Premier Inn Operations Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I went through 3 interviews in total. First, there was a phone interview with some basic questions like 'Why Premier Inn?'. After that, I had two face-to-face interviews with my area manager and then with her colleague, another area manager. It took some chasing on my end to get the second interview scheduled because the area manager was really busy. For the interviews, make sure you can talk about yourself and your guest experiences (good and bad). You really need to be able to sell yourself. Smile, be confident, and know the company values. Mention things from the job description that show you're a good fit to get that phone interview.

I applied online through the Whitbread career site, which had a very juvenile, pink design. The application process was incredibly annoying because it kept timing out, as each question was on a separate page. A few days later, an HR person called to ask if I wanted to attend an assessment centre soon. They acted like I was supposed to already know this information, and only after the call did I get the email they seemingly expected me to have. The next day, I received a somewhat frantic email emphasizing the necessity of completing a personality fit questionnaire. The assessment day itself was absurd! Whitbread seems to prioritize candidates they personally like over the best people to run their hotels. We started by presenting a personal item of significance. While a decent icebreaker, the assessors seemed to miss the point of evaluating candidates based on job requirements. For instance, the job involves nationwide relocation, which the assessors also stressed. One candidate expressed her love for family and need to stay close to them. The assessors reacted positively, but this doesn't align with someone willing to relocate away from their support system. They appeared to favor candidates with zero hospitality experience, as long as they were personally liked by the assessors. A relevant degree wasn't deemed necessary either, as they believe their one-year graduate scheme, mostly spent in menial roles to grasp operations, is sufficient. This is risky given the high turnover in hospitality, with many new hires not understanding the commitment. Following this was a group exercise where we presented findings. I participated by delegating, sharing my views, questioning others, and discussing solutions and trade-offs. However, I was later told my behavior made it impossible for them to assess me against the criteria, which is unclear. Apparently, challenging others too much or displaying too much business acumen is frowned upon. It was evident during presentations that many candidates hadn't researched the company, proposing existing solutions with shockingly poor conclusions. This was followed by a competency-based interview with area managers, whose interviewing skills were poor. The interview style varied significantly; some genuinely interviewed, while others spent the entire hour discussing personal interests with the candidate. We then met another assessor and presented a pre-prepared SWOT analysis for a local Premier Inn. I identified several issues, which the assessor acknowledged, admitting the company's flaws and that the 'Good Night Guarantee' was their main cost and concern. I was told the SWOT was good, but it seems they prefer candidates unaware of the company's problems. I left the assessment day deeply disappointed, with a poor impression of the company and its people, feeling it didn't meet my standards. My extensive experience in hospitality, leadership, and management, along with a relevant master's degree, made me feel overqualified. My hospitality lecturers were astonished by this feedback.

It was an assessment centre. Started with an ice breaker where we did quick intros like favourite celeb and what you'd buy if you won the lottery. Then there were 2 group activities, one where we had to argue our case and another where we had to pick items off a list. After that, there was an individual activity which was a presentation. Finally, an interview.