Our ref: FOI-1754-2425
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 29 August 2024 asking for information about customer service roles.
Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy.
I can confirm that we do hold the information you require. You asked:
I would like to ask how often London Overground and the Elizabeth line put out customer service roles to external candidates?
London Overground
Posts for station assistant dispatch is on an as and when basis.
Elizabeth line
Generally, we will advertise at least 1 customer service role (Customer Experience Assistant) to external candidates every 8 weeks in line with our COS Recruitment plan – this constitutes the minimum number of customer service roles that are advertised on a quarterly basis, typically with one of/both our Eastern and Western routes also advertising for roles across a number of disciplines related to customer service.
Recently, we have advertised closer to every 12 weeks due to building a robust holding pool of external candidates allowing us to mobilise more effectively when the need to recruit arises, reducing the time to onboard and allowing applicants to continue to interview and be placed into these holding pools rather than have to wait for the next opportunity to apply.
This means that, although we advertise less frequently, the applications are now more likely to end up in an interview/offer due to the lengthening of the interview window concurrent with adding all applicants to the holding pool after a successful interview.
Also, when was the last time a customer service role was put out to external candidates?
London Overground
The Station Assistant Dispatch role was last advertised from 03 October 2023 to 17 December 2023.
Elizabeth line
Below is a breakdown of the latest (reverse chronological order for 2024) campaigns across our customer service-centric positions, along with the application window that would have been available to external applicants:
Customer Experience Assistant – Central Operating Section
Application window opens: 04/07/2024
Application window closes: 18/07/2024
Customer Sales Experience Assistant – Western Route
Application window opens: 10/04/2024
Application window closes: 24/04/2024
Duty Customer Experience Manager – Western Route
Application window opens: 03/04/2024
Application window closes: 17/04/2024
Customer Experience Assistant – Central Operating Section
Application window opens: 14/03/2024
Application window closes: 28/03/2024
Duty Customer Experience Manager – Various Locations
Application window opens: 02/02/2024
Application window closes: 16/02/2024
If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely,
Tahsin Prima
FOI Case Officer
General Counsel
Transport for London
