John Lewis Rejections Anybody?

snowqueen555

I had a group interview at Waitrose last year and didn't get the job. For a little local store they had 140 who reached group interviews, so they spent a whole week doing them. I didn't get it

It was all online and yes, I remember how fast they were at telling me I didn't get it with their online process

There was so much going on in these group interviews it also semed the interviewees weren't really paying too much attention, the whole thing seemed farcical to me

dmg24

snowqueen555 wrote: »

I had a group interview at Waitrose last year and didn't get the job. For a little local store they had 140 who reached group interviews, so they spent a whole week doing them. I didn't get it

It was all online and yes, I remember how fast they were at telling me I didn't get it with their online process

There was so much going on in these group interviews it also semed the interviewees weren't really paying too much attention, the whole thing seemed farcical to me

Would it have been a farce had they offered you the job? Did you ask for feedback?

Stardust

I applied for Xmas jobs across the board - Boots, Superdrug, Argos, Matalan, Sainsburys, Asda, M&S Food, Local Pubs, Pizza Hut, local gyms with bars and had no luck and I have 6 years of retail experience. Just when I was going to give up hope for having a job over Xmas I tried Primark, got an email with an offer of an interview within 15mins of sending the form off and got the job at interview 2 days later Dont give up just yet, theres still time.

zebramolli

Truegho wrote: »

Yes, tried Argos and Asda. The former, handed in completed app form to store, but they never contacted me; the latter, filled in a lengthy personality questionnaire, but failed that and was told that I could not apply again for six months!

Getting very, very demoralised and depressed.

I know that feeling, I've applied to ASDA 3 times and failed the assessment centre everytime (once online and twice instore). I now have a serious dislike for those personality questionnaires, I'm a fairly quiet person and try to answer honestly; must come across as some sort of hermit! :rotfl:

snowqueen555

dmg24 wrote: »

Would it have been a farce had they offered you the job? Did you ask for feedback?

I think its a poor way to see if someone is suitable for the job, most of the day was doing group tasks like making posters and things like that. Only 5 minutes of individual talk.

The level of sucking up was quite extroadinary. In a one to one interview it can pass but when you go around in a circle asking every individual why you want to work for john lewis/waitrose with 20 people saying the same thing its kinda funny, and even created some laughs/sniggles as well.

I think the process was incredibly poor, regardless of whether I got the job or not, that is one of the only group interviews I've done.

Hammyman

Truegho wrote: »

I have never known the employment situation in this country so horrific and soul destroying!

You must be quite young then. The mid to late 1980's and 1990-1992 were far worse than now.

Jacks_xxx

I'm sorry you didn't get the job Truegho. It probably won't make you feel better but I got a job once by behaving in the same way you did. It depends what they're looking for.

I'm quite surprised that they gave you negative feedback though - I wouldn't have thought that most employers would risk it. Isn't it like giving a bad reference?

This current employment climate feels a lot like most of the eighties to me - with hundreds of people going for every low paid job, wages dropping, and new redundancies and closures every week, demonstrations, strikes and riots.

In the first half of the nineties I mostly remember the interest rates going crazy and all the businesses going bust and the repossessions although I know unemployment was very high then as well.

Good luck for the next one. I know it's tough out there.

dmg24

snowqueen555 wrote: »

I think its a poor way to see if someone is suitable for the job, most of the day was doing group tasks like making posters and things like that. Only 5 minutes of individual talk.

The level of sucking up was quite extroadinary. In a one to one interview it can pass but when you go around in a circle asking every individual why you want to work for john lewis/waitrose with 20 people saying the same thing its kinda funny, and even created some laughs/sniggles as well.

I think the process was incredibly poor, regardless of whether I got the job or not, that is one of the only group interviews I've done.

But the job you are applying for is all about working in a team! If that does not suit, maybe it is not right for you?

Whatever you think of the process, I have never seen an unsatisfactory worker in JL or Waitrose, so they must be doing something right.

Fluffi

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

I
I'm quite surprised that they gave you negative feedback though - I wouldn't have thought that most employers would risk it. Isn't it like giving a bad reference?

Being considered to be "too dominant" isn't exactly negative feedback though. In some roles dominant behaviors would be a positive trait, it just happens that John Lewis don't currently require this behaviour. Next year the criteria might change and John Lewis will be hunting for dominant people instead!

snowqueen555

dmg24 wrote: »

But the job you are applying for is all about working in a team! If that does not suit, maybe it is not right for you?

Whatever you think of the process, I have never seen an unsatisfactory worker in JL or Waitrose, so they must be doing something right.

I don't think you can prove teamwork in a setting where you have to cut out pictures from a magazine and make a poster.

I already had several years retail experience, and I don't know of any job that doesn't involve some kind of team work. Anyway, this thread isnt about me, I just wanted to say I thought the process was terrible, and to not get too down about this interview to OP