To wonder how anyone gets a job in Tescos

[Tootsey11]

Ds20 has been applying for jobs over the last few months and has applied twice to our local Tesco store, most recently for Xmas staff. For the second time he has been rejected, not even getting to interview stage. We cannot work out what he is doing wrong.

He has 5 Gcse's, 6 A levels, is willing and able to work, and can take a variety of shifts, so fully flexible.

Can anyone give me an idea of what he is doing wrong.

From what i know the problem with your son is its safer/easier/less hassle to train someone who will do the job and stay in the job than someone who is over qualified and probably will move if/when the opportunity arises.

From a family member i have heard that they take on new starters in batches and its quite a pain for existing staff to cover for their shortcomings whilst they learn the job and an even bigger pain for them to be whittled down to the ones who will hang around.

My advice would be to dumb down the cv. It asks for qualifications, his GCSE's would be enough, i wouldnt even mention the extra schooling and A levels.

Was it the online multiple choice test? I tried to help my daughter with it and failed, I really dont know what the knack is. Considering retail are supposedly crying out for staff I don’t know why they make it so hard.

You need to get a life

How far off 21 is he? They might just be going for cheaper option due to minimum wage.
He hasn’t got retail or customer facing experience.
His academics would raise eyebrows it’s not normal to do 4 yrs A levels - most would go to uni. I’m surprised it got funded. It’s so unusual it makes me wonder what else going on eg if he’s had an illness.
Concerns re whether he will stay - why not apply for what he wants to do long term?

Is it the online questions about dealing with customers?

My DS1 failed at these. DS3 passed and is working night shifts.

With the questions, customer always comes first, then helping colleagues, then doing your own job.

That's how DS3 answered them and passed (after we googled to see where DS1 had failed)

Has he showed you what he is putting in the application form?
Im guessing they are inundated with applicants and as prev posters have said there seems to be a set way of filling the form in. Have you got any job agencies local to you they can be better at finding work for people sometimes.
And i agree age 20 is late for a first job and no voluntary experience either. Can he volunteer in a charity- that would look good on his cv. In the meantime just apply for every single job going. Good luck x

@Tootsey11 Probably just SO may applications. I am sorry he's had no luck. Sending good vibes to your son. Hope he gets something soon.

I’ve applied at lots of supermarkets and not got the jobs. Eventually I got a job in one - my next door neighbour was the manager interviewing me.

I think they’re just incredibly difficult to get hired by. You need to do a really long test where you have to answer all these questions of what would you do in x situation etc. Which is ironic because whenever I’m in Asda I can’t find someone to help me for love nor money. What annoys me most is I still see them posting for staff.

He doesn't know what he wants to do long term, so decided to spend a period of time just working and saving. He didn't want to go to university, it would mean a lot of travel and debt which he didn't want. During covid, rather than sit on his backside doing nothing, he decided to put the time in and study. How on earth is that a bad thing.

I’m genuinely curious on the a levels. Six means he’s done one without even doing the gcse before it . I didn’t even know that was possible and you’d get funding for it?

unless he took the same three again, which means he’s got three. Very confused as that’s such an unusual situation. With three a levels why not do something else. Going for six is very unusual

Tesco don’t want you taking too much initiative but do like common sense so with the questions if there’s an option that seems sensible that’s “ask a manager” then that’s probably the right one.

in reality once you’re working there the managers are nowhere to be found and hate being asked questions. I hated working there

Also love that the person picking you up on using a common colloquial nickname for that supermarket can’t even use the correct it’s.

Using its instead of it’s is much more incorrect than using something like Tescos/Sainsbos/Marks instead of Teso/Sainsbury’s/Marks & Spencer. What a dummy.

I think there has to be an element of luck or random selection with Tesco recruitment. My DD got a student job in her local Express store with no retail experience (just 6 months in a takeaway) whilst her flat mate didn't even get an interview for the same trawl. To be fair, the flatmate had no retail experience either but she significantly more hospitality experience than DD.

Exactly my son's experience with Morrisons.

10 GCSEs, 4 A Levels and a BA in Management Studies.

Rejected.

I failed their psychometric test to be a cashier once! I have a PhD and an executive job now managing a massive budget and running a dept so I'm sure I wouod have managed. YANBU.

He needs to present a one-page application listing his name, address, any work experience, relevent skills and attributes. eg

Punctual, articulate, attentive to instructions, energetic.

It should be neatly typed with correct spelling and punctuation. Attach small photo ( looking fresh, alert, clean tidy hair, wearing a shirt.)

Nobody gives a stuff about a shelf stacker's exam results.

When I was a teen a few of my friends worked at Tesco's and I had a look at the application forms they used... it's bizarre, they seem to have really specific but unknowable criteria. One friend was explicitly told she was "overqualified", (11 good GCSEs and a Saturday job waitressing at that point) but then another friend with the same qualifications and experience got a job there... The application form is really long and detailed, they ask weird questions... You'd think it was an easy job to get, but it's not.

And, like others have said, it's often a numbers game. He could be an acceptable candidate but if there are 5 people who have more experience than him then he won't get it.

Erm this advice isn’t very up to date - he definitely doesn’t ‘need to present a one page application’ with a photo. Major supermarkets don’t even accept typed CV/letters and photographs of applicants. They ask you to apply through their online process. If he shows up at Tesco with a letter and photo of himself he’ll just be immediately turned away.

For that matter I’ve never been asked to provide a photo for a retail position in the UK.

I have asked in store how long you worked here, how did you get in working here? Always because they know someone already there, relative or friend. I am older and have applied so many times and to other supermarkets. Nope no contacts so given up! (Hard worker and worked in shops for years)

Thank you you everyone for the kind advice.

I cannot see what I am writing with the way the site works on this device. We are rural as I've already stated, so limits his options greatly. He has experience of working in a team, supervising that team, office work and hands on manual work.

17 yr old ds got a 16 hr festive job. He started this week. He passed the online questionnaire which I imagine is the main stumbling block.

He did his induction yesterday and there were around 7 of them all about his age he thought. It is his first ever paid job.

HTH.

You don't necessarily have to do the GCSE of a particular subject to do the A level. It depends what the subject is.

I didn't do history for GCSE then picked it up again at A level and it was allowed as long as I had a good grade in another humanities subject. There are also lots of A levels that don't even have a corresponding GCSE, or there is one but so few schools offer it that they can't set it as a requirement for the A level. Eg. sociology, psychology, Latin, Classics, Sports Science, just off the top of my head.

My dd applied to Tesco too. She failed the questionnaire stage. As far as I can see they want people to be overworked and feel happy about it. Eg you are behind in your allocated task. You notice that the baskets are low and the assigned colleague is doing something else.
the answer they expect us that you’ll replenish the baskets and be happy about it!

She got a job in Sainsburys. Id try elsewhere.

Sit with him when he does the online test and see if you can help him. The test is just a filter and most kids I know had their parents help them. I would put the later 3 a levels down. Covid is going to make a lot of cvs look odd - loads of kids had to resit their exams so I don’t see that as a problem. Also lots of 19 and 20 year olds suffered because theirs was the exam year that was basically cancelled at the last minute. Course work wasn’t marked, btecs were crazy. He just needs to explain this. M&S is looking for seasonal workers too.