Vodafone is a well-known and respected British telecommunications company with headquarters in Newbury, and they offer a number of different positions for both experienced professionals, graduates, and interns across several different business areas, including:
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Technology
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Digital
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Customer Service
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Contact Centre Sales
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Business
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Corporate
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Retail
As part of their offering for employees, Vodafone has a great benefits package that includes things like shares, personalized discounts, and pension contributions as well as a competitive salary.
Vodafone application process
If you are applying to join Vodafone as part of the early careers package, you will need to complete several different steps in the recruitment process, which is as follows:
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Application form and eligibility information
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Digital Assessments: A video interview and Vodafone assessments
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Assessment Centre: Strengths-based interview, group exercise, presentation and other assessments
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Decision: You’ll know within seven days what the outcome of your application is.
Why does Vodafone use assessment centers?
Assessment centers are used by Vodafone and other companies as a way to get a group of candidates, often for different roles, into one place to assess things like teamwork and communication, leadership, and other soft skills that are not always easy to evaluate in other ways.
During the assessment center, candidates will be consistently assessed by members of the team and they will have the opportunity to meet other employees and graduates, speak with managers and team leaders, and generally get a feel for the role by immersing themselves in different ways.
Assessment centers are a good opportunity for candidates to be able to ask questions and get to know what it would be like if they were successful, while the assessing team can see how you work with others and react to new situations, as well as things like problem solving and communication.
What skills is Vodafone looking for?
There are specific values that Vodafone is looking for when they are recruiting for new employees, whether that be for the graduate scheme or for experienced professionals. These are described as **The Spirit of Vodafone **and are listed on their website as follows:
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We earn customer loyalty
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We experiment and learn fast
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We create the future
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We get it done together
There are other skills that Vodafone and the recruitment team will be looking for in their employees, and the ones that are most relevant to the role you have applied for will be included in the job description, so you will need to make sure that you know what these are before you attend the assessment center - so you can demonstrate them when you need to.
Vodafone assessment center format
The format of the assessment center might vary depending on the graduate scheme you are applying for, but you can expect it to be similar whether you are taking it in person, or virtually.
You will be expected to take part in a number of different exercises, both as part of a group and individually, and the day is usually rounded off with a one-to-one interview with a hiring manager.
Vodafone group exercise
The group exercise is all about teamwork and communication. While the task set to complete might vary, you will be constantly assessed on how well you can work with others, the leadership skills you can demonstrate, and whether you are able to communicate your ideas and negotiate with others to get your point across.
You will also be assessed on how well you encourage other people to join in and share their ideas; while you are all there to be assessed for a role, this part of the process should not be considered a competition and you should use it as an opportunity to show that you are a reliable team member.
You might be asked to come up with a solution to a problem as part of a case study, or you might be asked to construct the tallest tower using basic office supplies - but whatever you are doing, you must work effectively as part of a team.
Vodafone presentation
For some roles, you might be asked to create a presentation on a topic or case study. This might mean providing details about a solution to a problem, or introducing the audience to your hobby, for example.
Whatever the subject, you will get time to prepare and you can make it a PowerPoint or similar. You will want to describe the slides effectively and give all the data that you need to share. You’ll need excellent communication skills, a good speaking voice, and a calm demeanor for this, and you should be prepared to answer questions from the assessors and other candidates at the end.
Vodafone strengths-based interview
A strengths-based interview takes place at the end of the day, and you will meet one-on-one with a hiring manager to complete this. The questions that are asked in this interview are based on the skills, aptitudes, and competencies that you need for the role, and they might be something like the following:
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Tell me about a time when you had to lead a team.
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Describe a roadblock that you have had to overcome to make a team project work.
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Tell me about a time when you received good customer service.
The key to answering these sorts of questions is to give examples from your direct experience. To do this effectively, you should try and find out what questions you might be asked, and think of the experiences before the interview - and you can get this information from the job description most of the time.
For example, if in the job description a key skill that is needed is negotiation, you can think of an example of a time when you have had to convince someone to take a different course of action. When giving your responses, Vodafone suggests using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Results) mnemonic so that you cover all the necessary information.
Tips for passing the Vodafone assessment center
1. Preparation
As with every stage in the recruitment process, you cannot be too prepared. The more you know about Vodafone as a business, the wider telecommunications industry, and the role that you have applied for, the better you will perform throughout the assessment center.
2. Make a good impression
In many cases, the assessment center might be the first time you are meeting many of the recruitment and management team, so you want to make a good impression. Try and dress as smartly as needed, make sure that you are clean and tidy, and remember that you are constantly under assessment - so be at your best throughout the day.
3. Listen to everyone
While you and the other candidates might all be going for the same role, in reality, there is likely to be more than one role available - which means you are probably not in direct competition. One of the best things that you can do to demonstrate things like teamwork and communication is to really listen to everyone around you, from the assessors to the other candidates, and be friendly and approachable.
4. Know the role
Throughout the assessment center, you will be evaluated to see how closely you align with the values of Vodafone, but also in your ability to work in the culture and environment of the role, too. You will need to know exactly what type of person Vodafone is looking for, and keep demonstrating that.
5. Ask questions
The Vodafone assessment center is as much for you as a candidate to get to know Vodafone as it is for them to get to know you - so do not be afraid to ask good questions. You can use the information you might have gained from your research to frame some ideas of questions that you can ask - you might want to get a comment about a recent news story or learn more about some new technology that the business is using.