mart360

Just filled in an application form for one of the large food chains,

they want some tempory staff for 2 weeks, (it helps the fund)

the forms straightforward, name address etc...

then they have a q/a section one statement and 4 answers but you must choose one most and one least...

sounds ok, until you read the questions....

WTF!!! from a professional point of view i,m dismayed, the way the questions are worded, you either have to show yourself as either uncaring or incompetant.

how they derive any meaningfull results is beyond me. I have filled it in, but am really finding it an affront to my profession, to have had to indicate some of the answers given.


is this normal for these things, give me a board interview anyday


Mart

imlach

Is your own profession linked in some way to the large food chain?
If not, what is the relevance?

StickyMicky

mcdonalds is a bitch for applications the mong at the drive through told me

mart360

the profession i do can be implemented into any company. (quality)

example question asked, means you have to say you are strong on one aspect and weak on another, however all the aspects of the question are prime requisites for the overall entity.

you cant be strong on one aspect without being strong on the others, if you do (a) b c and d have to be strong otherwise you cant do any of the function.

so i either have to compromise my function or *cough* fib


Mart

ru'

Seems they've chosen some good ones then, which make you think?


How about posting them so we know what you're on about?

mart360

example..
i am the sort of person who

a) gives support to other people
b) negotiates with others
c) is able to problem solve
d) speaks clearly


to carry out my role i have to me good at all of the above, there is no well i dont do one or the other".

by filling in a least often i compromise myslef


Mart

imlach

Well state that on the form, and fill in all 4.
Show some initiative - maybe that's the CORRECT answer after all

Bottomfeeder

Ah the Tesco application form, cracking isn't it

imlach

..but presumably, you're not equally good at all 4? Of these 4, one of them must be the weakest (yet, still perhaps strong).

imlach

Anyway, I think you're over analysing FAR too much for what sounds like a straightforward retail position.

mart360

Its stacking shelves for two weeks... ffs

Mart

mart360

nope strong at all 4 as i said, you have to be to do the role i do.

Mart

mart360

nope you can only do one positive and one negative

M

imlach

Exactly...do you really think they're going to analyse your answer to any degree? So long as you answer the question, you needn't worry a jot over it.

mart360

FFS ive done some humdinger applications, board interviews and week long evaluation stuff, all seem like a walk in the park compared to this.

who or what devised this?? aimed at school leavers i can see the relevance..

prehapos if i did it like a drugged up chav i may stand a better chance.


Mart

imlach

Ah....being pedantic, you've misunderstood my statement. You can't be equally strong at all 4.

So why not use all this....err....intellect doing something more rewarding than stacking shelves?

imlach

Seems a semi-fair and not atypical question to be honest in the world of "HR". Allows for some discussion at any interview for example. It's a "starter for 10" as they say.

Bottomfeeder

I took a call from a friend who was looking for a little extra income in the run up to christmas. "Can you help me with some questions on my application form"? 40 minutes later I came to the conclusion that the questions are there for no other purpose than to keep you busy for an evening and to make the application form look like an application form. Never have I come across such a bizarre set of questions. I copied them and asked my sister (Human remains manager for a telecoms co) to cast her beady eye over them. Claire's not your typical HR manager...........Her conclusion


"What a load of b*ll*cks"

edited to add

She explained that it was Psychometric Testing and not really applicable to till staff.

mart360

agreed utter b***ks

but i need some money befor chrimbo

Mart

mart360

sometimes you do really miss the boat...

i was made redundant 4 weeks before christmas.

average time to advertise and fill my type of role is 4-6 weeks which means the liklyhood of a perm role before chrimbo is very slim.

contract wise, unless someone has decided to take most of december off, again its of very little use to emply someone with three weeks till chrimbo.

rather than sign on the old king.. i thought i,d get some extra legit cash in by doing some work.

unfortunatly chav / house and benefits are not in my vocab

Mart

L1J

Answer C, you usually do the other 3 to solve a problem!

Does sound like bo//ocks to me though for a job in a supermarket.

Good luck

StickyMicky

but will you not have to wait 4 weeks on before you get paid anyway?

dba

You are all wrong.The application forms are designed to weed out retards,and on the evidence of this thread it seems to work.

Saucybabe

They didn't have forms like that when I got my job at Tescos.

mart360

possibly, but 4 weeks means i dont have a break in income coming in..

and its only 2 weeks work

Mart

kammy

FFS just lie.
I take it you have applied for some banking jobs in the city being an Economist. Some take a good few hours, and Barclays THEN test you in timed conditions. Pain in the rectum.
Kam

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

I haven't read all of this thread but I get the feeling that much is being made of little. I interview staff infrequently for posts in my organisation. The application form serves two purposes.

1 - it is used to sift the wheat from the chaff and select those called for interview
2 - it then provides a reference document for the interviewer(s)

Most interviewers / organisations currently favour a behavioural style of interview. Its about achievements as opposed to head-knowledge. I have never worked at or applied for a post with Tesco, but I would be fairly confident they will use your response to these questions to generate interview questions. If you indicate you were weak in negotiating - they will ask questions asking you to give an example of an occasion when your negoting skills let you down. Based on your example follow up questions will be asked, to see if you understand why the circumstances occurred, and how you could improve them, or how you rectified the situation, thereby building a picture of other skills or experience you possess.

To illustrate what I mean I normally interview IT project / risk managers - I often ask if they can tell me about one of their projects that has failed or deviated significantly from the project plan. Those who can not give an example of a failed project or claim not to have had a project that runs out of time / budgetary toleranceare or encounters scope creep are of no use to me. Similary those who can not tell me how they dealt with the situation get canned. I dont want a novice with no experience in this area working for or with me.

Good luck with the interview

TT

Robbie T

iTrader: (8)

As said on preivous page by bottomfeeder, it sounds exactly like a psychometric test to me. I had to do one of these when i looked at changing roles within my company.
Its more really to find out what sort of person you are than your ability to do the job although both go hand in hand really.
I'm sure they'll give you the job mate whatever you put, at the end of the day its not rocket science and it is a busy time for supermarkets just before crimbo so they'll welcome a bit of short term help.

mart360

exactly, my feeling,s if anything i,m overqualified by a huge amount.

all they want is shelf stackers

Mart

mart360

agreed, its a major part of my role,

its not how we delivered. its what went wrong in the delivery, and waht we have done to prevent it on the next one,

although, with no two being the same, you always get something that no b*gger can factor for, and it invairaiably? gets us.

(usually the most simple of things)

Mart