John Lewis job applicants get questions beforehand

The interview process can be “quick, fast and challenging”

John Lewis and Waitrose job applicants can now see interview questions beforehand in an attempt to make the process fairer.

The department and supermarket chain has published questions for all job levels from customer assistants to directors on its website.

Lorna Bullett, the firm's talent head, said interviews would “be no less rigorous”, but some recruiters argue it could remove “authenticity” from answers.

The move comes as firms compete to hire the best people, with total UK job vacancies still higher than pre-Covid levels at almost a million.

Ms Bullet said nerves can affect the interview performance of neurodivergent people.

She added publishing the questions in advance “gives us the best chance of finding the right person for the role”.

Questions for the most junior roles include “tell me about a significant change that you have had to adapt to in the past”.

Meanwhile, applicants for more senior roles could be asked “when have you taken the time to provide very difficult feedback to someone?” or “tell me about an innovative idea or solution that you have formulated”.

John Lewis Partnership said interviews would still include “detailed follow-up questions”, adding that “candidates won’t know which specific questions will be used during their interview”.

Petra Tagg, director at Manpower UK, told the BBC her first reaction to seeing the announcement was “really positive” because it allows candidates to better prepare for the hiring process, which can be “quick, fast and challenging”.

'Too much time to prepare'

However, Daniel Harris, director at recruiter Robert Walters, expressed some scepticism.

He said candidates might be able to “outsource” their answers to friends or internet sources ahead of the interview.

He added it might “take away some authenticity from an individual’s application process if they’ve had too much time to prepare”.

Meanwhile, Tab Ahmad, chief executive of EmployAbility — a business which helps companies employ neurodivergent staff — said that adjustments for people with neurodivergence or disabilities need to be “individualised”.

“So, while it’s potentially a good move, I think John Lewis and other organisations who are thinking of doing something similar still need to think about other adjustments.”

Job vacancies have been falling since they hit the highest level on record in mid-2022, following the post-Covid scramble for staff, but they remain much higher than pre-Covid.