Lidl Assessment Tests

Careers at Lidl

In their own words, working at Lidl is “a career a Lidl less ordinary”, and as an employer it is highly regarded. With more than 800 stores, 13 regional warehouses and 25,000 employees across the UK, Lidl is on the lookout for more people to join the expanding business.

Careers at Lidl can be segregated by job area. Store team positions include customer assistant, store manager, cleaner and area manager. Warehouse positions include warehouse operatives, desk clerks and team managers.

In the regional offices, HR, administration, supply chain and customer services roles are available.

A career at Lidl – at every level – includes competitive rates of pay, discounts in-store and at high street retailers, employee assistance and wellbeing programmes, discounted gym membership and much more.

The graduate placement programmes that Lidl offers are well respected, with a comprehensive training opportunity available to put graduates forward to the management level by the end of the (usually two-year) programme. Graduate schemes are available in the following business areas:

• Logistics
• Sales
• Promotional Activities
• Buying

To qualify for the graduate programme, you must have achieved (or be working towards) a 2:2 degree in any subject, have the right to work in the UK and hold a valid UK/EU driving licence. It is also desirable that you live or are willing to move to within a one-hour commute of the regional office you will be completing your programme.

There is an undergraduate placement scheme that offers a 48-week training programme designed to expose you to various areas of retail, from the shop floor, through the warehouse and into the back office.

The application process for a role at Lidl is simple and straightforward, with extra steps for those wishing to pursue a graduate programme placement or any direct entry placements for management.

For all roles at Lidl, the application process starts online. The online application form will be different for each role, but you will need to include an up-to-date, tailored CV and cover letter.

Once this is received, you will be invited to take some online aptitude tests to judge your competencies, approach to work and culture fit.

If you are successful in the aptitude tests, you will then be invited to a telephone or video interview, followed by an assessment centre where you will complete a group exercise and at least one face-to-face interview.

Throughout the whole process, Lidl expects you to be honest about your strengths, skills and abilities – and to have done your homework about the business and the location, too. This can be demonstrated with a coherent CV and interesting cover letter, as well as your answers to the aptitude tests and the questions asked in the interview.

Lidl online application

You can search and apply for jobs from the Lidl Careers Portal, and this is where your application details will be stored. The application form is the first contact you will have with the recruitment team, so make sure you create a specific CV and cover letter for your Lidl application. A generic one will not usually make you stand out as a potential candidate.

Your answers to the simple questions on the application form will be scored. It is points-based, so the more information you can provide, the better. This means that even if the information required is presented in your CV, it is a good idea to replicate this in the application form too, rather than directing the recruiter to look at your CV.

The application form is a top-level overview of your education, experience, volunteering and extracurricular activities, with a view to highlighting your transferable strengths and skills.

If your application form earns enough points, you will receive an invitation to complete a series of online aptitude tests.

Lidl Aptitude Tests

Lidl numerical reasoning test

Lidl uses Cut-e (AON) for its aptitude tests. The Cut-e numerical reasoning test is designed to see how candidates can apply mathematical knowledge to answer questions. The maths skills required are basic – GCSE-level or equivalent – but the analysis of the data is the important part.

In the numerical reasoning test, you will be provided with some data (usually in the form of tables or graphs) and have to decide if a given statement is true, or false or if there isn’t enough information in the data provided - cannot say.

Cut-e numerical reasoning tests allow 12 minutes to answer as many questions as possible (out of a total of 37). The challenge in the numerical reasoning test is to find the answers to the questions while under time pressure.

Remember, numerical reasoning tests are not challenging in terms of the maths skills needed: basic operations like ratios, percentages and fractions is all that are usually tested. Completing practice tests can help boost your confidence and increase your chances of success, so familiarity with both Cut-e numerical tests and numerical reasoning tips will give you an advantage when you take the aptitude tests for real.

Lidl verbal reasoning test

Verbal reasoning tests are similar to numerical reasoning tests in that they provide all the information you need to answer the question. The test is assessing your ability to read, understand and analyse the information to come to a considered answer in a short time frame.

You will be presented with a short paragraph of written information in the Cut-e verbal reasoning test. This will be followed by a statement and multiple-choice answers: is the statement true, false, or you cannot say? There are 49 questions available to answer, but there is no expectation to answer them all, as the test has a strict time limit of just 12 minutes.

You can practice Cut-e verbal reasoning tests here, and it’s worth remembering that all the information you need to correctly answer the question will be provided in the text, so do not refer to your own knowledge or bias when in the test. No previous knowledge is required, other than basic language skills.

Lidl situational judgement test (the Lidl Fit Test)

A situational judgement test assesses how you would react when faced with certain work-based scenarios. This evaluates your behaviour at work and the way you deal with challenging situations.

In a situational judgement test, you will be presented with a scenario based on a real-life issue you might face at work. There will be a choice of answers, and you must choose the best course of action to solve the problem.

The number (and type) of questions in this part of the online assessment package will depend on the role that you have applied for. The Lidl Fit Test is looking to make sure that your personality will be a fit for the culture that exists in the workplace at Lidl, so the best way to do well here is to answer honestly.

You can practice situational judgement tests to get an idea of what to expect, but this is not a test that is assessing your skills as much as it is assessing your behaviour and personality.

Lidl video interview

If your performance in the aptitude tests meets the requirements, the next stage in the process is either a telephone or video interview.

This is your first opportunity to speak directly with the recruitment team, so preparation is key. You may have a conference telephone call with more than one Lidl recruiter, or you may be asked to record answers to a list of questions on video.

Alternatively, the interview may be conducted via live video.

In this interview, you can expect to be asked questions about your CV and application form, including information about your previous experience and your education. You are likely to be asked questions about why you want to work at Lidl, and this is a great time to show that you have researched the company and know more about it than just the basics. Make sure you know the job description inside out and can discuss the requirements of the role.

You will also be asked a number of competency questions. These are questions that are looking for a demonstration of your strengths and skills with specific examples attached. The questions might ask about a time when you dealt with a difficult colleague or had to come up with a new idea to complete a goal.

In the telephone/video interview it is important that you answer as fully as you can, giving the best examples. You should also have prepared some thoughtful questions to ask the recruiter too, to demonstrate your interest in the role.

Lidl assessment centre

The final stage of the Lidl recruitment process is a half-day assessment centre. This is where a number of candidates for various roles will come together for further, face-to-face, assessment.

The assessment centre begins with a presentation about Lidl, the company goals and values, and what to expect as an employee. There is an opportunity at the end to ask questions if you need clarification or more specific information.

One of the main parts of the assessment centre is described as a group interview, but might be more recognisable as a group exercise. As there are so many candidates in attendance, you will be put into smaller groups to work on a project, where you may have to present your findings.

This might be something like building the tallest tower possible using common office implements, for example. In the group interview, the results are not usually as important as how you worked in your group. Recruiters will be assessing your communication, teamwork, leadership skills and time management.

Lidl One-To-One Interview

The assessment centre is also where you will have at least one face-to-face interview. This is likely to be presented in a similar way to the telephone or video interview; a discussion of your application form, CV and cover letter, as well as competency-based questions.

Remember that a job interview is as much about seeing if you want to work for the company as it is about getting a new role, so ask questions about what it is like working at Lidl, what a normal day will look like, and what the potential is for development.

Try to relate your answers back to the company values and mission which are:

• Outstanding customer satisfaction
• Quality and value through innovation and optimisation
• Positive contributions to sustainability and local communities
• Long-term success through the investment of people

Some common interview questions during a Lidl interview you might expect to have an answer for include:

• What inspired you to apply for this role?
• What do you think are the key attributes of a successful store manager?
• What do you think sets Lidl apart from other stores?
• Describe a time when you have shown initiative?

The selection process is thorough but with preparation and practice tests, you can improve your chances of success.