The Student Room Group

Tesco Application Form

Hey guys, this is my first post, been browsing for a while now and was interested in the Part-Time and Temporary Employment section of the forum and i have a problem which i hope people can relate with.

I've been travelling around supermarkets looking for employment and picked up a couple of application forms but the tesco one just struck me as being overly complex and abstract. If any of you have filled one in, im pertaining to the the questionaire section, i hope you'll agree that it is seriously flawed. I mean seriously, its has four statements and you need to agree with one thats more like you and one thats least like you. The thing is all the statements are positive attributes so if you choose one which is least like you, it will come across as a disadvantage anyway. Most of the questions repeat themselves and it is as if a philadelphia lawyer has set this in order to confuse people.

Does Tesco have a set criteria that successful applicants should have? Because i don't see where they would make there decisions from as nearly all questions would show that the individual is flawed(e.g most likely to talk openly and honestly with other people but least likely to want the company to be successful, or least likely maintain high quality of work.)

Sorry, but this just boggles the mind, i never knew completing an application form would cause so much stress and self restraint.
Reply 1
I've applied for tescos a few times!

theres no right or wrong answer to the section and it doesnt really make that much difference just fill it in and answer honestly and send it back

good luck
Reply 2
Johno10
Hey guys, this is my first post, been browsing for a while now and was interested in the Part-Time and Temporary Employment section of the forum and i have a problem which i hope people can relate with.

I've been travelling around supermarkets looking for employment and picked up a couple of application forms but the tesco one just struck me as being overly complex and abstract. If any of you have filled one in, im pertaining to the the questionaire section, i hope you'll agree that it is seriously flawed. I mean seriously, its has four statements and you need to agree with one thats more like you and one thats least like you. The thing is all the statements are positive attributes so if you choose one which is least like you, it will come across as a disadvantage anyway. Most of the questions repeat themselves and it is as if a philadelphia lawyer has set this in order to confuse people.

Does Tesco have a set criteria that successful applicants should have? Because i don't see where they would make there decisions from as nearly all questions would show that the individual is flawed(e.g most likely to talk openly and honestly with other people but least likely to want the company to be successful, or least likely maintain high quality of work.)

Sorry, but this just boggles the mind, i never knew completing an application form would cause so much stress and self restraint.


I wouldn't say its flawed. Its stupid. I ticked the ones that made me seem bad and they hired me anyway. Tick away.
I'm glad I worked at tesco before that stupid form came in.

To be honest, what's far more important is your prior experience and whether you can demonstrate examples of providing customer service/being helpful under pressure. I have my suspicions Tesco brought those stupid multiple choice questions in to try and put off inappropriate candidates and people wh weren't serious from applying - at the stores I worked at there was always no end of desperate people coming in looking for jobs.
Blag it, their recruitment process is so poor. When I was called back along with several other people, I was amongst a couple of people who would've been model employees....yet they picked me.
Reply 5
All the 4 answers are correct in some way, however only 2 of the 4 will earn you a score. The higher the score the higher priority you get for an interview but to be honest most Tesco stores are short of staff around this time of year with the Summer coming up and then people leaving for University so they will proberbly accept anyone.
When I filled in the form, I just ticked the ones that made me sound most like a "team player". I selected the ones that made me sound helpful, friendly and good to work with, rather than those which talked about company profits and such.

I agree, it is stupid. I wish I'd kept a photocopy of my answers for it though, I would have made a fortune selling it to people who fail that part of the process!
Reply 7
EssexDan86
I'm glad I worked at tesco before that stupid form came in.

To be honest, what's far more important is your prior experience and whether you can demonstrate examples of providing customer service/being helpful under pressure. I have my suspicions Tesco brought those stupid multiple choice questions in to try and put off inappropriate candidates and people wh weren't serious from applying - at the stores I worked at there was always no end of desperate people coming in looking for jobs.


This isn't true; I worked at Tescos while I was at school, then tried to apply to another store a couple of years later. I obviously told them that I had already worked at another store for three years, and I had a good reference from my previous manager. But they didn't employ me because they made me do the aptitude test thing on the application form, which I failed!!

To the OP, yes it is thoroughly ridiculous. There is no right or wrong (well there is, but noone knows what it is). Just answer as truthfully as possible and try to be consistent.
Reply 8
There are right and wrong answers :p: there in the wages filing cabnet in my store :p: I did the test 4 years ago and just made some stuff up, and i got a job.
I've worked my way up and whilst doing my degree im doing manager training. I must say though just keep trying, and if you apply for a temp job usually at xmas you get to skip the proper application process (in my store at least) and if they like you they'll keep you on.
fill in the form according to this criteria: motivation, team work + customer service. Thats all you have to do.
The Tesco questionnaire is based upon the "Tesco Values" (which employees are supposed to "live") and there are statements that fit better with the values than others do. As you say they're all positive attributes, but it's more to see where you fit into Tesco.

(I'm a PT (well FT over the summer) Team Leader in Tesco working towards my management training by the way)
Reply 11
ive applied to work in tesco 3 TIMES
ive filled that stupid form in 3 TIMES
and everytime i go in and ask about it, apparently they throw them away after a week or so, "policy"

i doubt anybody has seen my application form.
a year on, ive heard nothing, i went to see store manager, and suprise suprise, he told me to fill a form in and drop it at the fag counter... so i did... and suprise suprise, 2 months on, ive heard nothing.

SURELY a CV in addition would improve an application
Reply 12
i got my tesco job just by handing in an CV. i dont think they even read it :s-smilie:

at my tesco, they tend to look for people who want to work as a team and is willing to work up through the ranks. i was approached to be a TM after 3 months!
they cant throw them away after a week
i handed mine in 2 months before they rang me for an interview!

as for the filling it in, just do what you thinks right, i just chose what best suited me and wolla!
TomStudent
ive applied to work in tesco 3 TIMES
ive filled that stupid form in 3 TIMES
and everytime i go in and ask about it, apparently they throw them away after a week or so, "policy"

i doubt anybody has seen my application form.
a year on, ive heard nothing, i went to see store manager, and suprise suprise, he told me to fill a form in and drop it at the fag counter... so i did... and suprise suprise, 2 months on, ive heard nothing.

SURELY a CV in addition would improve an application

They keep them on file for six months, provided you meet a certain score on the application form. If they thought you weregood enough, a personnel manager would have looked over your form and either rang you to arrange an interview, or filed it away for future.

No, a CV in addition wouldn't improve an application. There aren't any academic qualities that maake someone a better candidate for Tesco. The job itself is so easy a monkey could do it, so they don't care if you have A-levels or whatever (until you try for management training). What they care about is your attitude, your personality and your ability to work well and solve problems. And they havedecided the form is the best way to measure this. No need for a CV really.
Reply 15
I have applied at tesco 3 times and failed their innocuous little application form. This is an unfair and silly way to employ people so i've decided to be deceptive.

They definitely have a master sheet they compare the questionnaire to, so I have come up with a plan i might try out.

Visit the tesco website, download the application form and apply at various tesco locations throughout the country with differing questionnaire results, obviously you have enough judgement to increase the odds of success. Just make a note of which application went where and if you get a positive response then you have discovered the right formula. Then you can use that to apply again at a local store or at least keep it for future applications.

It's a lot of effort, but surely its worth it for an easy job that brings in some money while you study.

IF i get a positive response, i will post the correct answers here. I encourage others to do the same to increase chances of success.
Reply 16
rich1701
I have applied at tesco 3 times and failed their innocuous little application form. This is an unfair and silly way to employ people so i've decided to be deceptive.

They definitely have a master sheet they compare the questionnaire to, so I have come up with a plan i might try out.

Visit the tesco website, download the application form and apply at various tesco locations throughout the country with differing questionnaire results, obviously you have enough judgement to increase the odds of success. Just make a note of which application went where and if you get a positive response then you have discovered the right formula. Then you can use that to apply again at a local store or at least keep it for future applications.

It's a lot of effort, but surely its worth it for an easy job that brings in some money while you study.

IF i get a positive response, i will post the correct answers here. I encourage others to do the same to increase chances of success.



EPIC EPIC BUMP

just wondering did you go through with your master idea lol?

please quote me :smile:
Reply 17
what type of questions do 'tesco' ask at the interview??
Reply 18
soni.ks
what type of questions do 'tesco' ask at the interview??



hi they usually hold group interviews like most supermarkets....when i went for mine a while back we had to sit in a circle and then 3 managers stand, take notes and ask questions which we all have to contribute to/discuss etc...
the first question was just introduce yourself and tell everyone one interesting fact about yourself!
then it goes into the usual customer service/team work based type questions/scenarios...just make sure you get a chance to speak as there were 3 selfish people who kept trying to get all the good answers in:mad: and the rest of us basically ended up regurgitating what they had already said!!!:s-smilie:
if you do get invited to a group interview then just show your listening when people are talking, eye contact,SMILE SMILE SMILE!!! etc
finally we had to go wait in the cafeteria and they called us in one by one asking availability, times etc and that they'd be in touch!...
good luck!:smile: