Marks and Spencer - Retail Management Graduate Scheme
Interview process
I had a phone interview where I was asked questions mostly regarding why I was interested in the company and sector. Be sure you know your answers beforehand - depth is better than breadth! I had a very solid idea of why I wanted to work for M&S, and was very passionate when I talked about it. Remember to be specific e.g. I talked about the conservation and sustainability schemes that M&S have, which makes them very unique in the field.
Most difficult question
Having no experience in the sector, it was difficult to express why I decided that I wanted to work in retail, and why now. This was especially considering that I had not only applied to the retail field. However, I was very clear on why I wanted to work within retail.
Make sure you know why you applied for the job, and make sure you are very well aware of what is expected of you if and when you get the job. There is no point trying hard to get a job if you hate it once you get it.
Make sure you know why you applied for the job, and make sure you are very well aware of what is expected of you if and when you get the job. There is no point trying hard to get a job if you hate it once you get it.
Interview tips
Know why you are applying, make a list of the competencies and examples of when you have demonstrated each, and do your research on the company! M&S is a great company to work for, with a solid brand and very clear morals. Know them and love them!
Experiences at the assessment centre
There were four parts to the assessment centre. One group task with two parts, both discussing a decision you had to give input to. The first part was allocating new personnel to different departments over the Christmas period while also managing current staff to work on improvements based on feedback. The second part was to choose a charity to support for the year. Make sure your reasoning is heard and your opinion is clear, but do also let others speak. Remember that you are not competing for time. Saying nothing and speaking too much are equally unattractive traits. Remember to watch the time and guide the discussion towards a solution - if the group is straying, bring the conversation back on topic. The answer you come up with is not important at all - the process is what they are looking at.
The second task was a presentation; this is tough, because you are expected to be confident despite having no experience in the particular situation. Again, the answer you come up with does not matter. They are recruiting based on potential, not knowledge. They will teach you what you need to know. You just need to demonstrate that you can understand written data (you will be given an information pack full of statistics and graphs to prepare), reason well and present clearly. You should also be able to answer any follow up questions. Do remember that you have to speak for about 10 minutes! Though better to speak for 8 minutes and get your point across well, than ramble for 15!
The third task was a role play exercise. Here you are given a situation that could occur in the workplace, and you have to perform a certain task - e.g. for us it was giving an employee an appraisal and asking them to perform a task they are not eager to do. Remember to stay in role, commit 100% to the task, and make sure you do not just read off the paper! They will tell you what you should communicate to the employee, but do not just tell them bluntly. Tactful communication is very important in your role.
The final part was the interview. I have to say, for me this was by far the easiest part! Remember that they do not expect you to be the perfect package - if there is anything you don't know, just say so and tell them that you'd be eager to learn. They want you to be passionate about the company and committed to learning. They will ask you about certain competencies that you will require for the job, and will ask you to give an example of when you demonstrated each one. If you do your research and think of examples beforehand, you should not have a problem with this part. Remember also to show a bit of your personality - as long as you are appropriate, there is nothing wrong with a big of humour. Build rapport with your interviewer, and do ask all the questions you have - after all, they've gone through the process and sat in your seat before, too! And a lot of them have very interesting stories about the process. Do make sure you do not ask any questions that you could easily find on the website! That is an absolute faux-pas.
The second task was a presentation; this is tough, because you are expected to be confident despite having no experience in the particular situation. Again, the answer you come up with does not matter. They are recruiting based on potential, not knowledge. They will teach you what you need to know. You just need to demonstrate that you can understand written data (you will be given an information pack full of statistics and graphs to prepare), reason well and present clearly. You should also be able to answer any follow up questions. Do remember that you have to speak for about 10 minutes! Though better to speak for 8 minutes and get your point across well, than ramble for 15!
The third task was a role play exercise. Here you are given a situation that could occur in the workplace, and you have to perform a certain task - e.g. for us it was giving an employee an appraisal and asking them to perform a task they are not eager to do. Remember to stay in role, commit 100% to the task, and make sure you do not just read off the paper! They will tell you what you should communicate to the employee, but do not just tell them bluntly. Tactful communication is very important in your role.
The final part was the interview. I have to say, for me this was by far the easiest part! Remember that they do not expect you to be the perfect package - if there is anything you don't know, just say so and tell them that you'd be eager to learn. They want you to be passionate about the company and committed to learning. They will ask you about certain competencies that you will require for the job, and will ask you to give an example of when you demonstrated each one. If you do your research and think of examples beforehand, you should not have a problem with this part. Remember also to show a bit of your personality - as long as you are appropriate, there is nothing wrong with a big of humour. Build rapport with your interviewer, and do ask all the questions you have - after all, they've gone through the process and sat in your seat before, too! And a lot of them have very interesting stories about the process. Do make sure you do not ask any questions that you could easily find on the website! That is an absolute faux-pas.
Interview steps
Interviews:
- Phone
- 1:1
- Group / Panel
- Senior Management
- Video
Tests:
- Numerical
- Personality
- Verbal reasoning
- Psychometric
Other:
- Assessment centre
- Group exercise
- Background check
- Presentation
- Competency based questions