When you see 'just get a job in a supermarket'

[Helga55]

Reading all the threads about CV, people losing jobs, reduced hrs, etc, & some helpful person comes along & says get a job in Tesco's/Morrison's etc, as if it's the easiest thing in the world is starting to really annoy me

I have applied for several jobs, shelf stacking, till operator, I am willing to do the graveyard shift, I have worked in a retail environment, I have dealt with monetary transactions, (for years) I am fit, well, able to start work immediately. No convictions, clean driving license, I can provide references with regards to time keeping, professionalism etc etc. I see the supermarkets by me advertising for people, my local store even had an A board with a hand written advert looking for staff outside & yet despite me applying for several positions, I've been turned down for them all 😔

I have no idea why, especially when I see the carnage in the stores atm, I would have thought it would have been easy to just pick up a job stacking shelves, it's really not

Have you had any feedback on your application? Have you had a friend look over it? So have you applied during this crisis? I'm surprised but it might be the HR departments are inundated with applications at the moment due to the number of people out of work.

A lot of supermarkets at this moment in time will accept you if you just go in and ask. You'll need ID and proof of NI. Think they may be doing application forms after employing people as so desperate. Ask for feedback.

Most employers are poor at feedback on job applications at the best of times, even when the candidate has been for interview, and with professional roles, so I do understand that supermarkets will not invest in this.
Is there someone you know well enough thais regularly recruits staff themselves, not necessarily in the same sector, that you could ask to look over your CV and give you honest feedback?

@Rosebel that doesn’t seem to be so. I’m in hospitality and lots of munch colleagues have been driving round the supermarkets desperately asking for work only to be told that they need to apply online. When they go online the websites don’t work, presumedly because so many people are trying to access them.

I don’t know what to suggest OP but keep trying and good luck

@Helga55 have you applied recently (in the last few days)? My DSIs works for one of the large supermarkets. They have pop up recruitment in store. It is literally bring proof of ability to work and they will hire you.

I agree OP. I'm not in the UK, but have applied for several supermarket jobs and have been turned down, even though I have over 40 years customer service experience. I'm really not sure just who they want working for them. Oh well, now that they desperately need staff they needn't look in my direction!

Does anyone know if my partner has been laid off and he has been told he will receive the 80% of his pay, he is in the building roadworks trade, can he get another part time job in a supermarket to make up the 20% he has lost? Or will it affect the 80% pay he will get?

I think the ones by us really want students, they know there is little risk of family commitment and will be flexible on the hours. Hope you find something soon

You need to ask why you have been turned down if you have made several applications and been turned down for them all.

Then, depending on the reason you have been turned down, see if you can address any of the causes so that you are successful in the future.

A relative of mine was turned down (years ago) because in a test they said, in all honesty, they preferred to work by themselves rather than in a team situation. They do prefer that but, in a team situation, are a team player. They re-applied, changed their answer when they did the test and landed the job.

DS was able to get an offer of a basic seasonal worker contract pretty much immediately. DH works in the store and had to vouch for him. It may be that made the difference? It is only a few hours a week but anything to stop him going stir crazy while waiting for armed forces recruitment to start up again (his application has already been in for six months).

I have found the same but this time round it might be different. I have always wondered if they choose someone who they know of through existing staff eg family members.

Also I applied to Tesco and Asda and the online application process was very basic and I don’t see how anyone could go wrong tbh.

I think most food stores are asking workers for friend/family recommendations to speed up the process of signing people up

Does anyone know if my partner has been laid off and he has been told he will receive the 80% of his pay, he is in the building roadworks trade, can he get another part time job in a supermarket to make up the 20% he has lost? Or will it affect the 80% pay he will get?

The government agrees to pay 80% of an employee's wages provided the employer agrees to pay the remaining 20% and not lay them off, when otherwise they would have. He should not lose 20% provided his employer abides by that agreement.

Can't see how you could be turned down currently when all you need right now is proof that you can work in the UK.

You don't fill out an application right now. You go down to your local store and ask if you can apply for work. They will check if you can work in the UK (passport or other official id) and ask what you can do. Other people are being hired the same day.

Are you putting very limited availability down? In terms of when you can work?

At times like this recruitment agencies can be better for temporary jobs, it takes time to go through application forms and agencies can just provide you with staff after a phonecall. Try to find out what agencies are used locally and by whom.
Also don’t be disheartened, it doesn’t mean your applications are bad. Years ago I recruited for a supermarket, when it was easier, I’d have application forms and CVs stored in big printer paper boxes stacked high. I used to end up doing something like flicking through half a box, maybe 40-50 odd forms, and choosing a few to interview. We were just overwhelmed with the amount and couldn’t read them all. Do though make yours catch the eye by filling every bit in in good handwriting, I found 70-80% of forms missed whole chunks out and I’d just put them aside.
Good luck x

My friends in the U.K. who are EU nationals are saying that many employers won’t hire them unless they have already gotten settled status despite the fact that this is not required until June 2021.

The supermarket i work at has had over 150 plus people apply and they already taken on many. Now there going in group selections as sadly cannot take on everyone

Saw a few newbies being trained on the tills yesterday - all of them were student age. I don't know if age is relevant as in the younger staff will be safer/cheaper etc. I'm guessing they were also flooded with applications as soon as they announced it too.

@Lorddenning1 I don’t know the answer to your question but it’s certainly not in the spirit of what the government is trying to do. The 80 percent isn’t him being laid off, he’s been furloughed ( a temporary leave of absence because unable to work due to Coronavirus). So basically employment law still applies, and it depends whether his contract excludes him being allowed to take on any other work I think.

I know someone who picked up one of the Tesco ones this weekend in a couple of hours. But he’s on a 12 week contract, a strapping healthy 17 year old, lives 15 minutes walk from the store, a sixth former on school closure.

So from Tesco’s point of view he is fit, healthy, young, available anytime for hard graft when he is needed most. He can then be laid off when lo longer required and slip back into education without any hard feelings and some work experience on his CV.

I suspect these will be their targeted recruits.

The applications for Tesco and Asda are online, no handwriting required!

Daisychain the employer is not required to pay the remaining 20%