Primark Careers: Hiring Process/Job Application/Vacancies

Primark is one of the biggest names in fast fashion, and there are a range of career opportunities available in the UK, Ireland and even in Europe and the US.

If you are looking to get started with a career at Primark, whether that is in a store or in the head office, then this article will give you lots of helpful information and tips to help you succeed.

We will discuss the different roles available at Primark, what the benefits of working there are and what the career progression is like.

We will also take a detailed look at the Primark job application process and what you can expect at each stage, including information about the assessments and the types of questions you can expect in the interview.

What Is Primark?

Primark Stores Limited opened the first store as Penneys in Dublin back in 1969. This store is still in operation today, and like the other stores in the Republic of Ireland it is still known as Penneys.

Growth through Ireland soon followed, and the first English store was opened in Derby in 1973, using the name Primark – the Penneys name being owned by US company JCPenney.

Expansion continued into Europe in 2003, and then into America in 2015.

The largest Primark in the world was opened in Birmingham in 2019, filling five floors and featuring a beauty salon, a barbershop, a Greggs and a Disney-themed café as well as the fashion and homewares that it is known for.

This expansion has led to today – a fast fashion store known for low prices, with a range of products including:

• Womenswear
• Menswear
• Children’s and baby clothes
• Accessories and footwear
• Beauty products
• Confectionary
• Homeware

Joining Primark in one of its many career areas means being part of a company that is 70,000 employees strong, and in 16 countries (and growing – Primark is aiming to have 530 stores by the end of 2026).

Early Careers

Primark offers a 12-month placement based in its Dublin headquarters. During this placement, you will get structured learning opportunities and broad business exposure in areas like:

• Buying
• Merchandising
• Design
• Finance
• Technology
• People and Culture

Applications open in September for the following year, and successful candidates will be offered a relocation package to help them move to Dublin for the duration of the placement, including subsidised living support.

Retail

The Primark retail assistant roles include in-store colleagues, team managers, visual merchandisers, department managers, store managers, assistant store managers and Primark night shift jobs.

These are the front line of Primark, and retail roles can include seasonal colleagues as well as full- and part-time permanent staff.

Head Office

The corporate roles at Primark are available in Dublin, but also in other office locations across its geographic areas. There are many business areas that head office roles cover, including:

• Administration
• Buying and merchandising
• Communications and PR
• Early Careers
• Ethical trade and environmental sustainability
• People and culture (HR)
• Project management
• Finance
• Legal
• Technology

Rewards and Benefits

The rewards and benefits are similar for retail and corporate roles. Primark offers colleagues the following:

• Competitive salary
• Career opportunities throughout the UK and even globally
• Learning and development in both online and offline courses
• In-store employee discount
• Leadership and management development for promotion opportunities
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Generous pension scheme
• 31 days’ holiday

Office-based staff can also benefit from flexible start and finish times if they are in the office between the core hours – and a 2:00 p.m. finish on a Friday.

How to Find Primark Careers and Jobs?

The best place to start looking for a career with Primark is its careers site.

All Primark employment roles including retail and operations as well as corporate and head office positions are posted here.

The careers site is full of helpful information that you can use to make the most of your application before you search for a role.

You can use the Candidate Zone to find out lots of helpful tips before you apply – including a self-reporting test to identify your top skills and finding out more about the application process.

The job search function is really detailed, so you will be able to search by keyword or job title or browse using the filters to help. You can browse by job type or by country, or search by category, location, store or office name, job status or job type.

If there are no Primark vacancies that suit you now, you can sign up to Primark’s talent network to get job alerts delivered, giving you the opportunity to apply early for the role you want.

Primark does list its available roles on job sites like Indeed and Reed, but the best place to look is on the Primark careers site. If you are looking for a retail role in your local store, you might be able to apply directly in the store too.

Who Can Apply for a Primark Job?

Primark is an equal opportunity employer, with a firm diversity and inclusion policy that offers explicit support for applicants with disabilities as well as employees from different backgrounds. It is proud to have employees from more than 180 different nationalities.

Retail roles are available to anyone over the age of 16 who can demonstrate the customer service and teamwork skills that the Primark recruitment team are looking for. Those still in full-time education will only be offered Primark part time jobs to allow them to complete their education.

The job description will highlight any specific qualifications and skills that are needed – and you should use this to determine if you have what it takes to be successful before you apply.

What Is the Primark Job Application Process?

Look for Desired Role

Make use of the in-depth search function on the Primark career site to choose the right role for you. When you have found the role you want, make sure to take note of what is written in the job description.

The job description will have all the information you need to make the most of your application, so you know what criteria recruiters will be looking for (and therefore what you need to demonstrate throughout the hiring process).

A screenshot will help – or take some notes using bullet points of the main details.

Create a Job Profile Online

Before you complete the application process, you will need to create an account. This will be the hub of your application, and where all the updates and progress will be recorded.

It will also be where you can upload your CV and cover letter.

You can sign up using your email address, or you can use your LinkedIn or Facebook profile.

Apply for the Role

To apply for the role, you will need to fill out an application form. This includes general contact and personal information gathering questions that you would expect, but it will also have some specific questions relating to the role you have applied for, looking for relevant experience and qualifications.

You can use a tailored CV and a cover letter to support your application, but Primark does not accept speculative CVs – you need to directly apply for a specific role.

Assessments

If your application form meets the initial criteria for the role, you may be asked to complete one or more online assessments. These are used to evaluate your skills, abilities and personality to see whether you would be a good fit for the role.

Primark uses several different types of tests, such as:

• Hogan Personality Inventory – This is a personality test that measures your ‘bright side’ personality; how you relate to others on your best day. This is a self-reporting test where you need to decide how much each presented statement relates to you and who you are. Personality tests like this are used to give an indication of what type of leader you will be, and where your strengths are.

• Situational judgement test – In the situational judgement test, you are being evaluated on the way you choose to deal with problems and make decisions. You will be given a series of work-related scenarios, and you’ll need to choose the best way to deal with the scenario from the multiple-choice options given.

• Logical reasoning – Another assessment about decision-making and critical thinking, each question is about a series of shapes or images that are linked in a sequence. You’ll need to decide what pattern or rule governs that sequence and apply it to the multiple-choice options to find the correct missing item.

• Numerical reasoning – This is not a maths test, but you will need to use basic mathematical operations to answer the questions. Each one will consist of numerical data in the form of tables, graphs or charts, and you’ll need to complete some calculation to answer the question, again choosing from multiple-choice options.

Interview

If you score highly enough in the assessments to pass, you will receive an initial phone call from the Primark recruitment team.

In some cases, this will be to tell you that you have been successful and to organise your face-to-face interview.

Sometimes, the telephone call is an interview – a screening call. You’ll be asked to confirm that you are still interested in the position, and then you will be asked some questions based on your motivation and the details in your application.

This telephone interview is usually quite straightforward and doesn’t take very long – it is all about getting to know you.

The in-person interview can vary depending on the role that you have applied for, but you can expect to answer a few different types of questions.

You might be asked some motivational questions, where the interviewer will want to know what your future plans are, why you have applied for the job and why you have chosen Primark. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that you know about the company and its future, as well as showing that you are serious about your application.

The interviewer is likely to ask some competency questions.

These will be related to the skills and abilities that are listed in the job description and are usually phrased in such a way that you will need to provide examples of your previous experience to answer them.

For example, you might be asked, “Tell us about a time when you delivered excellent customer service.”

Recruiters want to see that you are already customer focused and know what great customer service is.

Be honest and clear in your answers, and make sure you have some questions of your own to ask at the end of the interview.

Job Offer

The outcome of the process is usually delivered via email, and you will find out if you have been successful within a couple of weeks.

If you are not successful, you may be allowed to reapply – but for retail positions, you can only apply once in a 180-day period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

With so many roles available at Primark it is no surprise that it is a popular option for jobseekers in many career areas.

To get a job at Primark, you will need to stand out above the other applicants and demonstrate that you are personally and professionally motivated for success with the company. The more you know about the company, the easier you will find it to make a good impression – so preparation really is key to your success.