SUMMARY
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Are you applying to John Lewis’s 2024/25 internships or graduate opportunities? Are you exploring a professional job opportunity at John Lewis? This comprehensive guide is for you.
The text below provides a full candidate recruitment, assessment preparation guide and practice for those applying to jobs, internships and graduate programs at John Lewis UK, Ireland, and the US.
Our website provides scientifically validated practice assessment tests, interviews and assessment centre exercises that can be used to practice and prepare for the recruitment and assessment process.
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Should you practice tests to prepare for the John Lewis online assessment tests? According to research, 60-80% of candidates are rejected based on their aptitude test results. It is proven that practice increases your chances of getting hired.
A recent study found that candidates who do not practice assessments tend to fail at the first hurdle of psychometric assessments (54%-84%). This study looked at the Top 100 global employers. (Bradley et al., 2019
A recent study found that candidates who do not practice assessments tend to fail at the first hurdle of psychometric assessments (54%-84%). This study looked at the Top 100 global employers.
In a nutshell:
John Lewis uses a variety of assessments and ability tests and may also include personality questionnaires for some roles. These may include:
Prepare for your John Lewis interviews by running mock interviews and answering typical interview questions for the role you are applying for. For John Lewis interview practice, use the following:
Use the STAR+R method for your answers and practice each answer several times.
Continue reading to get answers to the following important questions:
Looking to prepare for your John Lewis online tests, simply click on the table below to practice tests relevant to your assessment process!
Go Premium to access all the practice assessments listed above in preparation to ace all your John Lewis assessments for the first time.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
John Lewis is a British retail company that runs the John Lewis & Partners department stores, Waitrose & Partners supermarkets, and other retail-related activities. John Lewis is also known as the John Lewis Partnership, or JLP.
John Lewis is a large employer as the company offers a variety of roles in different aspects of the retail industry. As of 2022, the company has 80,000+ employees who are also referred to as partners.
Therefore, competition for John Lewis jobs is very high and John Lewis screens thousands of applications annually to select the best candidates.
Discover some of the many areas that these applicants apply to at John Lewis below.
John Lewis is a leading company in the retail industry and operates in major key areas of the sector, thus offering various roles. Some of these business areas are:
So how do you get jobs such as these at John Lewis? The John Lewis recruitment process has different stages, which we cover in the following sections below.
Read on to find out!
The John Lewis online application begins your journey to landing your dream role with the retail giant. Start by going to the John Lewis Partnership’s official careers website, browse through current vacancies, and apply for your desired role.
When you apply, the John Lewis application form will contain questions that assess your suitability for the role. You will be required to provide the following information:
John Lewis Application Form
Source: John Lewis Jobs
Good to know: Along with the online application, you may also be required to complete a personality questionnaire with questions that assess you against John Lewis’ values and capabilities. In some cases, this may come in the assessment stage.
John Lewis has 6 core values that you will be assessed against throughout the recruitment process. The values represent how John Lewis expects all its employees to behave with everyone. The John Lewis Partnership values are:
All or nothing:
Put everything you have into everything you do.
Be yourself, always:
Quirky, proud and at your best when free to be yourself.
Do right:
Act with integrity and use your judgement to do the right thing.
Give more than you take:
Put more in so that everyone gets more out.
Develop self and others:
Look to grow your own and others’ confidence, knowledge, capability and ultimately performance.
We, not me:
When you work with others, anything is possible.
John Lewis also has crucial partnership capabilities that it looks for in new Partners. The John Lewis Partnership Capabilities are:
John Lewis uses data from the application form to select qualified candidates for the next stage.
If you are selected, you can move on to take one or more John Lewis online tests.
The John Lewis assessment tests are provided by Sova, a leading psychometric test provider. The assessments will evaluate you for important cognitive abilities and work behaviours that are crucial for your success in the role.
Depending on the role, expect to complete at least one or a combination of the following John Lewis Sova assessment:
Good to know: John Lewis recommends completing the tests as soon as possible as all the tests need to be completed within two days of receiving the invitation email.
Let’s find out what each of these John Lewis tests are, what they entail and what they assess.
The John Lewis situational judgement test will assess you for desired work behaviours. In this test, you will be asked to read a scenario and choose the best course of action. The scenarios will relate to your desired role.
Good to know: John Lewis uses a situational judgement test for roles such as selling assistant, stock assistant, supermarket assistant, catering/cafe assistant, warehouse assistant, contact centre and people administration roles.
Want to understand more about the John Lewis Sova situational judgement test? Watch our short video below.
Get a glimpse of what a situational judgement test looks like, from the following similar John Lewis situational judgement test sample question provided by our experts.
John Lewis-style Situational Judgement Question Example
Below, we have curated a few handy tips to help you prepare and pass your John Lewis situational judgement test.
After completing the situational judgement test, the next Sova assessment you may be asked to complete is the John Lewis numerical reasoning test.
The John Lewis numerical reasoning test will assess your cognitive ability to analyse data and understand numerical information with questions on different mathematical concepts such as graphs, percentages, averages, and data tables.
The John Lewis Sova numerical reasoning test is timed with multiple-choice questions.
Check out the video to learn more about the John Lewis numerical reasoning test!
Below, we have curated a few handy tips to help you prepare and pass your John Lewis numerical reasoning test.
Access FREE numerical reasoning practice questions when you sign up with GF for a free trial today.
Using the tips we provided above, take the opportunity to try a question similar to the John Lewis Sova numerical reasoning test question below!
John Lewis-style Numerical Reasoning Question Example
Did you get the correct answer? Check the bottom of the page to find out.
Bonus John Lewis numerical reasoning test tip: Learn to quickly distinguish between essential and non-essential information in a question. Not all data provided in the question may be necessary for finding the answer.
Looking to practice more numerical reasoning tests ahead of your John Lewis assessment?
After completing the numerical reasoning test, you may also be required to complete the John Lewis Sova verbal reasoning test.
The John Lewis verbal reasoning test is used to assess your ability to understand information in written reports, paragraphs, or passages. You will be required to read short paragraphs and answer questions on them.
Just like the numerical test, the John Lewis Sova verbal reasoning test is also a timed test with multiple-choice questions. In most cases, the passages will be followed by ‘True’, ‘False’, or ‘Cannot Say’ options to choose from.
In our short video below, we explain more about the John Lewis verbal reasoning test.
Below, we have curated a few handy tips to help you prepare and pass your John Lewis verbal reasoning test.
Practice our FREE verbal reasoning practice questions developed by our experts when you sign up with GF for free.
Practice a free sample question similar to John Lewis’s Sova verbal reasoning test question below using the tips we provided above!
John Lewis-style Verbal Reasoning Question Example
Did you get the right answer? Check the bottom of the page to find out.
Bonus John Lewis verbal reasoning test tip: Focus on summarising the main ideas in a passage, understanding the text’s overall structure and its purpose.
Looking for more John Lewis verbal reasoning test practice? We’ve got you covered.
After you complete the John Lewis Sova assessments, John Lewis recruiters will review your results. If you perform well, you may then get an invitation to the next stage which is the John Lewis final interview.
The final John Lewis interviews are the last hurdle of the recruitment process. In these interviews, John Lewis will try to get to know you better with questions relating to your experience, skills, and workplace behaviours.
The format of your John Lewis interviews differs depending on the role and its location. It may include a one-on-one interview or a John Lewis group interview.
Depending on the role, you may be required to complete one of the following John Lewis job interviews:
Good to know: John Lewis will continue to assess you against its values and partnership capabilities with competency, behavioural, and personal questions that will require you to showcase how you’ve embodied those ethics in the past.
Let’s take a quick look at what these John Lewis job interviews are and what they might assess.
The John Lewis telephone interview is a one-to-one interview that John Lewis may conduct in the early stages of the selection process. In this interview, you will be asked questions focusing on John Lewis’ partnership capabilities, skills, and experience.
Good to know: Depending on the role you applied for, this interview may be substituted for a virtual interview.
Watch our short video below that explains how you should research John Lewis before your telephone interview.
Kickstart your John Lewis interview prep and practice potential interview questions with our Question Identifier Tool (QIT) as part of our Go Essential bundle.
Become ready for your John Lewis interview with our video interview practice tool! Sign up with GF now and access 39 employer interview sets to practice and hone your skills.
The John Lewis group interview is simply a group exercise. In this interview, you will be paired with other shortlisted candidates and required to analyse and discuss a situation, industry trend, problem, John Lewis business, or any role-related topic.
The John Lewis group assessment will typically assess your ability to think critically, articulate and present your thoughts, as well as your ability to collaborate with others and work in a team as John Lewis values teamwork.
Good to know: The John Lewis group interview is often conducted for sales, retail, and customer service related roles. If you have applied for these roles, you may take this exercise!
Watch our video below to learn more about what to expect in your John Lewis group exercise!
Using the tips we provided above and in the video, take some time to practice some typical John Lewis interview questions below.
Some John Lewis interview questions you may be asked in your John Lewis interviews include:
Watch our short video below to get tips on how to answer the ‘Tell me about yourself’ John Lewis interview question.
Read on as we give an example answer to one of these John Lewis interview questions below.
How to Answer: When answering, demonstrate your understanding of what distinguishes the company, such as exceptional customer service, employee ownership model, and values. Tailor your answer to reflect a genuine interest in these qualities and how they resonate with your career goals and personal values.
Good Answer:
I am drawn to the John Lewis Partnership because of its unique employee-owned structure, which I believe fosters a strong collaborative culture and a sense of pride and ownership among staff. I admire your commitment to providing excellent customer service, which aligns with my passion for delivering high-quality service.
Your focus on sustainability and community involvement also resonates deeply with my values. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to a company that not only aims for commercial success but also prioritises the well-being of its employees and the community.
Watch our short video below to get tips on how to answer the ‘What has attracted you to apply for this role?’ John Lewis interview question.
How to Answer: When answering this question, it is essential to provide a clear and concise example demonstrating your teamwork skills. Use the STAR+R method (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection) to structure your response.
Situation:
Last year, as a Sales Representative, I was part of a team that was responsible for organising a major annual sales event. Our goal was to increase customer engagement and boost sales figures from the previous year.
Task:
My role was to coordinate with various departments to ensure all products were adequately stocked and manage the event’s marketing efforts.
Action:
I collaborated closely with the inventory team to forecast product demand and with the marketing team to develop promotional materials. I organised regular meetings to ensure all team members were aligned with our objectives and timelines. I also initiated a shared online workspace for better communication and progress tracking.
Result:
The event was highly successful, leading to a 20% increase in sales compared to the previous year. Our team was praised for our excellent coordination and effective communication, which were crucial in achieving these results.
Reflection:
This experience taught me the value of cross-departmental collaboration, effective communication, and adaptability in teamwork. I learned the effectiveness of regular updates and strategy flexibility. This has refined my proactive approach to teamwork which I’ll apply in future projects.
And….that’s a wrap on the John Lewis application process! If you are successful in the process, John Lewis’ team will contact you with their decision. You will be informed during the final stage when to expect feedback.
While you’re here…
Don’t miss the captivating range of graduate programs that await you at John Lewis.
John Lewis graduate schemes refer to the career opportunities that the retail giant has made available for students and graduates and are offered across different divisions of the business. John Lewis graduate schemes include:
Let’s find out what these John Lewis programs entail.
The John Lewis apprenticeships are programs that enable you to learn while on the job in the Partnership and earn a nationally recognised apprenticeship standard of competency.
John Lewis currently has 26 apprenticeship schemes and they range across different business areas including Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Retail, and Hospitality.
The John Lewis industrial placements are opportunities for students to gain invaluable experience. These programs are designed to develop your skills and give you responsibilities through involvement in real-time projects, preparing you for real-life work environments.
John Lewis industrial placements offer openings in different business areas including Digital Marketing, Human Resources, Sales, Quality Assurance, etc.
And with that, we’ve covered all you’ll need to know about the John Lewis recruitment process, online assessments, and graduate schemes you could apply to.
But wait!
Before you start your John Lewis application process, explore our FAQ section below for more answers about the John Lewis assessment process.
The challenge of securing a job with John Lewis can vary depending on various factors. To increase your chances of being hired at John Lewis, it’s advisable to prepare for the John Lewis job application process thoroughly.
The John Lewis partnership mission statement is, “Always striving to make the world a better and happier place for everyone and everything our business touches.”
The John Lewis vision statement is, “We want to work in partnership with our customers, our partners and our communities to make the world just a little bit happier. The three pillars are; happier people, happier world, happier business.”
The John Lewis dress code is a business attire so for your John Lewis interview, it’s advisable to dress professionally.
John Lewis staff discounts typically range around 12% to 25% off most items, with a potentially higher discount on John Lewis branded products.
John Lewis is recognized for its employee-owned model which offers a unique work culture and benefits. Employee reviews have praised its good staff discounts, supportive environment, and sense of ownership and partnership due to the company’s structure.
Do you want to pass your John Lewis Partnership assessments first time? Sign up to take numerical, logical, verbal reasoning and situational judgement practice tests today with GF, the only aptitude practice test experts providing practice test solutions to over 150 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe. Practice with peace of mind without commitment to a full 100% money-back guarantee if you do not pass your job tests. Correct answers to example questions: Numerical Reasoning Test: C Verbal Reasoning Test: B
Do you want to pass your John Lewis Partnership assessments first time? Sign up to take numerical, logical, verbal reasoning and situational judgement practice tests today with GF, the only aptitude practice test experts providing practice test solutions to over 150 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe.
Practice with peace of mind without commitment to a full 100% money-back guarantee if you do not pass your job tests.
Correct answers to example questions:
Numerical Reasoning Test: C
Verbal Reasoning Test: B
Start Preparing Today
