The HR team at John Lewis in Norwich answer our questions on how the company recruits and what it looks for in potential employees. You can find hundreds of local job vacancies at jobs24.co.uk.

Eastern Daily Press: Hundreds of partners outside the John Lewis store in Norwich.Hundreds of partners outside the John Lewis store in Norwich. (Image: Archant)

Do you face challenges attracting talent to Norfolk? What are those challenges and how do you overcome them?

Whilst we find some types of vacancies easier to fill that others, we do typically attract a high number of suitable candidates to apply for positions at John Lewis Norwich.

After the initial online application process, we invite a number of the strongest candidates to join us for an interview so that we can offer more detail about what it means to be a Partner at John Lewis, and assess candidate's individual skills and teamwork.

What skills do you look for among potential recruits? How do you measure those skills?

John Lewis prides itself on offering exceptional service to its customers, so we are looking for candidates that are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that our customers always have the best possible experience when shopping with us.

Since every John Lewis employee becomes a co-owner in our business, we are ultimately looking for candidates that can embody the values of the Partnership - this includes the ability to work together as part of a team, willingness to adapt to change, and a passion for delivering the service that our business is famous for.

What (non-wage) benefits do you offer your employees?

As a co-owner in our business, every Partner benefits from a share in the Partnership's' profit in the form of an annual bonus.

In 2015, the bonus represented 11% of each Partner's annual earnings. Some of the more unique benefits include discount in John Lewis and Waitrose shops, access to a host of clubs and societies, use of private Partnership-owned holiday homes, and even six months of paid leave once you've completed 25 years service with the Partnership.

How do you measure success among your employees at John Lewis?

We offers Partners regular feedback on their performance and offer training to improve their skills.

Partner development is discussed at regular Partner meetings as well as at an annual review of performance meeting. However, this is a two way street - the Partnership runs an annual Partner Survey, which asks every Partner within our business to feedback on their experiences in order to improve the business as a place of work.

What do your employees like about Norwich/Norfolk?

Norwich is a fantastic city to live and work, the great transport links including the Park and Ride offer is a real attraction for many of our Partners. As well as a great deal of attractions in the city itself, the Norfolk Broads and the close coastline really offers our Partners a great worklife balance.

•Find hundreds of local job vacancies at jobs24.co.uk.