Customer Stories >John Lewis and Partners

Selecting the Right Partners: John Lewis Partnership's Recruitment Success Story

50000

+ applications screened via the new PSQ since launch

percent of applicants complete the assessment on mobile devices

Overview

John Lewis Partnership, one of the UK’s leading omni-channel retailers, is known for its employee-owned business model. With 84,000 permanent Partners across John Lewis stores, Waitrose supermarkets, and online channels, the Partnership is focused on maintaining outstanding customer experiences while adapting to the changing demands of modern retail. To hire “Partners of the future,” they needed an innovative recruitment screening process that identified candidates aligned with their values and behaviours, while also enhancing the applicant experience.

Challenge

John Lewis Partnership needed to refresh their candidate screening approach to reflect the changing nature of retail roles. Their existing online values questionnaire was no longer effectively identifying candidates aligned with the future of the business. They required a solution that could:

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Accurately measure core values and behaviours across roles
Engage candidates while providing meaningful feedback
Handle up to 400,000 applications annually
Be accessible and mobile-optimised

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The goal was clear: find Partners of the future while maintaining a strong focus on fairness, candidate experience, and operational efficiency.

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Solution

Sova collaborated with John Lewis Partnership to develop the Partnership Selection Questionnaire (PSQ)—a mobile-first, scenario-based assessment designed to reflect real-life challenges in retail. Key features included:

Live-action branching video scenarios tailored to six core Partnership behaviours
Mobile accessibility for a seamless experience across devices
Job analysis and pilot validation to ensure relevance across John Lewis and Waitrose roles
Personalised candidate reports delivered automatically to every applicant
Friendly and informative video introductions to guide and engage candidates throughout the process

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The result was an assessment that not only identified the right people, but also gave every applicant insight into the organisation and timely feedback—mirroring the customer experience ethos of the brand.

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Results

Since its launch, the PSQ has transformed early-stage hiring for John Lewis Partnership. Notable outcomes include:

Scalability and efficiency: Over 50,000 applications screened, reducing manual workload for recruitment teams
Accessibility gains: One in three candidates used mobile devices, with video content improving clarity for applicants with learning differences such as dyslexia
Stronger candidate experience: All applicants receive personalised feedback, reinforcing the Partnership’s people-first values

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The collaboration continues to deliver long-term value, positioning Sova as a trusted partner in supporting the evolution of talent strategy at John Lewis Partnership.

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Overview

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