I applied online. I interviewed at Barkers Northallerton in Sep 2016
Interview
Simple, predictable interview process comprising two parts: a 15-20 minute behavioural interview followed by an exercise on the shop floor. Interview was conducted by two members of staff, one of whom I knew instantly didn't take to me (the feeling was reciprocated) as she came across as cold, haughty and patronising. The interview itself was OK as I knew what to expect, however the shop floor exercise was more challenging as I was tasked with finding appropriate clothes for a mother in her 20s to wear on the school run. This was difficult because I'm in my 20s, all my friends are in our 20s, and none of us would ever dare be seen shopping for clothes in Barkers. As the store's target audience is middle-aged women, I ended up having to lump for really dull items. I was told on several occasions I would be called the following day to find out their hiring decision, but I still haven't received any sort of acknowledgement and weeks have passed. I did contact the HR department several times through email and was blatantly ignored every time. I find this extremely rude and unprofessional when I took the time out of my day on two occasions to interview with the company. I have since been offered a better paid VM role in a high-end department store chain – it's Barkers' loss.