Great Western Railway Interview Questions
& Process

The interview question structure will follow the standard process: HR will ask you to tell us about yourself, tell me a time when you..., what you work for this company, and do you have any questions for us. Then, you will be tested on technical aspects like how to read the timetable, arranging passenger transfers, and general knowledge about the GWR network, including the network map, bottleneck points, rolling stock types, and depot locations.

We scheduled an online interview slot, but it was quite challenging to get in touch with anyone throughout the hiring process. There was only one in-person interviewer who was joined by two other people. They sent over some data for review, but it wasn't clear what they were looking for or what they expected me to achieve with it.

You start by applying on the firstgroup website. If your application is successful, you'll be invited to an assessment centre, usually held at a local hotel. There, you'll be split into three groups to do various activities. These include flipcharts, a 'stranded on a yacht' scenario, a basic maths and listening test, a task about stocking a trolley, and a PA announcement. If you don't pass the tests, you'll be asked to leave, and the assessment ends there. The best advice for acing this is to be yourself, keep talking with your group, listen to everyone, and be respectful. If you pass this stage, you'll get an email to attend an interview at the specific local station you applied for. The questions asked will depend on the role; for Customer Host, it's customer service-focused, which is easier if you have prior experience. If you're successful in the interview, you'll get a call offering a conditional employment offer, pending you pass the conditions and a medical. During this stage, you'll also get your uniform sizes and can order it.

The process began with submitting an application, followed by an online situational judgement test. Next was a short telephone interview where they asked about my motivation for the role, my knowledge of customer service, and for an example. After that, if I passed, I would have attended a half-day assessment centre. This assessment centre included 2 group work exercises (one with 4 people, then one with 8 people) and a listening exercise. If successful at the assessment centre, there was a final face-to-face interview, but I left the process after the assessment centre.