Co-op Assessment Test

The Co-op is a company that is owned by 4.5 million members – those employed by the Co-op.

The company has five business areas:

• Legal services
• Funerals
• Shops
• Support functions
• Insurance services

The Co-op’s ethos can be summarised as giving back to the community, either through the profits the organization makes or by its employees doing work that benefits their local community.

Besides doing work that makes a difference to its local communities, the Co-op also offers its members job-related benefits:

• Development program with defined career pathways, personalized career plans and the opportunity to take secondments.
• Discounts offered on all Co-op services as well as money off products sold in Co-op stores.

-Wellbeing program with set parental leave and holiday entitlement, days off to support local causes and access to wellbeing support. -Financial package with access to a pension scheme and season ticket loans.

What Is the Co-op Candidate Charter?

As part of the recruitment process, the Co-op works to a set of five candidate commitments that make up its candidate charter (visible on the application process page).

These ensure that the Co-op assessment test is fair and transparent.

The Coop candidate commitments are:

• Support
• Fairness
• Communication
• Data
• Transparency

In practice, this means that:

• candidates are kept up-to-date with the status of their applications.
• Candidates are given the necessary information to prepare for the recruitment process.
• Candidate data is stored according to data protection laws.

Career Opportunities at the Co-op

The Co-op offers careers in many business areas at various levels. These roles are open to all, and the Co-op encourages its members to grow and develop in their chosen role.

After explaining the Co-op's apprenticeships overall, each area is briefly summarised below.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships provide the opportunity to learn and earn at the same time.

These roles are open to both school leavers and those looking for a change in career direction.

Apprenticeships in the UK begin at Level 2.

The Co-op's traditional apprenticeships are offered at Levels 2, 3, 4 and in many different areas. The company also offers a longer degree apprenticeship programme, through partnering with Anglia Ruskin University, in all Co-op business areas.

An HR apprenticeship is also offered at Level 5. Entry requirements for the apprenticeship programmes vary by business area.

Support Services

Opportunities in support may be in HR, supply chain and procurement, project management, finance and accounting, property, or digital and technology.

These roles allow candidates to develop expertise that is crucial to the day-to-day operations of the Co-op and its members.

Many of them offer project-based work as part of specialist teams or teams with other Co-op members such as researchers and product managers.

The support teams are predominantly based at the Co-op's offices in Manchester.

Legal Services

Most roles within this business area require legal qualifications. However, they are often suitable first positions for people with such qualifications, specifically being advertised towards newly qualified individuals.

Occasionally, roles arise in the legal team that do not require specific legal qualifications, usually through the Co-op's apprenticeships.

Logistics

Roles in the logistics business area include delivery drivers and warehouse operatives.

Warehouse operatives do not need any prior experience, making it a suitable entry-level role.

Delivery driving roles require candidates to have attained their LGV driving license.

In both of these areas, Co-op supports candidates to develop their careers, which can include progressing to the next career level or further specific training, such as to gain their LGV licence to transfer to the logistical department from another area of the Co-op.

Food

Entry-level and seasonal work positions are available in food retail at the Co-op.

These roles offer varying shift patterns and hours.

Applications for this department are usually made to specific retail outlets when vacancies arise.

These roles have a defined 4-stage career path, which can end with a BA (Hons.) degree and begins by being a member of the customer team.

Funeral Care

Entry-level positions as part of the funeral crew or as a funeral arranger are found under the company's apprenticeship programs.

These programs allow candidates to develop the necessary skills and experience to effectively carry out their role in the funeral care teams.

Level 3 apprenticeships as a funeral director are also available.

Roles in funeral care are advertised on an ongoing basis at set Co-op locations.

Insurance

The Co-op's insurance department requires specialists in pricing, product development or other niches.

These roles are not UK-wide but based in one of three Co-op locations: Bury St Edmonds, Nottingham or Manchester.

Co-op Application Process

The Co-op application process consists of five stages. Certain stages of the process may vary slightly in format according to the role applied for.

As part of the Co-op candidate commitment, applicants are kept up-to-date with the progress of their application and all applicants are made aware of the outcome of their application.

Stage One: Online Application

All roles with the Co-op are applied for online via the Co-op's dedicated recruitment website.

Applicants create their own account on the website. From there they can search for their desired role and make an application.

Applications may include uploading a CV, potentially built using the CV builder the Co-op offers.

The whole process from registering and creating an online account takes around eight minutes.

Stage Two: Online Assessment

Once a candidate has created their account and completed the application, they will be asked to complete some Co-op aptitude tests.

These tests are based on the key skills and behaviours required for the role applied for; they are taken online and require around 12 minutes to complete.

Candidates who have applied for roles in operations, funeral or retail are also required to sit additional online tests. These assess specific skills and behaviours required for roles in these areas.

Stage Three: Screening

If successful with the online application and the Co-op assessment tests, candidates are invited to the screening stage.

Screening can take place via either a phone or video interview depending upon the role applied to.

Video interviews are generally carried out for more specialist roles such as those in the legal team.

These screens assess a candidate's suitability for the role and whether they meet the minimum entry requirements.

Stage Four: Interview

Interviews are carried out face-to-face and, for the majority of Co-op roles, can be scheduled via a candidate's online account.

All Co-op interviews are behavioural-based. Candidates need to provide examples of times when they have demonstrated the behaviours required by the role.

Stage Five: Offer

Successful candidates will be contacted by phone with a verbal job offer.

If a candidate verbally accepts the offer, a contract is then sent out by e-mail.

Once written acceptance of the offer is received, pre-employment screening checks can take place. These checks vary according to the role and business area applied to.

It is worth noting that the Co-op is willing to provide candidates who are not successful at the interview stage with feedback.

If they would like to receive feedback, a candidate must specifically request this and are actively encouraged to do so.

Note, feedback is not provided automatically to candidates unsuccessful at the interview stage.

Co-op Interview Questions

As part of the Co-op candidate commitments, candidates are provided with information to help with their application.

The Co-op interview is a behavioural interview, sometimes called a competency-based interview. This requires candidates to provide real-life examples that support the behaviour being assessed.

The sorts of questions that you may be asked in a Co-op interview include:

• Explain what you know about the Co-op
• Why would you like to work as a Co-op member?
• Outline the skills that you have that you can bring to this role
• Describe a situation when you have shown exceptional customer service
• Provide an example of a time when you have had to deal with a difficult customer. How did you approach the situation?
• Describe a time when you made a mistake at work, school or university. How did you go about resolving it? What did you learn from it?

There are many ways that candidates can prepare for each stage of the Co-op assessment process.

It is always advisable to ensure that as an applicant you research the organisation and what the role will involve.

Also, think about why you are applying, as you may be asked about your reasons.

There are also specific ways that candidates can prepare for the different stages of the Co-op assessment test:

Key Tips for Getting Hired at the Co-op

Being successful at the five-stage recruitment process requires preparation, self-awareness, a willingness to learn and a desire to work as a Co-op member.

Here are some key tips for being successful at the Co-op assessment test and getting hired.

Research the Co-op

Questions are often asked at the interview on why you want to work at the Co-op.

By being aware of the company, its values and how Co-op makes a difference to its local community, you will be better placed to show to the interviewer your desire to work for the Co-op.

It is also a good idea to keep up to date with any recent developments happening within the Co-op by checking the Our Stories section on their website.

Research the Role You Have Applied for

By researching the role and being clear on the behaviours and competencies the role requires, you can then demonstrate, through examples, how you exemplify everything they are looking for.

You do not want to put in the effort to prepare examples for behaviours not expected of your role (for example, team leadership in an entry-level customer service role), so it is important to research your chosen role and focus your energy on what is relevant.

Read Through the Interview Preparation Pack Provided By the Co-op

The Co-op candidate commitments ensure that all candidates receive information on the recruitment process.

As part of this, candidates who make it to the interview stage are given a preparation pack.

To give yourself the best chance at success, you should read through this and follow up on anything that you want more information on.

Bring Any Requested Documentation/Evidence and a Copy of Your Resume

As part of the recruitment process, you may be asked to provide written documentation or evidence to support your application; often, this can be proof of qualifications.

The company may also request that you bring proof of identity to your interview, such as a passport.

Proof of qualifications and other supporting documentation are necessary as part of the pre-employment screening checks that occur after you have received an offer, but often employers request you bring this documentation to the interview so that there are no delays should you be successful.

Ensure that you know what documentation you need to provide and have this to hand so you do not slow down the recruitment process.

Prepare Questions of Your Own Ahead of Your Interview

Asking questions yourself at the end of an interview can be a strong way to finish.

You can use these questions to find out more about the organization and to show the interviewer that you are interested in the role and the Co-op itself.

These questions could focus on how the Co-op deals with challenges it has faced – for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic – or what the interviewer enjoys about working at the Co-op.

By asking questions, you are also gaining a better insight into the role and the Co-op. This can help you decide whether the company and working culture are right for you.

Final Thoughts

The Co-op has a clear five-stage interview process for all roles.

As a candidate, being clear on what each stage of Co-op assessment tests involves and preparing appropriately for each will give the best chance of success.

Research forms the foundation of all triumphs.