To be baffled by Tesco's screening questions

[Hingeandbracket]

I applied for a job at Tesco but failed their questionnaire, which suggests situations and asks you to choose a multiple choice answer for what you would do in each.

I always struggle with these kinds of tests as it often seems to me that all are good answers - or none - and there isn't an obvious answer.

Does anyone who has passed this test have any tips about how it works?

I want to work and I am prepared to put myself out to help people - but it is very hard to see exactly what Tesco are looking for in these ambiguous questions.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

They aren’t just given a pile of cans and told get on with it

As an ex shelf stacker that is exactly what happened.

[withlotsoflove]

@Oliversmumsarmy

They aren’t just given a pile of cans and told get on with it

As an ex shelf stacker that is exactly what happened.

Times have really changed. Especially with the German model supermarkets as rivals.
It also depends on the management.

[withlotsoflove]

Plus, thinking about it some more. Most of the colleagues working the cages *also have to change displays:pricing.

[swampytiggaa]

@Oliversmumsarmy

They aren’t just given a pile of cans and told get on with it

As an ex shelf stacker that is exactly what happened.

Husband is a current shelf stacker (night staff Tesco) and that’s exactly what happens 🙂

[JenniferJareau]

Withlove is right. They want people now who can be really flexible and work in various areas of the branch at a moments notice without quibbling.

[Hingeandbracket]

@JenniferJareau

Withlove is right. They want people now who can be really flexible and work in various areas of the branch at a moments notice without quibbling.

I have zero quibble with that.

The bit I didn't get was where the selection process (not for Tesco) mentioned by a PP was to try and figure out how to do a totally and utterly different job, entirely unrelated to any of the roles the applicant would be expected to do.

Since I first posted I found a jobs group on reddit where someone has asked about the exact (Tesco) test I did - and although there's no definitive answer to what the test is looking for (or even exactly how it is meant to work) it is reassuring (to me) others were similarly baffled.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

What I don’t get is if everyone has to do the test why when I go onto my local supermarket and ask one of the staff where something is do I get a shrug of the shoulders or some bemused look.

If this is what the tests want then obviously that must be why normal helpful people can’t get through the test.

Not too sure why if you apply for a shelf stacking job you would be expected to do other stuff
It is hardly like the tills are open that time of night or there are queues at the closed customer service desk.

[jackparlabane]

The civil service psychometric tests are (or were 10 years ago) biased to people who chose extremes. So you had to say if something was very you, a bit, neither yes nor no, a bit unlike you, very unlike. Ditto for how appropriate a course of action would be in a situation.
If you only said 'very' for 10-20% of your answers, which many calm reasonable geeky types did, it was deemed too wishy-washy and you failed - they wanted at least 80% ’extreme' answers even though most of the scenarios had much better responses not listed.

The last time I got an interview after a psychometric test, apparently the test showed I was a sociopath but the interviewer patronisingly told me she disagreed. If only I'd had an autism diagnosis then...

[withlotsoflove]

@swampytiggaa
Well yes! On that team you would!
There aren’t any shoppers!

[swampytiggaa]

[quote withlotsoflove]@swampytiggaa
Well yes! On that team you would!
There aren’t any shoppers![/quote]
Pre Covid his store was 24 hours. A surprising amount of people shopped overnight 🤷‍♀️ even so none of the replenishment staff have been asked to learn to use tills or operate the self service area. There are dedicated staff for that. Even at midnight.

[withlotsoflove]

I think it’s also worth bearing in mind that if you’d like, it’s possible to go into management from any GA position too. So, you may get in to work the cages/ but move up. Guess those tests are good for the long run also.

[Hingeandbracket]

OK, so the local Tesco listed some new jobs, and I logged into the portal and applied again - but there doesn't seem to be an option to take the test again, so it appears they use my original answers (which I know are wrong) and I expect they will therefore reject me again.

[KatherineJaneway]

Some companies won't accept applications from a candidate they have recently rejected an application from. It might be that, although their system should point that out.

Or maybe they'll send a separate email with a link to the questions as a separate stage.

[Hingeandbracket]

Have had a rejection now for both of the newly applied for jobs - since they didn't give me a chance to change any of the test answers this time around I am not altogether surprised. I can't get back to the test at all to see the questions, my answers or the feedback. Time to give up on Tesco and try somewhere else I think.

[withlotsoflove]

@Hingeandbracket

Have had a rejection now for both of the newly applied for jobs - since they didn't give me a chance to change any of the test answers this time around I am not altogether surprised. I can't get back to the test at all to see the questions, my answers or the feedback. Time to give up on Tesco and try somewhere else I think.

I actually think that’s really unfair actually. Especially as you’ve researched what ‘ is’ expected of an employee.
Good luck with your job hunting.

[heartsonacake]

I actually think that’s really unfair actually. Especially as you’ve researched what ‘ is’ expected of an employee.

withlotsoflove What’s unfair about it? Of course you can’t take the test repeatedly; it would be pointless then.

And if OP has been rejected based on her answers once before, she’s going to be rejected again because they’re looking for a specific kind of person/mindset.

[withlotsoflove]

I take your point- but, you can just fail on one answer.
You should be able to do over. I work for Tesco. :)

[heartsonacake]

@withlotsoflove

I take your point- but, you can just fail on one answer.
You should be able to do over. I work for Tesco. :)

Not within the six months of the first application.

[KatherineJaneway]

since they didn't give me a chance to change any of the test answers this time around

If you change your answers then that isn’t the real you, it is the you you think they want you to be.

[Washyourhands48]

Just apply from another email address, if you can’t figure that out yet somehow think these questions are beneath you.....

[sfan92]

Hi guys,

The Tesco screening questions for basic customer service roles, along with the feedback I always get, can be found at:

app.photobucket.com/slideshow/u/snookerfan92/a/6004d0ab-02a5-4a11-a6c4-f8f72ec5b416

Tried the same assessment again and again, yet amazed I can never pass it. For each question, you can select "more" or "less" to any of the 4 options.

Any idea what the correct combination of answers are to pass?

[dontwantamirena]

Agree with the other poster who said that they would do whatever the company policy was. I don't see the point in giving you a test when you have no idea of their preferred way of doing things. At least provide some general rules (e.g. always ask a supervisor first) and see how the test takers interpret them.

I don't put much faith in these things. I sneaked a peak at the results of one during an interview and it gave me a very poor grade for teamwork. I had finished a degree not long before that required a lot of group work and never had any issues

[GreyPebbledash]

What I don’t get is if everyone has to do the test why when I go onto my local supermarket and ask one of the staff where something is do I get a shrug of the shoulders or some bemused look.

That gave me a smile, it’s a very familiar thought to me too. I’ve got, admittedly from a long time ago, supervisory experience in supermarkets and I know the various jobs. I am not looking forward to completing these stupid irrelevant tests and then team-building exercises in interviews - even if anything does come up in my area which it hasn’t - for jobs that pay peanuts compared to living costs now. At some point we really are going to have to get our august leaders to recognise that there are not enough jobs and we need other ways of living. At least, it seems, the middle classes sound like they’re a bit more aware of the problem now. 100 000 jobs were lost in retail between 2015 and 2018, long before Covid.

[sizla19]

i tried many times to fill this questionnaire but never get success. could anyone have any idea about them.

[Sammi43]

I really need some help passing the Tesco online questionnaire. I keep failing and I’m not sure why. Can anyone help.