John Lewis aims to help interview candidates with advance view of questions

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Apr 25, 2024

Many of us have been there: a tough or unexpected question sprung during a job interview and an already nervous candidate struggles for an answer.

And because John Lewis Partnership (JLP) feels it could be missing out on good employees who struggle with the recruitment process, the retail giant’s making the process less arduous, by publishing all the questions prospective recruits might face online.

Bosses hope candidates will be able to prepare answers in advance in order to get a better feel for their suitability.

Prospective employees can now go to a dedicated website where they can read up on ‘partnership values’ and how to prepare for the interview, as well as a list of the questions.

Lorna Bullett, talent acquisition manager at JLP, said: “Anyone who has ever recruited will know that there are sometimes candidates who would be capable of performing to a high standard in a role but don’t always give the best performance at an interview.

“It made us question why we couldn’t do something different with the assessment process and [so] we decided to publish our interview questions.

“We want the right people, from a variety of backgrounds with the best talent to join our organisation. It makes absolute business sense to find ways of helping candidates to really demonstrate what they can do so that we get the right fit for the role.”

However the partnership insists that its interview process will be “no less rigorous” than before. Detailed follow-up questions about their experiences should eliminate any candidates who have memorised model answers.