LONDON, 14 April 2025 – Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, has developed a set of bespoke signaller assessment tools to support the recruitment and talent retention processes of Network Rail.
Network Rail operates across England, Wales and Scotland, with a workforce of around 42,000 employees. It manages Britain's vast railway infrastructure of 20,000 miles of track, and 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts, as well as thousands of signals, level crossings and stations - including 20 of the largest in the UK.
Aon has worked with Network Rail on several projects since 2021, recently developing a specific signaller assessment tool that offers candidates a realistic job preview in which they can visualise the possible challenges they could face when operating Britain’s railways.
The work is continuing, with the launch of new assessment centre materials for signallers. It has also included graduate and apprentice recruitment as well as across a wide range of roles in the organisation, from customer service advisers to director-level vacancies.
Tiina Conacher, Assessment lead at Network Rail, said:
“The products Aon provides are crucial for us to run valid and reliable recruitment campaigns, especially for signallers - where no previous experience is required. We are therefore looking for potential - and the Aon products we use for this purpose are exactly what we need in order to understand someone’s potential to operate in this unique safety-critical role.
“Aon’s predictive assessment tools help us evaluate candidate aptitude and suitability - especially for highly specialised roles with skills that are comparable to those required in other safety-critical industries, such as aviation. This innovative approach has contributed significantly to our recruitment efforts, as it provides further insight into the suitability of candidates for a number of roles.
“Given our volume-based recruitment, we are constantly problem-solving and evolving our processes, and the tools provided by Aon help us to effectively review the potential of our over 25,000 annual candidate applications in the volume hiring space.”
Rhys Connolly, commercial director of assessment at Aon in the UK, said:
“In times of transformation for the railway sector and amid evolving market conditions, a strong and efficient recruitment process is vital. Our aim in working with Network Rail was to develop reliable solutions that would bring them the reassurance that they are recruiting the right people for key roles. Network Rail's continued confidence in working with us is a strong testament to the effectiveness of our approach."
About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Through actionable analytic insight, globally integrated Risk Capital and Human Capital expertise, and locally relevant solutions, our colleagues provide clients in over 120 countries with the clarity and confidence to make better risk and people decisions that protect and grow their businesses.
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