Day 1: Get-to-Know Appointment:
HR manager approached me via Total Jobs to offer a get-to-know appointment that was actually a face-to-face interview with Jake (department manager). He asked where I was in my career and what I was interested in, explaining that it was a three-tier position working from Sales and Marketing through to Team Leader and eventually running your own office as an Operations Manager. They decided instead of outsourcing management, they could train colleagues up to their preferred standards. I was successful, even though I had come in only to discuss upcoming vacancies, and invited back for an observational day to see 'promotions' in Leeds.
Day 2: Observational Interview
You will begin this by waiting 45 minutes past expected time (with cult-like chanting in the opposite room: "£100!" "£250!" "£500!" repeated back almost religiously) in the reception room having been asked to complete a consent form explaining you will not get paid for this or receive financial compensation, that you cannot say you have been employed or have worked with Leodis Events, that it will take all day, and either party can terminate the interview at any point without reason. I was called forward and introduced to a colleague without apology with another candidate.
Let's start: turn your phone off now. You will be escorted through the busy streets of Leeds and interviewed whilst walking ("Where do you see yourself in five years? Have you got experience as a Project Manager? Where are you working?"). Needless to say (as I did), anybody with long-term health problems or a disability will struggle to say the least (a possible breach of the UK's Equality Act?) weaving in and out of the public while focusing. We arrive at Leeds Station and are instructed to withdraw money and buy a Day Rover ticket (£8.60) as we're visiting a client in Brighouse (could I have paid by card? could you have bought my ticket?). The other candidate with me disagreed with the process, his hand was shook and we walked off leaving him behind albeit stunned and confused.
The train ride will involve a whole manner of questions about laws of association and averages regarding media marketing: billboards, television, radio, posters, face-to-face interaction. This was a US customer requisite company formed in the 1980s that moved to the UK in 2001. You will be asked to create a business plan (read Interview Questions for more information) but constantly distracted with 'about you' questions and 'let me introduce you to my colleague' conversational pieces. After the 50 minute train ride, we had to walk through Brighouse, catch another bus and arrived a local estate. There was no client as such, it was door-to-door knocking.
The representatives suddenly donned 'Money Expert' jackets they had hidden from me and began knocking on doors and hassling elderly neighbours and contract workers. They counted down from 5 seconds before moving on to the next house if there was no response. They claimed to be Money Expert, but were actually Leodis Events (based in Oxford House opposite the courts) and were lying to the residents (according to citizens advice, this is an aggressive sales tactics and should be reported as anti-social behaviour if you fall victim to it). They filled in personal information on to a tablet such as their address, guessing their age and finding out who their supplier was without their consent (some realised only after he asked what their names were and refused) so they would receive a call back later in the day (whether they requested one or not). There was no clear evidence is that data had been deleted as the representative just walks off.
One couple, disturbed during their cooked meal, handed over their bank details to him to switch to direct debit payments whilst comparing their current energy supply costs with another company. When I asked questions as you would during any normal interview about procedures, his response was: 'don't concern yourself with this, focus on your business plan.' When they realised what was happening, the couple asked him to remove their details and asked us to leave. If I had been watching the proceedings too closely, he interrupted the client to ask me: 'how's your business plan coming along?'
I terminated the interview there having seen enough unethical activities (both as an interviewee and towards the local residents) and have not heard back from the company since. My hand was shook and I was abandoned in a random Brighouse estate (far from Leeds). I feel sorry for the residents affected and the interviewees duped. Thanks for wasting two days off work and stringing me along. Since I have seen them trying to advertise on here now, I believe its my duty to advise not applying to work for this company. You will not be doing what they say during the email correspondence and get-to-know interview.