Very negative. 4 stages, application, video interview, in person interview and finally in-store experience. I read the negative reviews for the deputy manager position before applying, but gave it a go anyway. Unfortunately, I had a similarily negative experience. After going through the entire process, lasting well over a month, I was offered a store assistant role at a different store to the one I applied for. At no point during the process was I asked if I was interested in being considered for this different role, nor was I even given feedback for my actual application. I was simply sent an offer for a different job with no explanation! The in-store experience was a very brief chat to the store manager and a tour of the store. During this process the deputy manager position wasn't discussed and looking back it seems I was being considered for the store assistant at this stage (if not before), not deputy manager but I wasn't told this before I attended. I have made a complaint because I feel my time was wasted going to the final stage when it was clearly for a different, lower paying and less senior role, than I had applied for. Also, all of the in store process happened at a different store to the one I'd applied for. I thought this was due to where the area manager was located, but I was ultimately offered the position at this store so I now have my doubts. This store was outside of the wide area I had said I was willing to travel to for the job, so again I was ignored here. Having checked again all of the stores in my area are apparently looking for deputy store managers. I have a feeling I wasted my time from the very start.

Standard online tests that you see everywhere else. Followed up by a video interview that only gives you 30 seconds from reading a question to providing a response. This in itself isn't so bad, but the fact that I was asked to describe my management style, personal style, favorite employee traits and disliked traits in a 20 second clip is just ridiculous. Perhaps don't put a time limit on responses. Was invited to a store for what I was told would be a sort of on the job assessment and was told the qualities they're looking for, which perfectly aligned with my current role. I got to the store to find out it was actually a 1 to 1 interview which I was only partly prepared for (obviously was ready for some questioning but not a full blown interview) and then was told despite "ticking all the right boxes" they thought it'd be best to offer me a store assistant role because I have no retail experience. Safe to say the offer was quickly declined and interviewing manager was given some words of advice.