Distribution & Logistics Interview Questions & Answers

My initial telephone interview was with a member of the company's recruitment team. It wasn't arranged and was an informal, initial chat about relocation, my CV, my application, exams and why I applied for the role. It lasted about 15 minutes and resulted in my CV being forwarded to the senior staff. I received an email congratulating me and telling me the office which I applied for wanted to meet me at an interview. They were very flexible towards my exam timetable and helpful in telling me where the office was located. When I got to the face to face interview I was interview by two people. The atmosphere was very relaxed and both men were friendly and supportive. They were members of the transport planning team as opposed to being in recruitment. They had my CV in front of them and asked me questions related to that about my college education as well as the typical 'tell me about yourself...' They asked me what modules I had done that were related to the role testing my knowledge, they asked about my dissertation, how I carry out assignments at university and asked me if I was interested in further education i.e. through professional accreditation. They asked me some technical questions about the role like; 'how legislation may effect a planning process' and other questions to generally get to know me as well as asking me some questions about my knowledge on the company. There were no tasks to perform and the overall format seemed friendly and relaxed as the people interviewing me described the role and the activities they undertake in their job.

I always hate being asked 'tell me about yourself' it's such a typical question but it's so open to interpretation that I never know where to start.

Read up on some technical features of transport planning so you don't slip on on the more technical questions. Read about the company, it's a massive company with different sectors so make sure you know some specific projects they've undertaken and the other industries they work in. Be relaxed and know your CV well as they seem to base a lot of questions on that. Enjoy it!

I didn't have to do any tasks.

Started with a presentation from Hellman employees explaining the role and about the company and its history. Then there was a quick multiple choice test to make sure you was listening. The next step was some group activities to make sure you work well in a group. We was given a list of people and their background and was to they were all stuck in a pit and the water was rising and we had to choose who to save. We was each given 2 people and told to explain to the group why they should be saved. After the group activities were complete we went on a short tour of the office and had some lunch.
We then had individual interviews with three Hellman employees. Mainly going through your CV and explaining why you want the job and why you think you would be good at the job.
finally we had an individual presentation infront of the group trying to sell the role to the group. I guess to show that you are interested in the role and have been listening all day.

What can you bring to the business what you think we dont already have.

Always prepare your answers. Think of the questions you would ask and think of an answer

It was a long day having to stay focused all day but overall it was a good assessment centre

The Interview was quite casual, it was based upon my experience to date and what I would be able to bring to the role at hand. It discussed my passion towards logistics. A lot of the interview was the employer telling me about the role itself and seeing whether it was of interest to me.

When have you brought change to an organisation, and what was the outcome?

Do not question the employer on the future possibilities too much, this can make them think you are concerned about other things rather then the role at hand.

Two interviewers one was logistics director other was HR personnel, both asked questions on experience and to get a feel for character and personality. Always very important to be yourself and to try and have a laugh as this is what can genuinely get you employed.

Firstly we had a video interview - as this was my first interview of this type I did find it a little strange at first. But then after a few questions, I felt more at ease.

After this stage there was an assessment centre, which included a role play task where we had to give advice to another colleague that was having issues with another employee. There was also a one on one interview as well as a group task, where we had to discuss a problem and share our results with the team.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time and how do you wish to progress with your career?

Research the company well before any interviews, and have a clear understanding of the role

There was a group of about 8 of us at the assessment centre, it was very well run and we were all put at ease.

We worked both in a group and had individual tasks to complete also - this was good as it meant we could show how we worked in a team as well as on our own.

The actual interview was based on three themes: Competency, Analytical and Personality. The first part was mainly to see how my skills, experience and the actual qualifications fit into the role sought.
The interviewers were basing their questions on the details on my CV and were looking for specific examples that reflected aspects such as leadership, communication, Continuous improvement, Personnel management skills and also my ability and capacity to deal with complex issues under pressure whilst at the same time not loosing the direction and ensuring that all organisational targets were meant. Analytical and personality were just to confirm my ability to work with complex figures and data to make informed decisions, whilst personality was to see how myself as an individual match the personality criteria.

After the interview, I had a presentation.

What are your significant weaknesses and how do you deal with them and how do you think they would impact on this role?

Whilst it is essential to go for any job available while seeking an appropriate one to come along, sometimes, it is better to wait for the right job especially if you are highly qualified for the role being offered. Most interviewers tend to question the ideology behind your thinking. They mostly don't take you seriously.

No assessment.

I was invited to attend a group interview for the role. When I arrived there were six of us in total, 3 graduates and 3 sixth-form leavers. This did not appear to matter, but enthusiasm for the role did. We were shown to a room where we received a short presentation about Davies Turner and an overview of the role. Following this we were asked to get into pairs and interview each other for 10 minutes, with the intention to report back to the group what we had learnt about our competitor. It was important here to show communication skills but also that you are a nice person who could work in a team. An essential tip here would be to not play down your own experience e.g. one person stated that the person they interviewed was clever for not wasting his time at university as he had done. Bad idea!
Next we were handed a roll of toilet paper and mysteriously asked to take as many pieces as we think would need and then to forget about it. Toward the end of the interview we were told to tell the group new facts about ourselves that had not already been said or that were in our CV's. The number of facts we told related to how many pieces of toilet paper we took. I took two pieces so told two new facts.
We also completed a word test. This test was multiple choice and involved different things like identifying the next number in the sequence or what word was the opposite to another.
The final group task involved a role play scenario where your group was stranded in the Amazon and could only carry 5 items from a list of 15.

Overall the group interview lasted 2 hours.

Tell us a time when you have both received and given excellent customer service.

You must be polite and positive! It is a family business and they are looking for a someone who reflects there values.
Research how you are getting to the interview, it is a little tricky on public transport so bare this in mind.
They want a team player so don't talk over anyone, wait your turn and politely smile and show interest when others are talking.

We were split into two groups of three and to imagine we had been stranded in the Amazon rain forest. What five items of 15 would you take with you. This then had to be presented back to the group you must be able to support your decisions.