Reckitt Benckiser Assessments

Careers at Reckitt Benckiser

Today Reckitt Benckiser has an employee count of 40,000, who work across household brands such as Neurofen, Calgon, Lysol and Enfamil. The organisation’s sense of social responsibility drives its vision of creating a happier, healthier world through development and innovation.

Key values of the company’s ethos are:

• Responsibility
• Ownership
• Entrepreneurship
• Achievement
• Partnership

As a global chemical and cosmetics company, RB offers jobs in sectors such as manufacturing, supply, corporate, IT, and research and development.

You can learn a lot about the application process for RB beforehand, which will give you a better chance at success.

There are five steps to the process:

• 1 Online application
• 2 Telephone interview
• 3 Video interview
• 4 Face-to-face interview
• 5 Online tests

Most people find the hiring process takes about four weeks, with interviews scheduled within a few days of applications being approved.

Reckitt Benckiser online application

Like most big companies, RB uses an online application system. Your application will be put through an automated application tracking system (ATS) that screens your document before it gets to a manager.

An ATS will identify key words and phrases that show you have the skills and qualifications that are required for the position in question. It sorts through applications much faster than humans, sending only candidates that fulfil requirements to be further scrutinised by an actual person.

However, this also means that it’s important to read the job and person specifications carefully, so you can identify the skills and qualifications that they are looking for. The more of these words and phrases you can include, the more likely you are to be approved by the ATS and proceed to the next stage.

Reckitt Benckiser screening and phone interview

If your application is approved by the ATS and a manager, you’ll be contacted for a phone interview. These initial interviews are to check if you are a ‘cultural fit’ for RB, which means that this interview will be more personal rather than competency-based.

They may ask questions such as:

• Why did you apply to RB?
• Did you apply for the company or the role?
• Why do you think you’ll be a good fit in our team?
• What are your expectations about this role?

Much like with the online application, you’ll do best if you have a strong understanding of the role itself within the context of the company as a whole.

Brush up on your knowledge of RB’s position in the field you’re applying for and why you want to make the move to RB.

Reckitt Benckiser video interview

You might be invited to do a video interview after this, which differs from the usual interview process. These are one-way interviews, which means that you will record your answers to their questions in a timed session, and then this is sent to someone to review.

Companies like to use these pre-recorded interviews for a few reasons:

They can ‘schedule’ many more interviews for the same day than if you all had to meet face-to-face.

They allow for candidates located further away to have a better chance of participation, since they are not limited by their ability to travel.

They assess your technological skills by showing how well you use and adapt to different ways of working, particularly as remote working becomes more popular.

Usually there is a practice setting where you can work out any issues with your equipment and get used to answering the time limit, so use this wisely. However, make sure that you are definitely in practice mode and don’t accidentally submit an unofficial answer.

Reckitt Benckiser face-to-face interview

The next interview will be face-to-face with the hiring manager and an HR representative. This will be more like the typical interview process that you’re used to.

You will be asked competency and role-specific questions, asking you to highlight your skills, experience, and what you would bring to RB should they hire you. Some interviews may also include a presentation depending on what position you are applying for; these are particularly common for sales and marketing roles.

If you are applying for a graduate scheme or internship, it is likely your interview will be in a group setting with other candidates and you may be expected to complete a group activity as part of your assessment.

This will help hiring managers to observe you in a team setting and get a better idea of how you work on the job, which can be helpful if you have limited practical experience on your CV.

Reckitt Benckiser Aptitude Tests

RB numerical reasoning tests

RB commonly uses aptitude tests as an additional level of screening. Numerical reasoning tests are given to a lot of applicants – even for positions you might not expect like summer internships – so it’s best to make sure you’re familiar with them.

These tests assess your numerical dexterity, which means your ability to work with numbers and interpret numerical data, such as graphs, charts and percentages.

The best way to prepare for numerical reasoning tests is to practice. Since they are more about critical thinking than pure mathematics, you don’t necessarily have to be mathematically minded to do well – you just need to know what to expect.

Over 75% of FTSE 100 companies use SHL assessment tests, RB included, sopracticing SHL numerical reasoning tests beforehand will help to significantly improve your performance in the real test.

RB inductive reasoning tests

Inductive reasoning tests are a type of critical thinking test that assess your ability to identify patterns and make logical connections. They are not field-specific, so can be given to any candidate for any role to test general intelligence and problem-solving skills.

The format of inductive reasoning tests is usually multiple-choice image-based questions. For example, you may be presented with a series of shapes and will have to choose which answer will come next in the sequence.

These can be tricky, so the best way to improve your inductive reasoning score is to practice and become familiar with the way of thinking needed to do well. RB uses SHL tests, so it’s a good idea to practice these specifically to get used to the format and time restriction.