but keep expectations low. They're likely a small but very busy team managing not just driver recruitment but everything from guards, station staff, project managers, planners etc.

Holidays - at the moment I'm not booking any far in advance. If I'm unsure I'll email with holiday intentions and push for a reply if I need one. Essentially as long as you're back from holiday before the start date then all good and wait for allocated leave to book anything from there.

Timings - from keeping an eye on things here the notice to start varies. I believe they aim for 3 months. In one instance I've seen 6 but on average it's probably only a couple of months.

The wait is horrible and there is so many floating around on here who are super keen to start this job. Stick with it, the time will come and remain flexible.

 

[LCC106]

I’d say to email every 6 to 8 weeks if you don’t hear anything, but in your first email just say you are thrilled to be in the talent pool but wished to make them aware of holidays you have booked just so that they can keep this in mind for when you do hear from them. You’re not bombarding them but your name will remain on their radar.

 

[Olivine]

You’re not bombarding them but your name will remain on their radar.

This isn’t how talent pools work.

 

[RileyDog2018]

Hey, some good questions that I'm sure many are thinking. Firstly, well done on getting through everything.

I'm external and have been in a talent pool with everything done for nearly one year now and been in the process for well over two years (since initial online application). I know from reading posts on here that many have been waiting longer for various companies.

It's a bit like being stuck in traffic - there's very little you can do and you have to trust that things will move (you don't have a choice). Personally, I drop an email about once every quarter and I do not expect a reply. I usually say something along the lines of I'm still here and interested in the role. I don't believe the names will get lost. There has already been a decent level of investment in you (psychometrics and company interview). It's just getting a clear picture of depot requirements seems to not be projected as far in advance as anybody would like. Notice for leaving or retirements, I suspect, is only a month, maybe three at most.

Call or email. Leave a message but keep expectations low. They're likely a small but very busy team managing not just driver recruitment but everything from guards, station staff, project managers, planners etc.

Holidays - at the moment I'm not booking any far in advance. If I'm unsure I'll email with holiday intentions and push for a reply if I need one. Essentially as long as you're back from holiday before the start date then all good and wait for allocated leave to book anything from there.

Timings - from keeping an eye on things here the notice to start varies. I believe they aim for 3 months. In one instance I've seen 6 but on average it's probably only a couple of months.

The wait is horrible and there is so many floating around on here who are super keen to start this job. Stick with it, the time will come and remain flexible.

Thanks, I appreciate your thoughts.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Dec 2025 ==

This isn’t how talent pools work.

How do they work? Is it as simple as a list of names and the one at the top gets the next spot?

 

[transportphoto]

Is it as simple as a list of names and the one at the top gets the next spot?

Yep - it could be first in/first out, it could be highest scorer out first (e.g. top spot is competitive), it could be cherry picked, or another approach could be taken.

 

[Olivine]

Thanks, I appreciate your thoughts.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Dec 2025 ==


How do they work? Is it as simple as a list of names and the one at the top gets the next spot?

I’m not sure how they are running the order but don’t waste your time with trying to keep your name to the top by emailing them. I suspect as it’s heavily unionised it’s done on date - I.e top X number taken off for a training course of X spaces, any on first refusal go back, start again.

Don’t stress, keep your head down, it won’t hurt to occasionally query to make sure you’re still in the list just in case but other than that it’s likely a first in first out basis.

 

[Horizon22]

I’m not sure how they are running the order but don’t waste your time with trying to keep your name to the top by emailing them. I suspect as it’s heavily unionised it’s done on date - I.e top X number taken off for a training course of X spaces, any on first refusal go back, start again.

The union is unlikely to play any part in this, considering the people in the talent pool are even't employees (unless internal). Mostly this is dealt with by HR and recruitment teams. As @transportphoto states, a range of approaches may be taken.

Don’t stress, keep your head down, it won’t hurt to occasionally query

Yes this is generally what people would recommend.

 

[LCC106]

Additional point that I don’t think has been raised… You could be near the top of the talent pool and another person who is assessed several months later than you might score more highly and therefore be offered a job before you.

 

[vc99]

Another factor could be notice periods also no one has took that into consideration. Not everyone has 1 month to give.

 

[offtherails174]

What you have to remember about pools - they are just a way of having a bunch of people whom are ready. Things change, 1 course might have 2 spots for a depot - all of a sudden someone is ready to retire that becomes 3. There are many reasons why driver training goes up and down. The sad thing about a pool is that they are always being topped up. as you can see on here, people wait ages… that’s can be from either they’re at the bottom of the pool (first in first out principle) or better candidates have come in and you get pegged down. You might get a call with little notice to start and you need to give notice - then they just move to the next person in the pool. It’s a combination of right time right place and training spots - this is hampered further by the requirements to interview for a specific depot… not for the company as a whole because of the rest requirements. Finally, if it’s so short notice to replace a driver a company might just employ a trained driver as it’s just quicker and that will then change the trainee requirement further. The best thing is just be ready, for when you do get a call and get in as many pools as you can with different companies. If you know when the courses start, a friendly email reminding them you are ready and give them your notice requirement is never a bad thing. But harsh reminder a pools isn’t a contract of employment - there’s no requirement to lift you out. Hence get in as many as you can.