John Lewis Assessment Centre, Aptitude Tests, Recruitment Process & Interviews Online Preparation – 2024
What Is John Lewis?
John Lewis & Partners is a well-established high-end department store brand with multiple stores throughout Great Britain. Regularly voted as one of the best workplaces, John Lewis & Partners offers a variety of fantastic opportunities in a friendly work environment. With its head office in London, John Lewis provides jobs to an impressive 80,000 people.
John Lewis strives to be a diverse workplace that fosters a positive and uplifting environment for all employees. When people join John Lewis & Partners, they will be given access to a variety of fantastic benefits, including:
Bonuses
Employee discounts
Pension and life insurance
Subsidised meals
Equal parenthood leave
Flexible working
What Is John Lewis’ Hiring Process?
Because John Lewis offers a variety of career options, each recruitment process is slightly different. As a result, the John Lewis hiring process is difficult, and competition is high, so being prepared is key if you want to succeed and land a job here.
While each pre-employment screening process differs depending on the role you apply for, you can expect it to follow the below structure:
Online Application
The online application form is your earliest chance to highlight yourself to the recruitment team. The lengthy application form details your work history and any relevant qualifications concerning the job specification. In addition, you will need to answer questions about your suitability for the role and upload your CV and cover letter.
Common questions on the application form are:
What qualities do you have that align with John Lewis & Partners’ values?
Tell me about a time when you led a team to success. What steps did you take to get there? How did you motivate your team?
What makes you the right candidate for this role?
It can feel strange to answer these questions, especially as you do not want to come across as arrogant but see it as an opportunity to showcase why you are the best person for the job. It is best to answer these questions using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method.
If you pass this stage in recruitment, you will be asked to sit the John Lewis online psychometric tests.
John Lewis’ Personality Assessment & Aptitude Tests
John Lewis & Partners use online psychometric tests to ensure they are getting the very best talent they can. Sova Assessment and SHL provides their tests, and applicants can be expected to take up to 4 tests (depending on the role you are applying for). For example, job seekers applying for graduate opportunities are likely to participate in all four tests, whereas someone working in a customer-facing role may only take one or two.
Multiple Choice Questions – This test will only be given to those applying to the John Lewis graduate scheme. The purpose of the multiple-choice questions is for the recruitment panel to understand whether or not you align with the John Lewis values and if you are a good candidate for the scheme which you have applied for. To ace this part of the psychometric testing, you should brush up on your John Lewis knowledge and read up on the graduate scheme you are applying for.
Values Questionnaire – This part of the recruitment process is to understand your skillset in alignment with John Lewis & Partners’ values. You will be given a few scenarios and asked to write a response under 250 words. You should familiarise yourself with the John Lewis & Partners core values: results-driven, leader in their field, innovative, passionate about retail, team player and creative.
Numerical Reasoning Aptitude Test – The numerical reasoning test assesses candidates’ capability to understand numerical information. On this multiple-choice assessment, you will be given a set of 20 questions with various numerical data in them. You will be presented with graphs, diagrams, tables and percentages, and you will need to quickly and efficiently analyse the data and choose the correct answer. This test does not test your mathematic skills, although candidates should have a basic knowledge of percentages, ratios and algebra to denote the answers. Candidates have one minute per question, and you can use a calculator if necessary. Because there is a one-minute limit per question, you must work out any problems quickly and efficiently.
Verbal Reasoning Aptitude Test – The verbal reasoning test assesses candidates’ language and comprehension skills. Like the numerical reasoning test, this is also a timed multiple-choice test. On this test, applicants are given a block of text about varying subjects and will be asked some questions on it. SHL verbal tests will ask two types of questions – one style will provide a statement and ask whether it is true, false or if you cannot say based on the block of text. The other question style will give you a statement about the text, and you will need to select the correct answer from a multiple-choice set.
Telephone or Video Interview
Candidates who pass the online psychometric tests will then be invited to participate in a telephone or video interview. The interview will be with an HR representative and will be an informal chat about any relevant experience to date. It will also allow the HR representative to understand what you are like and how your personal motivations and values fit in with the John Lewis & Partners ethos.
The 30-minute chat will give you the opportunity to ask the HR representative any questions you may have about the role. Good questions to ask are:
Is this a new or existing role?
If it is an existing role, what has the previous person now gone on to do?
Are there opportunities for progression within the role and company?
What is your favourite thing about working for John Lewis & Partners?
These questions will show that you are thinking long-term about your career with John Lewis & Partners and allow you to learn more about the company culture.
Assessment Centre
If you have impressed the HR representative, you will be invited to attend a John Lewis & Partners assessment centre. This is the penultimate stage for many positions before attending a face-to-face interview.
At the assessment centre, you can expect to participate in two group exercises, a presentation based on a brief that you will get on the day and a role play relating to the role you are applying for.
Written Exercises – You will be expected to participate in at least two group exercises (although, in some cases, depending on the role, you could participate in four). The group exercises have been designed to understand how you work within a team. Although you cannot prepare for group exercises, you can familiarise yourself with John Lewis & Partners’ core values and ensure that you show these in your group. Previous group exercises include:
True or False Game – a group will be given statements from a recruiter and asked to discuss which ones are true and which are false.
Group Discussion – your team will be given a problem, and you will need to discuss together the best solution. You will then be expected to present this back to the interview panel.
Pitch a New Product – you will work in a group to develop an idea for a new John Lewis & Partners product and will be expected to pitch it back to the interview panel. This will include things such as cost prices, suggested units etc., so this requires some commercial know-how.
Presentation – You will be given a brief at the assessment centre and around 45 minutes to prepare and report your findings back to an interview panel. You will not need PowerPoint for this, but instead will be asked to present your results using a flipchart and pens. After your presentation, the interview panel will ask you questions about your findings. It is important that you come across as confident here. Even though you may not know everything, show that you believe in what you have said.
Role Play – John Lewis & Partners will often use interview role plays to help them understand whether a candidate is suitable for the job role. Although it is primarily used in sales, it may also be used across various sectors within John Lewis & Partners, including legal, marketing and merchandising. For example, if you are in sales, your role-play scenario will be to try and close a deal with somebody who is on the fence. You should use your usual sales tactics whilst ensuring that your approach aligns with John Lewis & Partners’ values.
Final Interview
If you get to this stage in the John Lewis & Partners recruitment process – huge congratulations! You now only have to pass the final face-to-face interview. This competency-based interview will focus mainly on seeing that you have the skills required for the role you have applied to.
By now, you will have already gone through a telephone or video interview, so you should know that preparation is key to ensuring that your interview runs smoothly. Before attending the assessment centre, it is essential that you read through the job description again to familiarise yourself with the fundamental skills and competencies required to be successful in the role. You should also read up on the department as well as the John Lewis brand.
The recruiter will expect answers to be explained using the STAR method. Read up on common competency questions and prepare answers based on your previous work history. Wherever possible, you should demonstrate the John Lewis key competencies.
How to Prepare for John Lewis & Partners’ Tests?
With John Lewis & Partners assessments, it is imperative that you take time to prepare so that you can familiarise yourself with the type and style of questions as well as the time limit. The more you practice using online practice tests, the quicker and more accurate you will get at answering. This will give you more confidence going into the online assessments and a better chance of scoring higher on the day under exam conditions.
