Applied for the Science Graduate program after coming across it on a recruitment website. Application process was facile: only required to email my CV to a Rentokil recruitment address, no cover letter requested.
Took a few weeks for my application to go through the system - after which I was contacted by Scott Coupland (over email) from Rentokil's recruitment team. We arranged by email to have a telephone screening talk about a week later.
Scott was great - talked me through the graduate program and outlined what would be expected of me if I was to start on the scheme. I was informed by Scott at this stage that at present, Rentokil only had vacancies on the mobile "Hit Squad" team, based predominantly around London/surrounding areas, and as such I would have to live away from home Monday to Friday morning in a Premier Inn in London which the Hit Squad use, and then drive down to London again on Sunday (in time for the working week to begin again on Monday). He then asked me a few questions about myself, my interests and finished with a competency Situation Task Analysis Reflection (STAR) question. Whole process around 20 minutes, quite informal.
The next day I received a phonecall from Chris, a local operations manager of the Hit Squad. Arranged to have a 1:1 interview with him about 4/5 days later, at a Premier Inn about 5 miles from my home address.
Chris was also brilliant when we met in person - made me feel completely at ease and reassured me that this should be viewed as fairly informal and more of a chat. He asked me a few general questions about the graduate program and company to test my knowledge. Also asked about my interest in the scheme and what I was hoping to do. Finished with about 3 competency STAR questions. Following this, Chris allowed time for me to ask him questions - and even allowed me to take my laptop out as I had brought it with questions on. I felt really reassured by this and it made me feel that I could ask everything I wanted. Whole process 1 hr - 1 hr 30.
A couple of days later, Chris called me, and told me that he would give me the contact number of Stephen, a pest control technician in the Leeds area, so that he could take me out on a field morning. Stephen and I arranged this for a couple of days later.
On the day we met at 10 am-ish and Stephen took me around on a few of his daily routine jobs. He was great - highly informative, professional and honest about the job, and I really enjoyed going to the locations within his patch of Leeds. Whole process 2 hr 30 - 3 hr.
All the members of Rentokil staff I met (Chris, Scott and Stephen) were excellent - in particular I was impressed by their honesty, as they explained candidly what would be expected of me and the fact that I may encounter unpleasant situations while out on the job. They were also honest about the fact that the work culture is supportive yet demanding, and that progression is based on merit (ie performing well and completing many jobs). Training is said to be very comprehensive and I believe this would be true. I was also impressed by how they look to make it easy for you in terms of arranging locations of interviews/field days to suit yourself - reading similar reviews it seems as if they always try arrange the convenience around the applicant - which is a very nice touch.
Unfortunately, despite the supportiveness of the Rentokil staff, I had began to feel that the job may not be right for me at this stage - I was unsure that I wanted to commute to and from London weekly (I live around the Harrogate/Leeds area), especially as the working hours seem long. I was also not convinced that I wanted to work as a pest control technician, as my background does not relate to it at all in honesty. I let Scott know that I didn't want to progress my application any further when he called me the next day after my field morning. He was really nice, told me not to worry, and that I could reapply if I wanted to in future.
To anyone applying, I would heartily recommend that you thoroughly research the company, and the job description - and make sure that it is what you want to do (which seems like common sense, but it is highly important). I believe that if you feel the job is a right fit for you, then you will have a fantastic and enjoyable career with Rentokil as I think they seem a fantastic employer with a justifiably award-winning team ethos.
Good luck!!!!
*****Guide for questions below:
(phone) = asked this question in phone interview
(1:1) = asked this question in 1:1 interview
(phone, 1:1) = asked this question in phone AND 1:1 interviews
