I applied online. The process took 3 days. I interviewed at NEXT (Cardiff, Wales) in June 2016
Interview
I applied online. The application only asked for personal details and avaliablity. On the same day I got a call asking if i was avaliabe for a phone interview right then. I wasnt prepared so told them if i could rearage it which he was happy to do so. I had the phone interview the following day which only contained 4 questiond (see questions below for this), he was impressed with my answers and told me i had passed and was invited to an 'assessment' in 3 days time. Emails were sent to me confirming interviews/assesments and details.
For the Assesment i dressed smart casual. I was told to bring only ID, i had my passport which was 6 months out of date which he didnt mind, this was then photo coppied. I was then taken along with the other 2 applicants to watch a short video on how the shop is sectioned into different departments and what makes good customer service. We were then taken to the shop floor where we where seperated and was to be assesed by a normal shopping assistant. At first i was at the front of the shop weloming customers and tidying clothes. If asked for assistance by a customer tell them that you'll have your 'colluge'/assesor to help them. After 5-10mins I was taken to the changing rooms to work there and being assessed by a different sales assistant. I was only here for 5mins. During the assesment the assessors took notes in a booklet which is then given to the manager to determin if you got the job or not.
After this i was taken back into the office to wait for the manager. The manager then told me that i had been unsucsessful based on what what the assesors notes. I was given a £10 gift card and a £10 note. (All applicants who reach this stage gets these as i am aware).
Assesment: When asked by the assesor if you have any questions ASK THEM SOMETHING (not 'how is there day going', somthing to do with what you are doing)
I applied through other source. I interviewed at NEXT (Glasgow, Scotland) in May 2026
Interview
Video Interview (JUST COMPLETED - NO OFFER YET): Very short and relaxed, only lasted about 10-15 mins. Felt very at ease with the Manager/Interviewer - lovely, warm and chatty. Went through tick list questions first (Right to Work, Age etc). Asked very basic and easy questions to answer for those who have work experience, especially within retail. After questions, details about steps going forward were given to me in a very well explained manner :)
Tips:
Get on that call at LEAST 5 mins early!! This proves to them that you are punctual and on-time.
When they ask if you have a question, ASK THEM ONE!! this shows that you are interested in the job which makes you stand out.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me a bit about yourself.
What work experience do you have?
Tell me about a time you went the extra mile when helping a customer out.
What is your favourite aspect of working in retail?
Professional yet warm and calm. Manager was nice and wanted to get to know me as a person. Sounds like it would be a lovely job and location to work at.
I had a really positive experience with the interview process at Next. The interviewer was friendly and welcoming, asked clear questions about customer service and teamwork, and made me feel comfortable throughout.