How to get a job at Tesco

Tesco hires for store, online, café, pharmacy, driver, warehouse and manager roles, and takes on festive staff for Christmas. You apply online on Tesco's careers site. For store jobs, that may be followed by an online assessment, and then a 30-minute interview in person. Tesco says it can take up to five weeks to review an application for a store or distribution role, so apply early and keep an eye on your email.

This guide covers the jobs Tesco hires for, what it pays, its staff benefits, each step of the application, the interview questions to prepare for, and how to stand out. Every figure says where it comes from and when we checked it.

What jobs does Tesco hire for?

Most Tesco vacancies are in its shops, but there is work behind the scenes too. Tesco says it has more than 330,000 colleagues and around 4,500 stores across five countries, so there is a lot of choice.

Store jobs

Tesco's careers site lists these roles in its shops:

• Store colleagues. Helping customers, restocking shelves, keeping the shop tidy and supporting the team.
• Café colleagues. Cooking, making coffee and serving customers in the in-store cafés.
• Shift leaders. Running a shift, guiding the team and helping train new starters.
• Team managers and store managers. Team managers train, coach and support their team. Store managers run the whole shop, from hiring and training to how it performs.
• Phone shop colleagues. Helping Tesco Mobile customers choose a phone or plan.
• Pharmacy roles. Counter assistants, technicians and pharmacy managers.

The work feels different depending on the size of the shop. Tesco describes its Express shops as small and fast-paced. A Superstore or an Extra is much bigger. Tesco says an Extra stocks around 30,000 products, so there are more departments to learn and more chances to move between them.

Online, driver and warehouse jobs

Tesco also hires people to pick online orders, drive home delivery vans and work in its distribution centres. Driver jobs have extra rules. When we checked, Tesco asked customer delivery drivers to have held a UK, EU or EEA licence for at least 12 months, with no more than 3 penalty points. HGV drivers need a C+E licence, no more than 6 points and a Driver Qualification Card.

You can see the Tesco vacancies we collect in one place on our Tesco jobs search.

What does Tesco pay?

Tesco's standard hourly rate for store and online fulfilment centre colleagues is £13.28 an hour, or £14.55 an hour inside the M25. That rate started on 29 March 2026, after a deal with the shop workers' union Usdaw.

Tesco's figures come from its March 2026 press release and its festive jobs page, when we checked in September 2026. The legal minimum comes from GOV.UK. Tesco's store rate is 57p an hour above the National Living Wage.

Some roles pay more, such as shift leaders, drivers and managers. Tesco does not publish those rates on its careers pages, so check the pay on each advert. If an advert shows a different figure from the ones above, ask about it at interview.

What benefits and staff discount does Tesco offer?

Tesco's main perk is the Colleague Clubcard, which gives you a staff discount on your shopping. Tesco says the discount is up to 15%, and that permanent colleagues get the card after 4 weeks, plus a second card for a family member.

The benefits Tesco lists on its careers site and in its pay announcement include:

• Pension. Tesco matches your contributions up to 7.5%.
• Family leave. 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave and 6 weeks of fully paid paternity leave.
• Health support. An Employee Assistance Programme and a 24/7 virtual GP for you and your family.
• Other discounts. 20% off F&F clothing, 10% off some Tesco Mobile deals and 10% off at One Stop.
• Share saving. A "Save and buy as you Earn" scheme to help you save and invest in Tesco shares.
• Flexible working. You can ask for flexible working from your first day.

Tesco says the benefits you get depend on your role, so check the advert. The Colleague Clubcard, for example, is described as a benefit for permanent colleagues. A Christmas temp may not get the same package.

How does the Tesco application process work?

Every Tesco job starts with an online application. For store roles, the steps are usually an online form, a short online assessment, an in-person interview and some checks before you start.

Step 1: find a job and create a profile

Search Tesco's careers site by postcode or keyword. You will need to create a Tesco Careers profile before you apply. You can apply for more than one job, and Tesco says that is fine if you do not mind which store you work in. You cannot apply by email.

If nothing suits you yet, set up a job alert. Tesco's site will email you when a matching job opens near you.

Step 2: fill in the online form

The form asks about you, your experience and the days you can work. Tesco says you may be able to apply with your CV, or with a LinkedIn or Indeed profile, and you can save the form and come back to it.

Some questions are checked by the system straight away. Tesco explains that if you do not meet the minimum criteria for a role, you can get a "not successful" email before you finish. You cannot reapply for that same job, but you can apply for others. Think like a customer when you answer.

Many adverts show an "availability window". This means your shifts will fall inside those hours. It does not mean you will work the whole window.

Step 3: the online assessment

For store roles, Tesco says you may be asked to complete a scenario-based exercise or an online chat assessment. These put you in everyday shop situations and ask what you would do. Tesco uses them to see how your behaviour matches its values.

There is no trick to it. Pick the answer that is honest, safe and puts the customer first.

Step 4: book your interview

If you pass, Tesco sends you a link to book an interview, either from the store or its recruitment hub. For retail, warehouse and distribution roles, Tesco says interviews last 30 minutes and are held in person.

Before a store interview, you complete an online right to work check. Then you bring the same original documents with you on the day. GOV.UK explains which documents prove your right to work.

Step 5: checks and your first day

Tesco emails you if you are successful. If you are not, it says it will give you feedback. Some roles need extra checks. Pharmacy staff and customer delivery drivers need a criminal record check, and UK driver roles include an online test.

Once you are hired, you get a link to Tesco's onboarding portal or a form to fill in before your first day.

Is there a trial shift?

Tesco's careers pages do not describe a trial shift as part of the process. The steps it lists end with the interview and checks. If a store asks you to do one, ask whether it is paid before you agree.

What questions does Tesco ask at interview?

Tesco's interviews are built around four "Win Together" behaviours. Tesco publishes a free interview guide with sample questions and asks you to answer using the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result.

The sample questions in Tesco's guide are along these lines (our wording, not theirs):

• Doing the right thing. When did you keep going to do the right thing for a customer or colleague?
• Teamwork. Tell us about a time you were part of a team that did well.
• Learning. What have you found out about yourself lately?
• Speaking up. When did you have to challenge something to do right by a customer?

A STAR outline for a customer question

Say you are asked about a time you did the right thing for a customer. You do not need retail experience. An example from school, volunteering or another job works.

• Situation. Set the scene in one sentence. For example, you were helping at a busy school open evening.
• Task. Say what you were responsible for, such as guiding visitors to the right rooms.
• Action. Explain what *you* did. Perhaps you noticed a parent with a pushchair who could not use the stairs, so you found a member of staff and walked them to the lift.
• Result. Say how it ended, and what you learned. The family got to their talk on time, and you learned to look out for people who need help but do not ask.

A STAR outline for a teamwork question

For a question about teamwork, choose a time when a group worked well together.

• Situation. You and your friends ran a cake sale for charity.
• Task. Your job was to plan who did what.
• Action. You made a simple rota, gave each person a job they were good at, and swapped roles when someone was running late.
• Result. You sold out and raised money for the charity. Keep it short and real. Do not make the numbers sound bigger than they were.

Tesco also says you can take notes into your interview, pause to think, and ask for a question to be repeated. It suggests smart-casual clothes. Bring one or two questions of your own, such as what a normal shift looks like.

How can you stand out when you apply to Tesco?

The best way to stand out is to be clear, honest and available. Store managers need people they can rely on for the shifts they have.

• Be clear about your availability. The form asks which days you can work. If you cannot cover an advert's full availability window, Tesco says you can still apply and talk it through at interview.
• Prepare four stories. Have one real example for each Win Together behaviour. Write them down in STAR order and practise saying them out loud.
• Use your own words. Tesco says it is happy for you to use AI to check spelling or practise answers, but not to invent examples or write your application from scratch.
• Look at more than one store. You can apply for more than one role. Tesco suggests this if you do not mind which store you work in.
• Ask for help if you need it. Tesco says it can make reasonable adjustments, such as bringing someone with you to the interview. Ask on the form or by contacting its recruitment team.
• Know someone at Tesco? For Christmas roles, Tesco says it will prioritise applications from people referred by a colleague.

Does Tesco hire Christmas temps?

Yes. Tesco takes on festive colleagues for Christmas, mainly to keep shelves stocked for customers. Tesco's festive page says applications open from the end of September. Contracts last up to 12 weeks, though some are shorter, and start dates differ from store to store.

When we checked in September 2026, Tesco's festive page said roles had started to open and would keep opening through to October. It advertised pay from £13.28 an hour (£14.55 inside the M25), with the £2.35 night premium on top. Festive colleagues do not wear a uniform, so Tesco suggests comfortable, dark clothes and sensible shoes.

To find them, set up an alert on Tesco's site using the words "festive colleague". Our guide to Christmas retail jobs compares Tesco with other big retailers.

Frequently asked questions

How old do you have to be to work at Tesco?

Tesco says you need to be of school leaving age. In England, that means you can leave school on the last Friday in June if you will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays. The rules are a little different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and GOV.UK explains them.

Do I need experience to work at Tesco?

No. Tesco says there are no specific qualifications for its in-store roles. It looks for good customer service, taking initiative, an inclusive approach and team spirit. If a job needs experience, the advert says so.

How long does Tesco take to reply?

For store and distribution roles, Tesco says it can take up to five weeks to review your application. You can log in to your account to check its status. If it says "in review", check your email and junk folder for a right to work link.

Can I work part-time at Tesco?

Yes. Many store jobs are part-time, and the advert says so. For store, warehouse and distribution jobs, the form asks which days suit you best.

What should I wear to a Tesco interview?

Tesco suggests smart-casual clothes that you feel comfortable in. Bring your right to work documents and any notes you want.

Find Tesco jobs near you

We collect retail jobs from retailers' own careers sites and job boards, so you can compare them in one place. Start with our Tesco jobs search, or widen it to customer assistant jobs at other shops too. A membership adds job alerts and a tracker for your applications. For more help, see our other retail job guides, and read how we check facts in our editorial policy.

This is general information, not legal or careers advice. Check the retailer's advert and the official source before you act.

Sources and further reading

• Tesco announces over £200m investment in pay, with 5.1% increase for hourly-paid colleagues — Tesco plc, checked 28 September 2026
• Tesco colleague benefits — Tesco Careers, checked 28 September 2026
• Grocery and retail store jobs — Tesco Careers, checked 28 September 2026
• Tesco driver jobs — Tesco Careers, checked 28 September 2026
• Interview tips and hiring process — Tesco Careers, checked 28 September 2026
• Let's get you interview-ready (Win Together behaviours guide, PDF) — Tesco, checked 28 September 2026
• Applying for jobs and working at Tesco FAQs — Tesco Careers, checked 28 September 2026
• Tesco Christmas seasonal jobs — Tesco Careers, checked 28 September 2026
• Tesco Careers home page — Tesco Careers, checked 28 September 2026
• National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates — GOV.UK, checked 28 September 2026
• Prove your right to work to an employer — GOV.UK, checked 28 September 2026
• School leaving age — GOV.UK, checked 28 September 2026