I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at John Lewis & Partners
Interview
Group interview
We were sat in small groups and given 15 minutes to consider a range of scenarios and write down what we do in those situations. Then as a group we had to discuss each of them whilst a partner listened to our answers, how you interacted etc. It was a relaxed and enjoyable process and a good opportunity to show your team work and communication skills. After the group activity we were given a sheet to complete with a range of similar scenario based questions to privately fill out.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
A customer has come into the store looking to buy a gift for a friend, how would you help this customer?
Went through an initial group-style interview, focusing on teamwork qualities. Then transitioned to 1-1 interviews with hiring managers and team managers for more personalised questions, which focused on relevant experience, and situational questions with answers expected to be that of how one would operate in such situations.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How would you manage a busy shop floor with multiple customers requiring assistance, whilst your fellow partners are also busy.
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at John Lewis & Partners (Cambridge, England) in Aug 2025
Interview
During the session, there were seven candidates seated around a rectangular table. Unfortunately, I was positioned at one end with no one directly opposite me. This arrangement made it very difficult for me to see and engage with the rest of the group. As a result, I struggled to read the room, gauge when it was appropriate to speak, or participate meaningfully in the discussion.
This setup left me feeling isolated and excluded me from the rest of the group, which I think did not give me a fair opportunity to demonstrate my skills and contribute effectively. I believe a smaller group size or a circular formation would have been more appropriate.
I wanted to raise this feedback as I found the experience really disappointing and not reflective of a fair or inclusive interview process.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Questions were scenario based with a follow-up group discussion.
The interview process was 45 minutes to 1 hour long. It involved self introduction, role introduction and a set of role specific interview questions. There was also a section for situation based question to see how you would respond in such a situation. The situation is always something that can happen or has the possibility of happening on the shopfloor. It ends with an opportunity for you to ask any questions that you have which have not been covered so far.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Image a situation where you have someone come to collect a parcel at customer collection, how will you engage with the customer to try and make them aware of the other services that we offer.
Selling Partner applicants have rated the interview process at John Lewis & Partners with 3 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 100% positive. To compare, the company-average is 73.2% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
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