One of the most incompetent HR departments I've ever had the misfortune to deal with! Why? The following is my John Lewis recruitment experience; 1) filled out the application online for what is perceived to be a senior role within the company's IT function. Quite extensive, but what to expect for such roles. 2) didn't hear anything back for weeks - out of the blue I receive an email stating that I've been successful and selected for interview. 3) interview day arrives and I meet with a nice guy who explains the roles requirements and context within the business. This is more of an informal chat than anything else (took place in the cafeteria). Cut a long story short, I'm interested in proceeding and so is he. We agree to a 2nd interview and I'm told HR will be in touch. 4) HR do indeed get in touch and we arrange the 2nd interview. I ask for the interview format to help me prepare: I'm told to read up on John Lewis Partnership values and to expect an email with the info I need (pretty standard interview criteria). I'm also told there will be a case study given to me on the day and I'll have 30 minutes to prepare for it. Naturally I probe for more info and I'm told I'll receive an email with everything I need - this is never sent! 5) interview 2 day arrives....... HR send me an interview slot time of 9:45.......... and the hiring managers an interview slot time of 9:30. I arrive at reception to be told that one of the interviewers had come down to reception and was looking for me. I show the receptionist the email HR sent with the alotted time and she tells me 'don't worry, I'll notify your interviewers that you've arrived'. Roughly 5/10 minutes later I'm collected from reception and taken up to the interview room......... 1 minute later the interview is practically over by all accounts! I enter the room, exchange pleasantries, we laugh and roll our eyes that HR mixed up the times, then I'm told the interview format: the two interviewers (who are both really nice) will ask me a series of competency based questions around my skills/experience to determine how I fit within the Partnership's values and then I'll have 30mins to present my project plan based on the case study HR sent me. I pull a confused look and explain that HR didnt send me a case study, they didn't send me anything(!), but instead told me that I'd receive the case study at the interview. Cue a look of concern/worry between the two interviewers. We continue on with the first part of the interview and then they suggest I read over the case study and prepare whatever I can in 15 minutes while they grab a cup of coffee. I agree (what other choice do I have?!). The case study is comfortably manageable for a seasoned PM, but complex in terms of its intricies - it has quite a few considerations around risk/budget/estimation etc. Certainly too much to cover in 15 minutes (when it took almost 10 minutes to read & digest it). I scribble down what I can on the back of my passport photocopy (there was no writing materials provided as this scenario obviously wasn't expected). My 2 interviewers come back into the room, dismiss my 'presentation' efforts as its not fair that I only have 15 minutes to prepare for the case study, while other candidates will have had days (they hope!) to present their plan. I'm told they checked with HR regarding my claim I never received the case study, HR confirmed they never sent it, then I'm told my application for the role will not be taken any further because I dont have the required experience working with their retail platform technology. However would I be interested in a more junior role? I obviously challenge the retail platform reasoning and point out that if this was the case, I probably should have been told this at the first interview and it should be listed as a 'requirement' and not 'desirable' in the job spec. We briefly go over the more junior role, I tell them I like to keep my options open and request further info. The senior interviewer leaves to go a meeting (obviously deciding theres nothing more to be done here and HR did send the wrong times after all), I discuss the junior role and company IT structure with the remaining interviewer and I'm told they hope I put myself forward and they'll be in touch. 6) HR contact me again, I am now being passed to a different person in their department (probably because it's a different role). I tell them the new role is of interest and ask for next steps. -------------- I never hear from anyone in John Lewis HR ever again! 3 weeks later I receive an email stating my application for the new role was unsuccessful. I ask for feedback as to why the sudden change....... NOTHING! Conclusion: Hours of my time wasted, money spent on transport lost and a resolve never to shop with John Lewis ever again.