Was it always like this?

[stjimmy87]

Basically the whole railway recruitment process. I understand there is a process to go through and I hope to successfully go through it this time. Back in BR days was it as simple as "its who you know" to get a job?

Also, was there an emphasis in researching the company and its values (Not BR just TOC's) like there seems to be today? I'm relatively new to all this so I don't know how they used to do it in the early years of privatisation.

To me some of these group interviews seem to be more a justification for some people in HR to try and make their own impression whereas I believe an interview with a driver manager and a driver trainer would suffice along with the psychometrics. Then again I guess its a more sought after job these days than it used to be?

But that's just me

 

[Highlandspring]

A colleague of mine started as a Secondman in 1981 after an interview which consisted of two questions - 1) What's your national insurance number? and 2) Do you drink? (to which the correct answer was apparently only a little at the weekend).

 

[alxndr]

I know someone who claimed they walked into an office, blagged their way up to a manager, asked for a job and got it. How true that is I don't know, but I suspect the truth wasn't too far away.

I don't think this is something unique to the railways though, although the popularity of some of the roles probably contributes to it quite a bit as well.

 

[London 10101]

Back then, nobody really wanted to work in the railway because of Shiftwork and manual labour, and hence br would give jobs away. These days, because of the sheer amount of people applying for these jobs, it has become competitive to get in, and because of this, wages are lower and benefits gone. Big companies, under government regulation? also have to make job interviews fair.

 

[Darandio]

it has become competitive to get in, and because of this, wages are lower and benefits gone.

I'm intrigued. Wages are lower since when? And for who?

 

[GMT]

...These days, because of the sheer amount of people applying for these jobs, it has become competitive to get in, and because of this, wages are lower and benefits gone...

As far as I know, simply by reading posts on this forum, it would seem that actually at the time of BR the wages were low. That was, apparently, one of the reasons that not many people were applying for train driver jobs.

 

[cin88]

My dad's BR job interview "Right lad, 'as thee got two of everything?" "yes sir" "come back tomorrow, you start then".

Contrast, my interview for my railway job. A presentation about the station, a 45 minute competency interview and an assessment of my ability to comprehend newly developing information and pass it on.

It's definitely a lot harder nowadays. Just apply yourself and show a bit of willing and you get on fairly easily.

 

[craigybagel]

In the old days, they didn't have literally thousands of applications to sift through every time they advertised for a job like they do now - they need some ways of whittling those applications down. In return for that, the standards expected are a lot higher now, especially in the customer facing roles.

 

[EM2]

I worked for BR. I had to fill in an application form, take a test, have an interview and a medical.
Wages *were* low though for trainees, I had to do a six-day week to make ends meet.