Month: April 2023

The best workplaces are those where structure and regularity go hand in hand with sufficient flexibility, like at Tesco. I joined the team here right after graduating from university. While I had some professional knowledge – although I realize now it wasn’t as deep as I thought at the time – I didn’t know much about the inner workings of a large company and the specific tasks of individual departments. It’s not easy to navigate such a big organization on your own, and it would certainly have taken a lot of time and energy for me to learn everything and find my place without help.

Fortunately, there was no need to do that. As a young job seeker with practically zero work experience, I was most drawn to the fresh grad programme here. What appealed to me was that it offered frameworks organized into a clear system. Not only did I get a position, but I was thematically introduced to the work of various departments, which helped me piece together the big picture of the work culture and processes of a global retail company.

Another important thing for a beginner like me was having a clear view of the career opportunities and what I needed to do to advance. It quickly became evident that I could really learn and grow here, because I was constantly given challenging tasks. There was always something new to investigate, information to gather, and ideas to consider. If I did well and solved the problems, then I could move up and tackle even more difficult tasks that entailed greater responsibility. It was a great feeling of accomplishment and it kept me motivated to keep going.

And all of this comes with great flexibility. I have the freedom to manage my time as I see fit, work from home when needed, and most importantly from a professional perspective, I have a wide range of options to find the best solutions in my field.

I started off as a student worker at Tesco, and even though I studied tourism and hospitality, I found myself completely fascinated by the atmosphere here, so I decided to stay. What intrigued me the most was the nature of the tasks involved: I like dealing with people, helping them in their work, and I am inspired by the successes we achieve together.

I see the human-centric approach represented in my work at the company level as well. This is evident, for instance, in how Tesco values flexibility. You don’t have to arrive at the office by eight in the morning – in fact, remote working means you don’t have to go in every day. Naturally, there are still deadlines to meet, and it’s my responsibility to make sure I complete all my tasks on time. The flexibility of working hours has been a significant factor in helping me strike a work-life balance. This has been the case since I started my career at Tesco, although my circumstances have changed in the meantime. When I first joined the company, I was studying at university and managing my work at Tesco parallel. This may sound simpler in writing than it actually was, but the flexible work environment here made it easier for me to meet the expectations in both places. I’m currently on maternity leave, but I’m excited about returning. I am convinced that, thanks to Tesco’s corporate culture, balancing childcare and work will be smooth.

I ended up working in a completely different field than what I studied for, so I had to learn many new things. The greatest value of Tesco for me is the support I received from my colleagues and managers throughout it all.

I graduated from law enforcement training, although I didn’t necessarily wanted to be a police officer. I’ve always had a knack for structuring and IT-type thinking, which led me down this path already at the university. In fact, I wrote my thesis on the internal security processes of a logistics company, which was reviewed by a Tesco employee. He invited me to the company.

This was followed by a rather unconventional interview – we walked around the Head Office building discussing security solutions and further development opportunities. I made a strong impression and I was hired as a corporate security specialist.

My career owes a lot to my supervisors who taught me to think in perspective and work on my weak points. I gained the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and take on roles that required me to acquire new knowledge practically on the fly. For example, my English wasn’t very good, but as I began communicating more and more frequently with foreigners and collaborate with international teams, my language skills improved significantly.

Now, as a corporate security manager, I work in a highly international environment, which involves a lot of travel and very flexible working conditions, so I spend most of my time away from the office. The work is not monotonous, every day is different, and I find that really motivating – it inspires me to keep learning and discover new things.

As a mother of two young girls, I have often experienced Tesco’s family-friendly and people-oriented approach. When my children were born, my priorities in life shifted, and the company was there to support me every step of the way.

I’ve been with Tesco for over 10 years now, always in the procurement field but in various different roles. Even my maternity leave wasn’t a break in my career, as upon my return, the company not only offered me a position that aligned with my knowledge and experience, but also provided all the necessary support to help me reintegrate. For instance, I was responsible for the toy acquisitions of the Central European region for two years, which was a great fit. Since then, I have taken another important step: I was promoted to Head of Wholesale. Thanks to the fantastic team I’m part of, and the supportive atmosphere throughout the community, the transitions have been virtually seamless.

Flexibility has become even more important to me since having children. Being able to work from home is great, but it’s even better that I can manage my own time: I can pick up the kids from kindergarten and school, do the shopping during the day if I know I won’t have time for it in the evening, and stay home without any problems if one of the girls gets sick. We are a close-knit community with our colleagues. We think as a team, and we’re always there to help each other and cover for one another when needed. Recently, I was even able to take a to three-month sabbatical to travel around Northern Europe with my family. I had discussed my intention to take a break with my supervisors and co-workers well in advance, and I received their full support, even though I had only been in my new position for about six months at the time. This experience was incredibly valuable for both me and my children, as it allowed us to step away a little from our everyday routine and return to work and school in the fall feeling completely refreshed.

Upon graduating from the University of Bratislava, I wasn’t entirely certain what I wanted to do. I was looking for a job that would allow me to explore different paths until I found the one that was the best fit for me. Acquaintances had suggested that Tesco might be just the company to provide such an opportunity.

What I find particularly appealing and motivating about this workplace is the way in which my colleagues – including managers – treat young people. It’s all about creating opportunities. Having worked in a number of departments, I’ve gained a solid understanding of their operations and the benefits and drawbacks of various tasks. If there’s a job opening that fits me, I can apply and move up the ladder. And with each new experience, I’m able to broaden my skillset and take on even more challenging roles.

Furthermore, the vibe among colleagues is just great. It doesn’t matter how old you are, where you come from, what previous experience you have, as everyone is willing to provide support to one another. As an example, during my tenure as an intern, I proposed the idea of having a Halloween pumpkin carving party and my colleagues, in addition to endorsing the idea, offered to assist in any way possible. Such gestures serve not only to uphold, but also strengthen the corporate culture here.

Spending nearly a decade and a half at one company, and in one field, is not so common these days. Yet, that’s my story – I began as a leasing intern and now I am the Head of Leasing.

When I was starting out in my career, one of my top priorities was finding a stable and reliable large company. I wanted to work for an enterprise that provided clear career paths and opportunities for growth, and Tesco was the perfect fit. I started in the fresh grad programme, which impressed me with its well-structured plan and system. I quickly realized that if I worked hard and did my job well, I could progress within the company. And that’s exactly what happened.

Of course, nobody stays in one place for so long solely for the sake of their career. For me, even more valuable is the fact that my colleagues and I have always worked side by side as friends. There’s nothing quite as motivating as starting the day off and tackling tasks with a good mood whether at the office or from home. The relationship between managers and co-workers is friendly, creating an excellent atmosphere where we can all support each other when needed. I owe a lot of my success as a manager to my former bosses and more experienced colleagues, who treated me as a full-fledged team member from day one and provided me with valuable advice and guidance.

I’ve been a regular Tesco customer, I like exotic foods. It may sound surprising, but that’s what ultimately led me to pursue a career here. I became a supply chain coordinator, which proved to be a great springboard for my career. I quickly fell in love with Tesco, the positive atmosphere and the helpful colleagues. After three years, however, I realized that I wanted to explore a new direction in my career, but I couldn’t imagine doing it anywhere other than here.

That’s when I made the switch to IT, and it’s been an incredibly interesting experience ever since. This field is endlessly dynamic, with constant change and new developments emerging all the time. You simply have to keep learning to stay on top of things – and I really enjoy this pace. The environment is absolutely international. I came to the Czech Republic already as a foreigner, and here I work with British and Indian colleagues on a regular basis. Each day presents a unique opportunity to gain new skills and experiences.

Developing myself has become a kind of hobby for me. I often find myself learning new things and exploring interesting topics related to my projects in my free time. It’s just as important to me as getting better at my job. With this career change, I feel that I have found what I was looking for and I am grateful that Tesco made it possible and provided support, especially since it was an unconventional move at first.