I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Waitrose (London, England) in Jan 2015
Interview
Interview featured a group discussion based on health and safety/retail environment - following this a short one on one with some quick questions. The interview was conducted in groups of 4-6 and focused on success in retail contexts.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Think about a time when you've had to make an independent decision. What did you do?
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Waitrose (Malmesbury, England) in Jun 2015
Interview
I applied online first by answering questions like "why do you want to work here" and "what makes great customer service". Then I was sent the link to an online assessment where it gives you situations and you answer what you would do.
A week or so later I was invited to an interview (as the store I was applying for hadn't been built yet it was held at a hotel nearby). First it was a 1-on-1 with a hiring manager where he asked 3/4 simple questions like "Tell me about yourself", then I went into a group interview with about 6 other people. We were given a situation (a customer was complaining about parking) and we had to work together to come up with a solution. I volunteered to be the scribe and made sure to speak up but not interrupt anyone else, I think this is important. Make sure you say something so they notice you! About 2 weeks later I was offered a job on the bakery counter
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
Tell me about a time where you had to fix another colleague's mistake
I applied in-person. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Waitrose (London, England) in Nov 2012
Interview
2 interviews. One with a management person, another the section manager which was the same thing really. I heard others had to go through a group interview process as well, for some reason I never had to do this.
I found I was successful after about 1-2 weeks. It is done online now, but at the time I filled in a lengthly paper questionnaire thing I picked up from the branch
It's my first job I've had at 16. I think they like to hire under 18s because they are on a lower wage so I guess that was in my favour.