Initial telephone screening interview with Talents Manager. Talents Manager was affable enough, but clearly had not prepared for the interview, opening question being how much notice I needed to give in current job despite both my CV and covering letter clearly stating my availability for an immediate start!
No interest or questions about any of my previous employers or types of products sold whatsoever. I was only asked crib sheet questions about figures, rotas, stocktake accuracy, stock loss, expected salary, etc. Background noise made it difficult to hear interview questions at times. I couldn't tell if Talents Manager was working from home with children playing in the background or was in an open plan office with colleagues laughing and joking nearby. Either way, it didn't come across as professional!
Despite my considerable managerial experience in similar retail environments and in selling the kind of products Smiggle stock in most of my previous positions, and expecting to be progressed to the next stage on this basis, I was surprised to receive a follow-up message some two weeks later thanking me for my time and advising that I was not successful and wouldn't be progressed to a face-to-face interview with the Regional Manager. So much for relevant experience , close proximity to the store, and availability for an immediate start!
Smiggle then continued to advertise the vacancy for well over a month after this. The store did not appear to be well managed subseqently. Not at all impressed!