The OPC supported a fast-growing rail operator in Australasia to recruit a specialist senior role through their Bureau Service, demonstrating how high-quality assessment can be delivered internationally, at pace, to support confident recruitment decisions.
The organisation was a private enterprise operating within a predominantly public transport environment. As a start-up business with ambitious expansion plans, they were focused on building a strong customer experience and committed to developing talent internally. Their aim was to appoint a new Operations Trainer through internal promotion, selecting from a pool of frontline employees.
An OPC Business Psychologist worked closely with the client from the outset to fully understand the requirements of the Operations Trainer role, its key skills, and the scope of the project. This initial consultation formed the foundation of the OPC’s Bureau Service approach, providing a tailored, end-to-end assessment solution aligned to both the client’s recruitment objectives and their internal talent strategy.
Following this work, a bespoke online assessment tool matrix was designed to reflect the behavioural, cognitive and safety-critical demands of the role. The client team also had the opportunity to review and trial the recommended tools, ensuring the final assessment approach was shaped collaboratively.
Some of the assessment tools used
The final assessment tool matrix included:
- Rules Acquisition Aptitude Test (RAAT) – Assessing candidates’ ability to understand, reason with and follow written rules, regulations and procedures.
- Customer Service Numerical Test (CSNT) – Assessing the ability to understand and reason with customer service-related numerical information.
- Customer Service Situations Test (CSS) – A situational judgement test designed to identify the potential to deliver excellent customer service.
- Core Abstract Reasoning Test (CoreA) – Assessing general intellectual ability and abstract reasoning for problem-solving.
- Railway Situational Judgement Test (RSJT) – Evaluating safety awareness, rule adherence and decision-making in a rail environment.
“The client found the assessment matrix strengthened their selection decision-making. It reinforced existing views of performance, highlighted future development needs, and added value not only for successful candidates, but also for those who may apply again in the future.”
[OPC Business Psychologist]
The OPC psychologist also advised on appropriate norm groups, cut-off scores and delivery timelines, ensuring the process was robust, fair and focused on identifying the best-fit candidates for the role.
Once the assessment tools were finalised, the expert Bureau Service staff managed and oversaw the full delivery of the process. All assessments were conducted via Candela™, OPC Assessment’s digital testing platform, in a supervised setting at the candidates’ workplace, thousands of miles from the UK. Results were scored immediately and formatted in a clear A–D grading system. The results were shared via a Microsoft Teams session with the recruitment team, in which the OPC’s psychologist reviewed each candidate’s profile, strengths, potential risks and development areas. This ensured the data was fully understood and confidently applied during the final interview stage.
From initial consultation to delivery of assessment results, the full process was completed in just 14 working days. The client benefited from a fully managed, psychologist-led professional service that combined speed with depth. Helped remove operational burden from hiring managers and provided clear, structured insight to support high-quality, data-led recruitment decisions. The assessment data also created immediate value beyond selection, by informing future development planning for both successful and unsuccessful candidates.
The Outcome
The project delivered a smooth, evidence-based internal promotion process, run remotely with pace, fairness and data-led decision-making at its core. Client feedback was extremely positive.
“Our in-house Bureau Service provides a team of psychologists, consultants and trained assessors who work alongside global clients to oversee projects of any size. From large-scale recruitment to specialist, bespoke roles. We aim to ease the strain!”
[Jo Lawrence, Joint CEO at the OPC]
OPC Assessment’s Bureau Service gives organisations a fully managed assessment solution, offering confidence in quality, fairness and strong decision support, wherever teams are around the world.
If you’d like to explore how the OPC’s Bureau Service could support your recruitment or internal promotion activity, get in touch with our friendly team today.
T +44 (0)1923 234646
