Meet our Recruitment Assessment Officer at DfT

I’m Christine Barfoot, the recruitment assessment officer for the Department for Transport Resourcing Group (DRG). I’ve worked in recruitment and assessment for the past 12 years, having previously worked on a variety of HR projects.

About the role

My role as a recruitment assessment officer is extremely varied and interesting, with no two days being the same.  A large part of my time is spent supporting our resourcing partners who advise vacancy holders on the most appropriate selection methods to fill a vacancy.  I frequently go out to meet vacancy holders around the county if a more in depth discussion is needed.

I also spend a lot of time designing and writing assessment exercises that are used as part of a recruitment assessment event.  This is where the job gets really creative as I have to create scenarios that allow candidates to demonstrate their skills and experience.  The focus is always on objective assessment to ensure that we select the best candidates.

I’ve written exercises for a wide range of roles, from policy roles to Accident Investigators and they all bring different challenges.  I particularly enjoy writing role play exercises as I have to build the character of the role player and document how they should react to the candidate.

My favourite part of the role

I’m often called upon to deliver assessment events, sometimes in the role of Lead Assessor.  This means managing the logistics of planning and running an assessment event, briefing the assessment team, and looking after candidates.  We always try to make sure that the assessment day is candidate focused. I do everything in my power to make sure each candidate is at ease and knows exactly what is expected.

I’ve had some really positive feedback over the years and candidates who arrive full of trepidation at the start of the day have commented at the end that they actually found the whole experience interesting and enjoyable.

What I find most challenging

Planning and running an assessment event is hard work and can present unforeseen challenges that have to be overcome. The assessment days themselves are very intense, but I gain an enormous amount of satisfaction when at the end of assessment, the best candidates are identified.

All good things come to an end!

After 22 years in the Civil Service, I’ve decided to retire so that I can spend more time with my family.

If you want to help managers find the best people for their teams, have experience of designing and delivering assessments, and have the ambition to make assessment events cutting edge, why not apply to become a recruitment assessment officer?

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