John Lewis reveals how to get a job in retail by exposing interview questions

John Lewis is exposing its interview questions "for every role...for everyone to see" in an attempt to find the "best talent" during a tight labour market.

This news comes as many employers are struggling to find staff during a difficult labour market. It also reflects the growing trend for businesses to adopt inclusive hiring practices to sort out technical skills that traditional on-the-spot interviews do not always reveal.

The John Lewis Partnership, which owns John Lewis and Waitrose, hopes that allowing candidates to study the interview questions in advance, will help them to perform to their highest ability.

Lorna Bullett, Talent Acquisition Lead at John Lewis, told The Financial Times: "We want the right people, from a variety of backgrounds, with the best talent to join our organisation. It makes absolute business sense to find ways of helping candidates to really demonstrate what they can do."

"Interviews can feel daunting, and for some — particularly those who are neurodiverse — nerves can seriously impact performance."

Recruits of all seniority and skill levels can now go to a dedicated website to find out what interview questions should be expected. Despite being transparent, the group warns that candidates should expect probing and role-specific follow-up questions.

Questions can range from how to resolve communication issues to how to perform in a leadership role. For example, one of the questions reads: "Imagine you are interacting with someone who is very different from you in terms of their interaction style. How would you go about trying to engage with this person?"