Firstly, you do a lengthly online application form which is available on Lidl's website. After completion, I got an email about 3 weeks later that I was invited to their assessment day in the Aviva in Dublin. It was pointed out that there would an assessment day from 9 until about 1. After that, they would select certain individuals who would remain for part 2 of the day.
I arrived at the Aviva and there was at least 200 people in the waiting area. You received your name tag which also showed the position you applied for and then it was up to you to make friends or stand in the corner pretending you had something more important to do on your phone. Luckily, I noticed a few guys who I had met before and I struck up a conversation with them. It was not uncommon for Lidl employees to come round and strike up a conversation with you about anything either. I suppose it helped in calming the nerves while also getting insider information. I would use this as a point to sell yourself also. The are constantly looking at your name tags and I have no doubt they were looking at how people conducted themselves in such a strange environment.
After all the formalities, we were split up into groups that related to the positions we applied for. We were then brought into another room where various forms of presentations and videos were shown. We then had the opportunity to ask questions to previous graduates about their roles, how they balance their work etc.
When that was finished, It was time to go back upstairs. We were brought into the corporate boxes. I was sat at a table with 7 other individuals. Our first challenge was to make a structure out of marshmallows and spaghetti. This was timed. Prior to this task, the guy I was sitting beside had told me he studied engineering in college so I thought it would be a good idea to assign him as team leader considering he knew what he was doing. This worked for all of about 30 seconds as the egos started kicking in and everyone tried to become a 'leader'. I must also point out that our every move was being watched by 3 assesses with note pads. A terrible task which showed the nature of the individuals at hand. Despite this, we managed to win that task hands down but I must admit that I felt very frustrated in the process.
Our second task consisted of a holiday across the island of Ireland with a group of friends that was budgeted, with time constraints and where you had to finish in the same place as you started. Fuel consumption was also taken into consideration and you got certain bonus points for the tourist areas you visited ect. It was timed also. Again, the task was a free for all. This time there was no leader assigned, not that it would make any difference as the general feeling in the group was if I can shout the loudest, I'll be noticed the most. An awful task. Again, we won this task quite easy in comparison to the other 4 tables also in the corporate box.
Our third task consisted of a situational questionnaire. They asked how would you deal with a store manager who was getting lippy with you because she's older and feels she has more experience than you and how would you deal with an old lady who slipped on a wet floor etc. After this we broke for lunch.
After lunch it was time to see who was staying on for part 2 of the day and who was being told to go home. I actually sat at the back with another guy who was part of my group as we were expecting to make an early exit so we wanted to leave gracefully. Both of us spoke very little in either of the group assessments and we had assigned ourselves to the fact the we would be going home. The next thing was both of our names were called out. In turned out that 7 out of the 8 in our group were taken back for part 2 that day. This genuinely stumped me as they took back hugely divergent people in relation to how they approached the tasks in the first part of the assessment day. Perhaps my initial online application and my situational questionnaire were enough to get me to stage two, I'm not sure. But I did make the point publicly to one of the assessors after the tasks were completed, it was evident that we didn't allow a leader to take charge which made it an uncomfortable process of arguing with individuals who we didn't know. She agreed with me so perhaps that could have been another feather in my cap.
Stage 2 consisted of another group interview, this time more personalised. We were asked to tell 3 assessors whilst sitting around a table of other candidates (the same ones from stage 1) a little bit about ourselves in relation to our employment history, our education, any hobbies we may have and then what our plan is for the next 5 years. You had 3 minutes to do this and then they would throw questions at you about what you said and your initial online application. That was the end of stage 2. We were told that we would be contacted by email regarding whether we got the job or not.