Here's the second part of my experience.
STAGE 4: GROUP ASSESSMENT
Group assessment is pretty intimidating. Get there in plenty of time and dress sharply. You'll be sat in a waiting room with other applicants, and there'll be no more than seven of you at a time. Take the opportunity to get to know each other a little, as you're all in the same boat and you could all be rejected or you could all progress. You'll sit down with two people from Aldi and you'll each have the opportunity to introduce yourselves. Make yourself interesting, and have a favourite Aldi product in mind if they ask you. Then, you'll each be given a job description and the same four CVs to read separately, and you'll have to decide for yourself who the best candidate for the job is. You will then need to come together as a group and decide on one candidate. This is your opportunity to put your argument across calmly and succinctly, but also to listen to others and see the value in what they say. Then, the assessors will give you all another CV to read, and you'll have to decide whether to stick with the candidate you've chosen or to go with the new one. I believe we went with Kristen. The assessors will then grill each of you on your chosen candidate. After this, you'll each have to give a presentation about your store walk. There are six categories (product range, store layout, till operation, customer behaviour, employees, and special buys) to choose from, and you'll have to recount what you observed, what you were impressed by, and what you think could be improved. You'll have to present for about three minutes and are allowed to have your notes with you, but make sure to rehearse prior to the assessment as I (and others) ended up going on too long and were cut short. That's all there is to it. Just be composed and respectful of others and you'll do fine.
STAGE 5: FINAL INTERVIEW
With the confirmation of your interview, you'll probably have to take a personality test, which in my case was around 45 questions, and there was no time limit. You're given five statements for each question, and you have to mark the statements you identify with the most and least. Make sure you show that you can build relationships and deal with change. Regardless, make sure to note the answers you 'least identified with' and prepare for interview questions on them.
Prior to the final interview, a store visit to an Aldi location will be arranged for you. You'll meet with the local area manager, who will take you into a meeting room and discuss the role itself, what to expect from it, and will also want to know about you personally. This is your opportunity to find out first-hand what the role is like, so make sure you have plenty of questions for them. Then, you'll be invited to go for a walk around the store with the area manager, and you're encouraged to point out things both good and bad, and ask questions.
And here we are, the final interview. Make sure you arrive early, and dress smart. You'll be sat in their waiting room, possibly with other candidates, so don't let them throw you off in any way. My interview started about 15 minutes late, and I spent 40 minutes with the Store Operations Director (your direct boss as an area manager) and the Regional Managing Director (head honcho in your region). They'll begin with personal questions, similar to those in your store visit. Then, they'll ask you about what you noticed on your store visit (what you liked, what could be improved, etc), and they'll generally shy away from questions about your CV. However, I did get a couple of weird questions. I was asked which other jobs I'd applied to, why I'd applied so late (wasn't aware I had done so!) and they questioned my ability to relate to others based on my upbringing. I didn't get the impression either of my interviewers were particularly warm, but they weren't intimidating either. Make sure you have some questions to ask them as well, especially about the plans for growth in their region and the opportunities for progression in your role. I received confirmation I'd been unsuccessful within 24 hours, and was quite surprised as I felt my interview had gone rather well. Annoyingly, Aldi don't offer feedback.
Overall, the process was okay. It was my first time applying to a proper graduate scheme and I learnt a lot in going through each stage. Just be prepared to dedicate a lot of time and money to your application, and make sure you know what's expected of you as an area manager. I didn't get the job, but I learnt a lot about myself and how to approach these situations in the process. However, I wouldn't apply again as you have to wait twelve months, and because the more I learned about the job, the more I realised it would impact my physical and mental health, along with my social life.