Areas Manager Placement Worker Review

I was involved in all aspects of the area manager's role - from pricing to stock control to checkout management. This was a very busy role which involves a lot of talking on a day to day basis. I was given a lot of managerial responsibility and liased with many different stakeholders to ensre the smooth operation of the stores I worked at. This was very challenging but also very rewarding as it gave me a lot of confidence.

A lot of skills in people management which will serve me well in future. This is because I had to deal with a range of stakeholders - from customers to colleagues, as well as supply chain managers. There was also a lot of training in patience and other people skills which will prove invaluable for me. Moreover, I learnt how to be empathatic o the needs of other staff members and customers, which is a vital skill.

Very valued - this was shown in both the responsibility we were given and the amount of respect shown on a day-to-day basis among colleagues. There were plenty of people from the community working in the store and this helped to foster a sense of common purpose among all staff members. This is especially the case because retail workers normally get treated badly by customers, so there was a sense of camaraderie among all staff members.

A lot of supervision - there was training on all aspects of my job both at the beginning and throughout. Because retail is very much a learning-by-doing industry, there was much more of a hands-off than a classroom based approach to learning. Nevertheless, we were also given some online learning tools. This was useful because it helped to develop the theory of good customer service before we were able to put that theory into practice on a shopfloor level.

Great atsmosphere - unlike in many organisations, there was no office politics. Partly, this is due to the the nature of the job - almost entirely on foot. I also think this was because most people have the same attitude to working at Aldi - that is to provide good customer service. This sense of pride in getting things done helps to keep everyone on the same playing field and to treat each other's judgement.

My placement year at Aldiwas highly enjoyable - I was given a full introduction to all aspects of area management, from stock control to shop floor coordination. This was made even better by the fact that I was earning a decent salary alongside my experience, which made me enjoy it without financial worries. I was given the option to return to Aldi, something that I have taken up as I enjoyed my placement year so much.

Yes

I would advise everyone to see how Aldi differentiates itself from other close competitors such as Lidl. This is important because the retail market is very competitive and companies such as Aldi are makig inroads on the traditionally strong companies such as ASDA ad TESCO. Branding is a key part of Aldi's offer, and it is particularly strong in areas such as the bakery and frozen foods as well as ready meals. Try and look out for Aldi's marketing and advertising efforts to get an idea of what it focuses on.