Case Study: John Lewis Partnership
Case Study: John Lewis Partnership
Solution At a Glance
Challenge:
Major U.K retail business needs to hire top IT talent quickly
Solution:
Objective online assessments measure real-world knowledge, identify strengths and weaknesses which allows for better selection and a more in-depth interview
Benefits:
Low risk hiring process, increased chance of future success and revenue
U.K. Retailer Uses Assessment to Identify the Best Talent
John Lewis Partnership, with sales exceeding $9B, is one of the U.K.'s top ten retail businesses, running 26 John Lewis high-end department stores and more than 160 Waitrose supermarkets, primarily in London and Southern England.
John Lewis Partnership is planning to introduce "product information" kiosks in its department stores, a customer service program that they see as strategic to their commitment as a multi-channeled retailer. Paul Darrall is leading the technical implementation and was concerned about quickly finding the right IT professionals for this high profile project.
Darrall was concerned with how difficult it can be to find top IT talent. He wanted a more objective way to identify which candidates were likely to be the best performers. Having used Brainbench in the past, Darrall introduced the assessment provider to his department for use in the hiring process. "The Brainbench tests measure real world knowledge. They are an objective way to measure a candidate's skills."
Darrall used the results from the Brainbench assessments in the hiring process. Candidates' strengths and weaknesses were identified, and allowed Darrall and his team to probe critical skill areas further during the interview process. With a high degree of confidence, Darrall was able to select the best candidate for the job, after the assessment and interview results were compiled.
"Introducing a test like this into the hiring process is a no-brainer. Taking the added pre-caution of spending $50 to find out if a candidate really knows XML, easily offsets the risk of hiring the wrong person who is going to be paid that same amount in their first hour of employment."
Adding kiosks to the John Lewis department stores could revolutionize customer service, providing detailed product knowledge and the ability to purchase, helping increase sales during periods of high demand.. Delivering the pilot on-schedule is a high-profile requirement of Darrall and his organization. The diligence applied upfront in the hiring process helps ensure that he has the best people on the job, increasing his chances of success.