Store Management Graduate Scheme
Interview process
There are 3 stages pre-assessment centre:
1. Online application form, including competency questions. Tailor your answers to Tesco!
2. SHL verbal, numerical and situation tests. Standard schamdard.
3. Video interview: motivation and competency. You get a whole week to record and re-record, so be a perfectionist!
1. Online application form, including competency questions. Tailor your answers to Tesco!
2. SHL verbal, numerical and situation tests. Standard schamdard.
3. Video interview: motivation and competency. You get a whole week to record and re-record, so be a perfectionist!
Most difficult question
Describe a time when you stuck to your beliefs, even though it was unpopular.
Interview tips
1. Unseen presentation.
There are a few things you need to do. You're marked on them all. Firstly, stay calm, confident and hold your nerve under questioning. It helped me to think of the assessors as colleagues rather than examiners. Second, answer the question! Explicitly root what you're saying in all of the task's objectives and information, and in the company's values. Third, you'll need to think innovatively beyond the information you've been given. This is where understanding the industry and reading Tesco's yearly report will help! Fourth, know beforehand the general structure of a presentation. Don't forget to acknowledge the pros of the options you didn't take, and tackle the cons of the options and choices you did!
2. Group exercise
Half the marks here come from working with people well. That means you've got to put your points across and argue them out. Have opinions on each project and articulate them. Be willing to compromise. If you disagree with someone, remember to start your rebuttal by fairly summarising the person's viewpoint. Secondly, you need to draw everyone in. Ask each person for their opinion at some point. Ask or feedback on your ideas. Be positive, generous, let others speak. If someone's being unclear, ask them what they mean.
The other half of the marks come from saying intelligent things. Stay unswervingly focused on the objective, the criteria, the company's values. Keep those front, central, and explicit. But also make imaginative moves with the information you've been given. As with the presentation, that's much easier to do when you know about the industry.
3. Interview
Pretty standard competency and motivation questions. If you look these up and practice lots then you shouldn't be surprised by anything.
4. 3DCV
Tesco's not quiet about its own values, its passions, its style with colleagues and shoppers -- so make sure your attributes match theirs.
Also, they ask you to get creative. The easiest thing is to bring some objects and use them as talking points: the shoes you used to climb Kilmanjiro for charity (trying to make the world a better place), the boots you play football in (teamwork), the shoes you wore during an eye-opening summer placement (passionate and driven) etc. That works just fine.
There are a few things you need to do. You're marked on them all. Firstly, stay calm, confident and hold your nerve under questioning. It helped me to think of the assessors as colleagues rather than examiners. Second, answer the question! Explicitly root what you're saying in all of the task's objectives and information, and in the company's values. Third, you'll need to think innovatively beyond the information you've been given. This is where understanding the industry and reading Tesco's yearly report will help! Fourth, know beforehand the general structure of a presentation. Don't forget to acknowledge the pros of the options you didn't take, and tackle the cons of the options and choices you did!
2. Group exercise
Half the marks here come from working with people well. That means you've got to put your points across and argue them out. Have opinions on each project and articulate them. Be willing to compromise. If you disagree with someone, remember to start your rebuttal by fairly summarising the person's viewpoint. Secondly, you need to draw everyone in. Ask each person for their opinion at some point. Ask or feedback on your ideas. Be positive, generous, let others speak. If someone's being unclear, ask them what they mean.
The other half of the marks come from saying intelligent things. Stay unswervingly focused on the objective, the criteria, the company's values. Keep those front, central, and explicit. But also make imaginative moves with the information you've been given. As with the presentation, that's much easier to do when you know about the industry.
3. Interview
Pretty standard competency and motivation questions. If you look these up and practice lots then you shouldn't be surprised by anything.
4. 3DCV
Tesco's not quiet about its own values, its passions, its style with colleagues and shoppers -- so make sure your attributes match theirs.
Also, they ask you to get creative. The easiest thing is to bring some objects and use them as talking points: the shoes you used to climb Kilmanjiro for charity (trying to make the world a better place), the boots you play football in (teamwork), the shoes you wore during an eye-opening summer placement (passionate and driven) etc. That works just fine.
Experiences at the assessment centre
The day was very relaxed. The assessors were fine and the graduate scheme coordinators are lovely. There were 3 (maybe 4) parts.
1. Unseen presentation. 40 minutes to prepare; 10 minute presentation; 15-20 minutes of questions afterwards. I was given a pack of information on three projects. My task was to pick one of three projects for the company to focus on, to explain why that one best aligned with the company's values and objectives (e.g. innovativeness, customer experience, turning a profit). I then had to outline how I'd implement the project practically.
2. Group exercise. 30 minutes to prepare alone; 30 minutes discussing in a group. This was very similar to the presentation. We were given a pack with information about six projects, and had to pick three of them according to some criteria and the company's values.
3. Interview. Motivation questions (why Tesco? why stores?) and competency questions.
4. 3DCV. A 10 minute presentation at the start of the interview. They ask you to talk about who you are, your achievements, strengths, values, passions, and style of interacting with others.
1. Unseen presentation. 40 minutes to prepare; 10 minute presentation; 15-20 minutes of questions afterwards. I was given a pack of information on three projects. My task was to pick one of three projects for the company to focus on, to explain why that one best aligned with the company's values and objectives (e.g. innovativeness, customer experience, turning a profit). I then had to outline how I'd implement the project practically.
2. Group exercise. 30 minutes to prepare alone; 30 minutes discussing in a group. This was very similar to the presentation. We were given a pack with information about six projects, and had to pick three of them according to some criteria and the company's values.
3. Interview. Motivation questions (why Tesco? why stores?) and competency questions.
4. 3DCV. A 10 minute presentation at the start of the interview. They ask you to talk about who you are, your achievements, strengths, values, passions, and style of interacting with others.
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