I responded to an online advertisement for the position. After not hearing back from the store, I went there and spoke to a supervisor who told me to reapply. I did and heard a response very quickly.
I was invited to a group recruitment evening.
This involved going to the store out-of-hours, along with around 15 other candidates. Two managers and a supervisor were there.
First of all, a manager gave us a quick talk and then arranged a group activity for us. This was a typical 'classroom ice breaker' - lining up in house number order without any verbal communication. He then split us into groups, in which we were then assigned a 'zone' of the shop floor to allocate to. We then had to share a fun fact about another person in our group to the main group.
After this, the manager sent us back to our zones where we stocked shelves whilst waiting for the interview. This was very relaxed - music was playing and by the end of it we were all in fancy dress and taking group selfies with the supervisor! We were also given malteasers and jelly beans too!
The interview process was also very relaxed and comfortable. One of the managers took me to a bench outside of the store and we had a casual conversation; it didn't feel like I was 'fighting for the position', it was a generally very comfortable experience. Halfway through the interview, the manager recognised me for my cover letter and said it was the favourite one he has read for this position!
I found that there were a few things which worked to my advantage:
- Be yourself: hype yourself up while you're there! Don't be afraid to throw in a goofy laugh, even if you make mistakes!
- Expose yourself: if you feel nervous, tell them! And don't be afraid to say you don't know something! They want to see an honest person who is willing to learn and develop.
- Take fun risks: for example, I started my cover letter with 'Halloj!' and spoke to them with little formality. They want you to throw your personality at them in the cover letter. Show your colours!
I was also told through the grapevine that there are a few things which Tiger managers look for:
- Character: they want you to reflect the fun and unique character that Flying Tiger has. You are a friend to customers, managers will want to see you laughing, smiling and engaging in a conversation which is with a fellow human, not a customer.
- Interest in Tiger: they do not want people applying for Tiger if they do not know the shop or are not a customer. It is more than a retail job.
A few days later I was offered the job. This is when you arrange to go back to the store (that week - they strictly specified that) and organise shifts and do legal stuff such as ID and NI.
