Applying
to join us?
We’re committed to giving you a fair experience. And we’ve made applying even easier.
How to apply
You’ll find an overview of our application process on this page. It might be different depending on which job you’re applying for, but it will always involve five key stages.
To explore our available opportunities, click the button below. If you can’t find what you’re looking for right now, you can sign up for job alerts at the bottom of this page.
Need some tips?
We know that applying and interviewing for jobs can be daunting. Here’s some tips to help you make the most out of the experience.
Do your research. Take time to learn about Co-op and the work we do
Access our Career Development Hub to help build your CV and practice interview techniques
Prepare examples. Think about past experiences and how you’ve demonstrated our Co-op behaviours
Practice using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your answers
Our application process
Every application process at Co-op is unique, but you’ll always experience 5 key stages.
Step 1: Application
If you’re disabled, neurodivergent, or have a long-term health condition, we can make adjustments to our recruitment process according to your needs. We’re committed to reducing the barriers disabled people face when applying for jobs, which is why we’re members of the Disability Confident Scheme. This means we’ll always offer a first stage interview to disabled candidates if they meet the minimum criteria for a job. Click here to find out more about the scheme.
If you’ve any questions about interview and workplace adjustments, the Disability Confident Scheme, or your application, contact us by emailing: coopcareers@coop.co.uk
Step 2: Online assessment
For some roles, as part of your application, you’ll need to complete an online assessment. This measures how well your behaviours, values, and motivations match up to the job you’re applying for.
Depending on which job you’re applying for, this could take between 20 and 50 minutes and will need to be done before you can submit your application.
Step 3: Screening
Food Retail, Funeralcare or Logistics roles
If your application looks like a good match based on the results of your online assessment, we’ll contact you to arrange an interview. Depending on the job you’ve applied for, we might give you a call to double check you meet the minimum requirements for the role.
Support Centre, Legal Services or Leadership roles
If you pass the online assessment your application will be reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team. If you meet the criteria for the role your CV will be sent through to the Hiring Manager to review.
Step 4: Interview
For some roles we may conduct a telephone interview call as an additional part of the process.
As part of our standard interview here at the Co-op, we’ll ask you to provide specific examples from your current or previous jobs that demonstrate how you behave in certain situations. This helps us to understand how you’d perform in the job you’ve applied for.
When you interview with us, we’ll send you the behavioural questions beforehand so you can be the best version of you on the day. We’ll also let you know which documents you need to bring to your interview to prove that you’re eligible to work in the UK.
For some roles there may be more than one interview.
Step 5: Decision
We’ll be in touch after your interview. If you're not moving forward in the process, you're welcome to request feedback to support your future interviews.
If we’d like to offer you the role, we’ll give you a call to talk you through the offer. If you accept, we’ll send you an electronic contract. Once that’s signed, we’ll be able to process your offer and do any necessary pre-employment checks. If you’re joining us in Funeralcare, these checks will include taking a look at your activity on social media. When all the checks are successfully completed, congratulations! You’re ready for your Co-op journey.
