Due to College etc i have had the misfortune of working in Tescos for about 3 years.I thought i would share some of my experiences as some of the other reviews are now inaccurate with regards to benefits as these have been changed in recent months.Most of my time has been spent working at the checkouts but i am "multiskilled" meaning i can work in other departments in the store.
** Recruitment & Training**
When they are recruiting they first of all recruit internally ,if staff don't want it the job then goes out on a notice job where the general public can see it.
Applying-The form is purple with a picture of Tesco staff on it.On the front is a space for your name and a space to write in the job
you are applying for.Most of the form consists of questions with multiple choices ie you have to tick which one you are most like and which one you are least like.Tescos is a very team orientated job-so pick the answers that most relate to
team work.After this if you ar successful you will be invited in for an interview ,either one to one or a group interview. I had one on my own and they just asked me questions like what are your skills etc.
You are then invited in for your induction where you are shown a
health and safety video etc.
Training is then on the job ,when managers can be bothered.
The above doesn't always apply when they are desperate- i have a member of staff at my work who came in asking about a job and got asked can you start in
30 minutes?,which he did
**Working**
This is mainly going to be about checkouts...
I recently changed from dayshift to nightshift on checkouts,this means i start at 10pm and finish at 7am.Before i took the job i used to help them out at night i would do checkouts and only checkouts,but after i had been doing it for a while extra jobs started getting added on to my workload..(For those of you that don't shop in tescos late at night it tends to be just self service machines that are on).Now i don't mind doing these other things when i am not busy but customers should come first right?...Even if we are busy we get told to leave customers "to get on with it" and "hurry up and fill the shelves".I had a customer recently with 2 big trolleys full of shopping and got told that they would have to go through one of the little self scans(10 items or less).If you have used them you will know they don't work right!!I tried to raise this with a manager but got told quite rudely that i would just have to get on with it as it was part of my job.Amazing then that as soon as a regional manager comes in i have to stay at the tills for security reasons and don't have to fill shelves...
Another thing about tills is is that cashiers are timed and if they fall under a certain scan rate they get a "talk".This has never happened to me but i think its terrible.it should be about customer service not about how quickly we can get them through.
**Uniform**
At the minute full time members of staff get 3 pairs of trousers and 3 tops.
Part time it is 2 pairs of trousers and 2 tops.
If you only work 1 day or less than 8 hours you get one of each. I think it goes by the hours you work not the amont of days.You are also giveing a blue jumper but you have to pay about £8 for the red and blue fleece.The old uniforms where fine -you put them in the wash and the colour stayed etc.The only problem being the
womens trousers which tend to be a weird shape,tight around the top but with loose fabric underneath.Most of the women i know tended to get
mens trousers.There is a new uniform but the store i work in does'nt have it yet.So that means for the last couple of months (more like 6!!)if you needed anything replaced you werent
getting it.There have been stories of the new uniform running in the wash... in the rain.. etc .
**Departments / Staff**
Tesco stores are split up into departments. Price integrity, Fresh(foods),Grocery,Petrol Filling Station, Checkouts ,Bakery,Bread and cakes,Dot com,Clothing,Services-customer service desk and kiosk,non foods,tesco direct and most importantly wages /cash office!!! .This varies from store to store so i have just said what is in the store i work in.Each department has a section manager , a team leader and general assistants-the people who work.
**Wages**
Most People that work for Tescos are on grade "c" for wages.(I say work this doesn't include managers). What this means is that if you have worked there less than a year your basic rate is £5.945 , over a year it is £6.256. Staff get extra for working nights, again it depends on how long you have worked there.Less than a year about £1.20 then from 12-6am it is 1.40. For people who have worked there over a year from 12-6am they get an extra £1.80. On a Sunday and on bank holidays staff get extra pay.For those who have been there for years and years they get double time ,any less than five years you get 1.5 time .Tescos have stopped offering double time,so only old staff get it.The best time to work is a
Saturday night as you get your night premium and time and a half.As another review has said "managers cannot confirm whether this is our (pay+premium)
X 1.5 or (pay X 1.5 + premium)"In my store i have heard the same manager say both-the higher one being when they were trying to get someone to cover a shift.As they said to me once "i make it up as i go along"
**Benefits & Entitlements**
Clubcard
Once you have worked for Tescos for six months you get a Privilege card which gives you 10% discount on almost everything in the store and online(excludes cigarettes and petrol).This is capped though-you only get about £700 worth of discount in a year-it sounds a lot considering you would have to spend £7000 to use it all but there are loads of staff with large families that max it out by around October and have to wait till the following April till they get discount again.The card also doubles up as a clubcard-the one slightly good thing about this is if your shopping came to £100 before discount and then it went down to £90,you still get 100 points
Holidays.
Tesco currently give staff 4x the amount of days they work in a week off and the holiday period runs from April-March.
If you work at Tesco's i would advise you to get your holidays in quickly as they only let 10% of a department off at
the one time..I say that but if the manager likes you then they will probably give you it anyway!!
Sickness
Sickpay is given once you have been off for a week.If you are only off one day you will not get paid.
Shares
Tesco has two share incentive plans.
Save as you earn-offered to all staff once they have worked at Tescos for a year.These are free.Conditions apply to these,they are locked for three years so if you leave Tescos before the 3 years are up you wont get anything. After 3 years you can withdraw them and
pay tax on them or if you want them tax free you have to wait 5 years(so work for Tescos for 6 years)
Buy as you earn-This allows you to buy Tesco shares and save tax.It is available after you have completed at least 3 months service ,you can join any time after that.Shares are bought with your gross salary so you save income tax and national insurance.You pick the amount you invest-from as little as £5,up to a maximum of £110 or 10% of your 4 weekly gross salary,whichever is lower.
One other benefit is if you are a student you can transfer between stores.So in term time you can work in the store closest to the
university you are at and in the holidays you can work in your home store
**Other information**
http://www.verylittlehelps.com/ - a website for people unhappy with tescos!!
Summary: ///
better jobs out there 
