Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/1999/11/08/supermarket_sweeps_recruits_off/

Supermarket sweeps recruits off to rival Web sites

Asda sorts the trolley dollies from the basket cases

By Kieren McCarthy

Posted in On-Prem, 8th November 1999 11:55 GMT

If you've just come out of university and want a job among the high-fliers in Asda's training programme (and who wouldn't?) you can now apply online. But don't worry if you're not good enough for Asda because it will point you towards inferior competitors like Tesco and Sainsbury's without you even having to click. Asda's recruitment drive site, Have You Got What It Takes?, is low on tolerance but high on fun. "Asda's not everyone's cup of tea," it informs the hopefuls. "But find out if you're right for us by answering this fun questionnaire." Select A, B or C from the seven questions on offer ("What's your definition of a good manager?") and Asda will tell you whether you're on the way up or wasting its time. This reporter selected the daft answers and was unsurprisingly rejected. But the 'right' answers (hint: we're all a big, happy team) led to a 17-page online application form. Bugger that. So we went back and re-entered the wrong stuff. "Sorry -- you are obviously a very talented person but ASDA may not be the right place for you. Are you sure you want to go into retailing, if so try..." And without so much as a thank you we were whisked off to Sainsbury's Web site. We tried again. Same thing but winding up at Tesco. A third attempt led to Safeway. And so my dream of becoming a supermarket manager died. Marvellous thing technology. ®