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If you get called to an assessment centre at Sainsbury’s you will be expected to complete a selection of tasks. You will have a role-play exercise, competency based interview, group exercise, presentation and ability tests. You will get a brief beforehand to let you know what you will need to prepare. However, Sainsbury’s are also looking to find out what your personality is like and so hope that this shines through, rather than you just being very nervous about what might happen.

The presentation has to be about twenty minutes long and you will have a week to prepare for it. You will then have to answer questions on what you have spoken about, which could take a bit longer than the presentation did.

In the group exercise you will need to make sure that you get some points across. However, you also need to be careful that you do not dominate things too much or exclude anyone by speaking over them or ignoring their point of view.

Related: Top 10 Job Search Tips for Recent Graduates

It is a good idea to prepare for the day by visiting two stores, a local as well as a large store so you have an idea of what both of them are like. They are very different to each other. If you can, speak to a manager or someone in a role that you are applying for, to try to get some insight as to what is expected as well as what you may expect from the assessment day. It is also wise to learn about the history of the company as it has been around for a long time as well as future plans and anything that has been in the news recently. It could even be good to chat to friend and family about the company, to get their impressions of it, even if they do not shop there.

Sainsbury’s Assessment Centre Interview

The first thing you’ll have to do is complete the Online Application for Sainsbury’s.  Even if you haven’t worked in a supermarket before, you may have already gained very useful skills.  Make sure you consider the job requirements listed in the job description, and consider this against the experience that you have already gained.  Provide details of this relevant experience and what you have contributed to the organisations you have worked for.  Don’t forget your application needs to provide all of the necessary keywords that the computers will search for, and be the first impression the employer will have of you.

Related: Sainsbury’s Job Application

When you have completed the competency section you will be asked about why you would like to work for Sainsbury’s.  Recruiters will be looking at this section as an insight into your priorities and thinking and will appreciate notes about how you would fit in with the ethos of the company.  If you have to lie about your reasons, or after investigating the supermarket chain you can’t find any inspiration about what to say in this section, then perhaps a career at Sainsbury’s is not right for you.

If your application was successful at the first stage, you will be asked to undertake some Online Tests.  These include SHL numerical and verbal reasoning tests.  You can get more information about the numerical test here ‘http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/tests/mathstest2.htm’. Many of us have a fear of maths, but don’t be daunted about the numerical test – there are a maximum of 2 calculations in each test and the questions are not there to trick you, just try your best.

The verbal reasoning test is quite straightforward also, and is designed to ensure you have a reasonably understanding of the written English language to ensure you can communicate effectively with colleagues and customers.

If you have passed the second selection stage the you will be asked to undertake a Telephone Interview.  Make sure you prepare for this, it is an interview after all.  Research the company, have your CV available for easy reference and answer honestly.  As with face-to-face interviews, have some questions ready to ask the interviewer so that they recognise you have thought about working for them.

photo by: elie

  
Asda Magic is the assessment centre used for non-graduate positions. You will generally be invited to an assessment day where you will be observed to find out what your communication skills are like. Asda have three core values that they require their employees to bring to the role which are service to customers, respect for the individual and strive for excellence. It is therefore important to show that you can provide these.

The assessment is split in to three parts. There is a presentation, group activity, small group activity, role play and have a go. The presentation involves talking to another person to find out something interesting about them. You then have to introduce them to the rest of the group.
The group activity could vary. An example of something you might do may be to hold a number in front of yourself without seeing it. Then you have to arrange yourself in numerical order with other people who have numbers they do not know.

The small group task involves doing something such as making up a song and performing it. However, extra instructions will be provided at certain time intervals which may mean that you will have to change what you have planned.

The role play will involve having to try to sell to an assessor or seal with a customer complaint. It is really important to make sure that the customer is valued and you need to do what you can to make them happy.

Have a go is where you will have to work on the shop floor for half an hour. You will be assessed throughout.

If you do well then you will be asked to an interview with the relevant store manager to find out whether you will fit in to the team.

  
The assessment centre interview will take a whole sat. you will get a personal interview which is based on finding out your competence. You will also get a role play, presentation and group discussion. Lunch will also be part of the assessment where you will be able to mix with other recruits. They will be looking to see how well you work with a team and that you have the right approach to be able to set your hand to anything.

The interview will be structured but there will be an opportunity to ask questions and so it is important to make sure that you prepare some. They do like things to remain friendly so bear that in mind, as they will want to see your personality.

It is also worth making sure that you understand about all of the main supermarkets so that you can find out how Morrisons is different to the competition. Find out about the history of the company too and make sure that you are aware of anything currently going on in the company that is in the news or anything that might affect the supermarket industry generally. Therefore visit both Morrisons stores and their competition. It is also important to show that you are flexible as you may find that you need to be prepared to move around location wise.

It is very important to demonstrate that you have the same personal values as the business. Therefore find out what the company values are and have plenty of examples of how you have these values as well.

It is very important to be well prepared, knowing exactly what skills the role requires and making sure that you demonstrate you have those skills. Prepare in every way that you can, by researching the company as well as its competitors.

  
Lidl assessment centre interviews will involve a number of stages. You will start by receiving a presentation about the company and the roles available and you will be able to ask questions. It could therefore be good to have some questions prepared for this part. This means that you will already need to have done some research about the company in order to put together questions. You will probably have done this for your initial interview anyway, but it could be worth going over the information again or looking in to things in more depth if you can. You will then have to take part in a group interview. This will involve working in a group and answering certain questions. It is rather like a group exercise but everyone is expected to contribute when answering the questions. Working in a group can be tricky, but be yourself but try to make sure that your point of view is heard but without stamping out anyone else. It can be good to try to make sure that everyone in the group gets the chance to speak, if you can. Try to draw them in to the discussion without preventing you own voice being heard. You will also take a numeracy test which will give you a selection of maths questions that you have to answer without using a calculator.

You will have a one to one interview at the assessment centre as well. This may take part of the same day as the other tasks or they may be scheduled for another day where only a selection of candidates will be asked to take part. The interview is 40 minutes and will have a senior manager or HR manager present. You will be asked motivational and competency questions. Similar questions may be asked to those in the initial interview as it will be conducted by a different person.

Related: Lidl Application Form

  
Aldi looks for leaders who have a minimum of a 2.1 at degree level, have done voluntary work, led a sports team at university and pursued something that has proved they have individual potential. It is likely that they can already see that you have these skills if they have asked you to the assessment centre though. However, being able to show that you have potential both as an individual and while working as a group, could be very useful during your time at the assessment centre.

There will be about a dozen candidates at the assessment centre at any one time. There will be presentation, group exercise, interview and aptitude testing stages during the course of the visit there. The presentation will be on something of the candidate’s interest and they will have just three minutes to prepare for a two minutes presentation. This means that it could be on anything and it is therefore important to think beforehand about what you might say. You do not want it to sound too staged but if you have a topic, that could help speed up the process. Make a quick mind map in preparation, when you have the three minutes to do this. Use this to guide your presentation and try to stay calm and explain things well without labouring the points. Smile and try to enjoy it.

The group exercise will involve discussing a certain topic that needs to be resolved. It could be something like surviving a plane crash and deciding what items to take from the plane and rank them in order of importance. The correct answer is not important but the ability to show leadership skills such as taking notes, summarising things or leading the discussion.

Related: Aldi Application Form

The aptitude tests will include a personality test and there will be interviews afterwards. Candidates are likely to be asked what they know about the company and why they chose to work there. Having some good questions to ask as well as providing satisfactory answers will really go in your favour. Therefore it is very important to prepare, not only to find out about the company but also to think about what sorts of questions it would be best to ask.

  
Waitrose assessment days have a selection of different tasks. There are a number of exercises to do and also food and refreshments provided. It is likely that there will be a group exercise, maths and verbal tests and an interview to check for competency as well as a presentation.

The day will probably start with a presentation about Waitrose and what they are looking or in their employees. There are then activities that you have to take part in. Previous attendees are asked not to tell people what these involved and so no one really knows. However, by looking at what is expected in group exercises in general, such as showing leadership skills, team skills etc then you will get an idea of what to do. It is important to get to know the other candidates as it will show your team working abilities. You may also be working with them if there is more than one job on offer and so it will put you in good stead for that.

It is also wise to prepare for the maths and verbal tests. Although specific details of these are not available, looking at general tests that they may be similar to, can really help. This will not only improve your skills but also make sure that you have confidence in your abilities.

Preparing for the interview stage will be like preparing for any other interview. Make sure that you know a lot about Waitrose and the role that you are applying or. Also make sure that you have some questions prepared to ask them. You may want to ask some questions throughout the day, to demonstrate how keen you are, but make sure that you save some for the interview as well.

  
There will be some group exercises in the assessment centre for Debenhams jobs. These could be a matter of having to speak in front of the group about who you want to most meet or where you want to most go. Then you may be asked to go out on the shop floor and sell things to customers or ask them questions. You may be asked to sell someone your favourite product.

Therefore it is very important to prepare for this. You will need to make sure that you are happy speaking in front of a group and practice this if you are not. You will also need to be familiar with the types of people that’s hop at Debenhams and what products you like. Therefore you should spend some time at a few local stores finding out more about what they sell and who they sell it to. You should be able to observe this without speaking to anyone. You may feel more comfortable finding out whether your friends and family shop there as it will give you an understanding of their customer base. It is also very important to come across as friendly and polite as well as positive. You must not be afraid to speak up even if the group you are with is large, as they need you to be able to show that you can do this.

There will also be an interview where you will be questioned on your CV and asked about work experience. It is so important to know your CV well, so that you can answer questions about it. This may sound obvious but sometimes it may be hard to recall dates that you worked at certain places or how long for etc especially when under pressure. Make sure you read it through and can recall all of the information on it when asked.