Sainsbury’s is one the largest supermarket chains in the UK with over 185,000 colleagues and is a leading employer for recent graduates. They aim to be the most trusted retailer and a place where people love to work and shop. Sainsbury’s is home to food, clothing, and merchandise brands, including:
Argos
Sainsbury’s Bank
Nectar 360
Habitat
They are continually expanding their offerings to further help their customers create exciting career paths for employees.
Working at Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s strives to create an environment where employees can thrive. While their goal is to provide for their customers, the community comes first for employees. Sainsbury’s is one of LinkedIn’s top companies in the UK and one of the few FTSE 100 companies with a carers policy.
They offer several benefits to their employees, including:
Discounts
Annual bonuses
Pensions
Holidays
Awards
Employee assistance programme
Health cash plans
Online Application
To begin the recruitment process at Sainsbury’s, you’ll first need to search online to find an open position. You will then fill out an online application that will ask for your contact details, experience history, and other basic employment questions.
You will also upload a current CV and cover letter during this process. Be sure that both of these are up-to-date and tailored to the specific position you are seeking.
Sainsbury’s Psychometric Tests
The next stage of the process is the online assessments. These psychometric tests will give the hiring manager a better understanding of your personality and reasoning skills.
Situational Judgement Test – The situational judgement test (SJT) is the first test you encounter. This psychometric test will present you with a simulated workplace scenario and ask you to choose how you would react, given a set of responses.
Personality Test – Some roles will also require a personality test. Here you will be given various scenarios and rank answers based on how you feel about the scenario. This test will assess your fit with the organization and the company’s values.
Verbal Reasoning Test – The verbal reasoning test will examine your analytical skills and reading comprehension. You will receive a series of paragraphs and will need to determine if the statement that follows is true or false based on the information given. The verbal reasoning test is typically timed.
Numerical Reasoning Test – The numerical reasoning test will assess your numerical abilities. You will analyze data in graphs, charts, and tables and answer multiple-choice questions about the information. The numerical reasoning test is typically timed.
Phone Interview
If you do well on the assessments, you will be invited to participate in an initial phone interview.
During this stage, a member of the hiring team will ask questions related to your application and your ability to perform the role’s duties. They may also ask behaviour-based questions to get to know you better and determine if you’d be a good cultural fit for the company.
Sainsbury’s Assessment Day
The last stage of the hiring process is the assessment day. Sainsbury’s brings multiple candidates together to complete several group and individual exercises for this event. Some activities that are common on the assessment day include:
Group Exercise: The group exercises will assess your communication and leadership skills and your ability to work in a team. In this activity, you will work with other candidates to discuss and propose solutions to a given workplace issue.
Role Play: You may also participate in a role-play exercise with a hiring team member. The simulated situation will relate to a scenario you may encounter in the given position.
Presentation: Another activity you may complete is the presentation. You will receive a case study or a topic and will need to prepare a presentation that you will give to one of the assessors. The assessor will also ask questions based on the subject to examine your communication skills and ability to work under pressure.
How to Prepare for the Sainsbury’s Assessment?
Sainsbury’s is looking for employees who can serve their customers and fit well with their culture. A cohesive and pleasant working environment is vital to the company, so you’ll show that your values and working style align with the company.
The best way to do this is to do well on the assessments. Sainsbury’s relies heavily on its assessments to screen for ability and cultural fit. Doing well on these tests will increase your chance of moving forward in the application process.
The best way to do well on these tests is to prepare by using online resources. There are great assessment tips online and practice tests that you can take to help you get ready for the actual assessments.
