Careers at Woolworths
As a company, Woolworths (sometimes referred to as “Woolies”) are always on the lookout for the next generation of thinkers and problem-solvers, as it finds ways to meet and exceed the changing needs of customers, communities and teams.
If you are looking to join one of its many retail brands, it is important that you understand the application process to prepare for the assessments and interviews, so you can stand out against other applicants.
Woolworths Application Process
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1
Online Application
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2
Psychometric Testing
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3
Video Interview
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4
Interviews
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5
Assessment Centre
The application process involves a combination of pre-employment tests, video interviews and assessment days. The hiring process is thorough and competitive, and it’s important to put effort, thought and consideration into every part.
In customer-facing roles, it’s particularly important Woolworths gets top-quality hires to provide outstanding customer service, so standards are high.
Online application
The first stage of applying for a job at Woolworths is to complete the online application form. You might be required to answer some questions and upload a copy of your CV and cover letter. You may also be asked to provide your academic transcript as well.
Once you have submitted an online application, it will be screened by the recruitment team and if successful, you will be sent online assessments to complete.
Psychometric testing
When it comes to retail tests, there are a range of core competencies you will be tested for.
These include communication skills, the ability to multitask, prioritisation, literacy and numeracy skills, and software skills.
All of these competencies are important for retail and would be needed to succeed in a role with Woolworths. The psychometric tests aim to assess if you possess these abilities.
Personality test
A personality test assesses your social skills, emotional intelligence, resilience and self-motivation: key personality traits that a retail recruiter will be looking for in an applicant.
In a retail job, personality traits are particularly important to be successful and provide great customer service. Although there are no right or wrong answers for these types of tests, it’s important to be strategic with your choices and reflect the values of the company.
Situational judgement test
A situational judgement test provides you with typical workplace scenarios and requires you to work out the best response, or rank the responses in order of most/least effective.
Woolworths will typically use situational judgement tests to assess candidates’ capability to deal with a range of customer service scenarios. These scenarios will involve problem-solving, decision-making and communication.
Numerical reasoning test
A numerical reasoning test will assess your ability when working with numbers and calculations under pressure. It simulates situations in typical roles such as a cashier working at a till with a long line of customers, or a sales manager providing numerical data in a meeting.
The test does not necessarily judge your math skills but how well you cope under timed pressure. You’ll have a minute to answer each question, regardless of the difficulty.
Although the numerical calculations you will need to perform are pretty basic, it’s a good idea to sharpen your numeracy skills such as adding and subtracting, multiplying and dividing, as well as percentages and fractions.
Verbal reasoning test
A verbal reasoning test is used to assess your ability to comprehend and understand written text. Typical workplace scenarios that involve verbal reasoning include receiving and interpreting an email, business report or the layout and instructions for a new store.
You’ll be provided with a short passage of text and a statement relating to it. You’ll need to evaluate whether what’s said in the statement is confirmed by the passage, false, or you can’t say for certain.
Video interview
If you successfully score within the top 50% of applicants, you are likely to move on to the next stage of the recruitment process: a video interview.
This involves pre-scripted questions, where you must record yourself answering. You’ll need to show your passion for retail and demonstrate your functional and technical knowledge.
First impressions are important at Woolworths, so it’s important you practice and come across as confident, friendly and passionate.
The video interview is the final pre-screening test before you talk to someone from the hiring team or attend an assessment centre.
