Application Process & Interviews at Coles

Interview process was extremely long, I started the first round of screening in February and did not get confirmation until August that I had the role.

Psychometric testing 45 min interview with 3 managers

Application, aptitude testing, one way video interview, online assessment centre, then offered role.

The interview process was a pretty long one. Applications open in February and the interview process kicked off in April if your application is successful. 1. Completing an online assessment is the first part. These assessments cover personality quizzes (where you read a scenario and then rate from 1-5 most like me or least like me) and multiple choice what would you do in this scenario. 2. If successful, you will complete a video interview online. 3. If successful, you will attend a virtual discovery centre session, where you complete activities in a group setting. Typically you will hear around June/July if you're successful and work commences in February the following year.

4 rounds of assessments: (1) cognitive/critical thinking/language skills test, (2) one-way interview where answers are recorded and sent in, (3) group interview, (4) 1-1 interview

Hiring process was long and included many stages, however, is as expected for a graduate program

- Online application - Online assessments - Video interview (very quick, couple of questions) - Assessment centre (Discovery Centre); group and individual sections

Very thorough and rigorous process. -Apply via portal -Complete psychometric testing -Complete one way video -Complete based interview (group assessment + one on one interview)

Pretty easy

The interview process is meticulous and contains many rounds. You feel as though you are brought along the recruitment journey and each activity has merit to the role you have applied for. I would however advise that is a lengthy process with more than five stages.

long but entertaining

Excellent

Online tests, pre recorded video interview, group interview and individual interview

interview process was great! A bit lengthy though for the graduate program.

Fo graduates, we had psychometrics, a discovery center which included a group activity, and then a one-on-one interview.

long but entertaining

There was a range of stages (SOVA assessment, video interview, discovery centre), each of which respected my time and allowed me to demonstrate my strengths.

Interview process was way to long

Interview for the Grad program is just as extensive as majority. - Online application - Online cognitive assessment - Video interview - Discovery Centre (a.k.a AC)

Intense and long recruitment process with multiple stages

What are your hobbies? What strengths outside of your degree & academics do you bring to the role? Describe a difficult situation you experienced at work and describe how you overcame it. In university or work, how well have you worked in teams? Give examples of good and bad experiences.

Questions were similar to "tell us a time where you were in a new situation and how did you navigate this", "explain when you had to adapt to a new process quickly" etc. Unable to remember completely as this was over a year ago now.

What Coles value/behaviour do you align most with and why?

- Company values I resonate with - Situation where I recieved feedback - Skill I've recently developed

Why did you choose this stream?

generic interview questions

Questions relating to the Coles culture and values to ensure I was aligned with their corporate views. Moreover, general understanding of what my duties would be and an understanding of the role I had applied for.

general interview questions which were more soft skill targeted than hard skills

Why do you want to work here?

Why do you want ot join our company? Which values to do you most resonate with? What is your hobbies?

Why do you think you would be a good fit for Coles?, Why the graduate program?, what could you bring to the company and your team?

general interview questions which were more soft skill targeted than hard skills

I was asked many behavioral questions, as well as some that tested my knowledge of Coles (which value do you most align with, what excites you most about Coles?).

Time management, ability to handle conflicting priorities

How you would deal with specific scenarios

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Many different types of questions surrounding relationships, challenging colleagues/scenarios, previous successes, strengths and weaknessses etc.

Why do you want to work for the Company?

Be prepared to answer questions & do activities that relate to Coles as a retailer, as well as, our mission & values.

Think about what impact you'd have on Coles as a company - questions like these can come up in interview questions. Be sure to research what projects and initiatives Coles is working on in recent times.

reflect on all past workplaces and come up with some examples to times where you used teamwork skills, adapted to a new situation, ran into a challenging situation, or anything else that you are proud of in your working career. This helped me the best when I was asked interview questions as I already had a list of examples ready to go.

- Be yourself. Let your personality shine through. - Don't leave submissions to the last minute. - Set up a nice quiet space to complete interview activities.

Be yourself and take initiative in the group assessment task.

Don't try to overplay your experience / skills - treat it as if you are talking to someone, rather than being interrogated. This lets you connect more with the interviewer. Also, know the company values inside and out and relate to it as much as possible.

Ask specific questions to the function

know the company values

Research the company, values, read news articles, understand how your own values align with the company and practice your interviewing skills!

Reading up upon company's Values and which ones resonate most within you. Be yourself. Company is looking at more 'people' people.

Learn about Coles, be confident in your answers for interview questions, be confident about the skills that you have already and ensure you prepare for your interview with mock questions. Adapting to the nature of the conversation will also help create rapport - but ensure to insert the boundary of being too friendly and still maintaining professionalism

know the company values

They should research the company to have a thorough understanding of who Coles, is what they do and why. They should also have a range of examples that they can apply to interview questions using the STAR method.

To engage in teamwork during the interview process and ensure you show your teamwork skills

Always have Coles' values and mission in mind when answering questions. Make it relatable to yourself and the company, because they want to see how you fit in with them.

Be yourself, show personality

Be confident and lead during group tasks but don't dominate. ask the person who hasn't said much their opinion.

Look at the values page and speak to them

Be outgoing and passionate

Use every single advantage that you have at your disposal. Of the grads that were successful, a large proportion of them mentioned leaning on their friends, family and colleagues for assistance with the interview process. Run your presentation past them, ask them for interview questions and do as much research on Coles as a business as you can.