Retail Tests

What skills do retail staff typically need?

The following are probably the most common skills sought by retailers:

Communication

Retail staff’s primary role is to help customers to buy products. Skills are therefore typically centred on the broad spectrum of communication. A good retail employee will be able to communicate to a customer well, while understanding their needs.

Communication skills are also important in higher-ranking roles within the retail sector, not just for front-facing sales assistant or managerial positions.

Multi-tasking

A good retail employee is not purely concerned with communicating with the customer. They will also be focused on maintaining the day-to-day running of the store, for example, whichcontributes towards a positive customer experience.

Literacy and numeracy skills

Retail employees will also need some degree of numerical skills to understand sales forecasts and targets. Similarly, it’s important for retail employees to have a reasonable grasp of verbal comprehension to grasp internal communications.

Merchandising

It’s easy to see merchandising as merely stocking shelves and arranging products in an attractive way. However, understanding your points of sale and how it can add value to customer experience is a significant part of the buying process.

To be an effective merchandiser, it is necessary to be aware of sales targets, figures and predictions, as well as being alert to outside influences that may sway consumers in a particular way. News items or the weather can play a specific part in a fluctuating sales environment.

Product knowledge

If you are to be an exemplary and valued member of a retail team, it is vital that you have great product knowledge. Being able to show this within your application will help to make you stand out from other candidates.

Software knowledge

Point of Sales systems, or POS, are software systems that allow a member of retail staff to process transactions. Some companies employ several different types of POS technology. You may come across questions specifically referring to POS systems, so be prepared to demonstrate some level of familiarity with them.

What psychometric tests do retailers use to assess these skills?

Psychometric tests used by retailers will typically be a combination, designed to test different skill sets. It will almost certainly include a situational judgement test, which will focus on a fictional business scenario, requiring the candidate to make a problem-solving decision.

Other tests may also include numerical and verbal reasoning, and a personality assessment. The personality assessment is usually included to help the recruiter gain insight into how the candidate will fit into the company culture as an individual and a team member.

Each company will have variance on what kind of testing they use, so be sure to enquire so that you can prepare and practice appropriately. For example, some parts of the testing may be timed, or will require a calculator, so it’s important you get used to practicing within these conditions.

Situational judgement tests

Retail recruitment professionals will typically use situational judgement tests to assess candidates’ capability to deal with a range of workplace scenarios. These scenarios will involve problem-solving, decision-making and communication.

Personality tests

Personality tests are not exactly ‘tests’; they are used to build up a clearer idea of your unique personality. As such, it’s not essential to practice for a personality test in the same way as other psychometric assessments.

Questions for a personality test are most likely to be arranged on a sliding scale between ‘most true’ and ‘least true’, to give room for more subtle character differences. A blend of social skills, emotional intelligence, resilience and self-motivation will be some of the key character traits that a retail recruiter will be looking for in a prospective candidate.

Numerical reasoning tests

Numerical reasoning tests will assess your knowledge and ability when working with numbers. As a rule of thumb, the numeracy levels required will be of a general standard, and you should be appropriately prepared for fairly commonplace calculations such as addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, percentages and fractions.

Verbal reasoning tests

Verbal reasoning tests are used to assess your ability to comprehend and understand text. Within the test, you’ll be presented with a short passage of text that you will be required to interpret adequately enough to answer subsequent questions on. These questions will typically be presented in a ‘True, False, Cannot Say’ multiple-choice format, although there are alternative designs.

Five tips for retail aptitude tests

1. Practice psychometric tests online

Practice makes perfect. To feel as comfortable as possible on the day, make sure you practice as many relevant tests as you can beforehand.

2. Don’t be tempted to embellish in the personality test

When considering your personality during the questionnaire, be as honest as possible when answering questions. You will only come unstuck later on when it is discovered.

3. Practice your numerical skills and get used to reading through text

To keep things interesting and prevent yourself from becoming bored, try practicing numeracy and literacy skills in other formats – getting a friend or family member to help out can keep your mind fresh. In a similar way, becoming used to reading through text and then getting someone to test you on what you have just read will help.

4. Practice a sales role-play with a friend or a family member

Practicing for both the retail assessment and retail interview with a friend or family member makes good sense. As well as helping you to prepare in a practical way, these members of your inner circle can boost your emotional and mental well-being, increasing your confidence.

5. Do your research

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, make sure that you research the company that you are applying to work for as much as you can. This will help you to fully grasp the unique company culture, and will help you to craft your responses accordingly.