Asda is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, toys and general merchandise. It became a subsidiary of the American retail giant Wal-Mart, one of the world’s largest retailer in 1999, and is the second largest chain in the UK after Tesco, having overtaken Sainsbury's in 2003.
Asda is Wal-Mart's largest non-U.S. subsidiary, accounting for almost half of the company's international sales.
Asda's marketing promotions have usually been based solely on price, with Asda promoting itself under the slogan Britain's Lowest Priced Supermarket, 12 Years Running. As a wholly owned division of Wal-Mart, Asda is not required to declare quarterly or half-yearly earnings. It submits full accounts to Companies House each October.
Asda are a Times Top 100 graduate recruiter. The firm offers a structured training process for graduates, that is well-regarded.
The Asda graduate scheme is certainly better balanced than schemes at retailers such as Lidl or Aldi.
Asda recruits graduates for a number of different positions apart from Retail Management, including IT Solutions Management, Trading, Finance, Ecommerce, Property & Construction, Supply Chain and Distribution.
ASDA's graduate job schemes typically last for three years. Scheme available include:
Graduates interested in the Retail Management or Distribution Management programmes must be flexible in terms of location, as they could easily be working anywhere in the country.
If you choose Property and Construction, Marketing, Project Management Systems Solutions, Trading, Ecommerce or Finance, you'll be based at ASDA House, which is in the centre of Leeds.
The ASDA graduate scheme interview and assessment process is as follows:
The first thing you will have to do at your assessment centre will be to pick a toy to describe your personality and then describe why you picked that toy.
You will then have to play an ASDA version of monopoly, which involves mini-games which test your maths skills, verbal reasoning, and creative thinking; your answers will be analysed in front of you, with some good and some bad feedback given, to see your reaction.
The group task will test your leadership, logical thinking, and group work.
You will be asked to perform a role play with other members of your group, or current employees.
The presentation is your chance to deliver your thoughts on the research provided to you before the assessment centre itself. It is a good idea to prepare slides, and prepare for this by doing online company research.
The ASDA assessment centre interview may be unusual. Candidates may be given a sheet of paper with questions about their motivations and the high and low points in their life.