Test helps select top graduates - graduate jobs

Waitrose has introduced a new online tool to help them select the best candidates for its graduate scheme.

The supermarket chain's programme provides 20 successful applicants with the opportunity to become a department manager within one or two years.

But last year the scheme received more than 2,500 applications for the 20 places.

To help the firm whittle down this year's candidates, Waitrose has introduced the 30-minute Graduate Dilemmas test.

Online applicants will be presented with a series of common work situations designed to assess their judgment and decision-making skills and then scored accordingly.

Anglie Johns, Waitrose manager of recruitment services, said: "We anticipated an uplift in applicant numbers and therefore wanted to introduce a robust selection tool to our graduate assessment process, to address the growing numbers of applications".

The tool has been supplied by talent management company Assessment and Development Consultants (A&DC).

Dan Hughes, A&DC product development manager, said: "For Waitrose in particular, the tool has been tailored to reflect 'what good looks like'.

"Store managers with detailed knowledge about the role were asked to indicate how top candidates should respond to the test and this data was used to create a bespoke scoring key that can be used to filter applicants."