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2020
leaders
The 2020 Leaders Programme
stand out
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Then they
move up
The 2020 Leaders Programme
Introducing the next generation of
leaders into our business

The 2020 Leaders Programme
> Foreword by Justin King,
Sainsbury’s Chief Executive
During the next decade, we believe
that the retail sector will become a
very different place. This change is at
the heart of the journey that
Sainsbury’s is taking as an
organisation: progressing together
towards a vision for 2020. Our vision
for the future will be based on our
ability to extend Sainsbury’s
commitment to quality and service
across different product areas.
Through our Food, Clothing and
General Merchandise offerings and
through our exciting ventures into new
markets, we will be recognised as a
diverse retailer with a consistent,
recognisable and trusted
brand promise.
To achieve our 2020 Vision, we need
2020 Leaders: individuals with
outstanding intellect, business acumen
and ambition. Not simply graduates
who want to grow with us, but natural
pacesetters who expect, demand and
deserve senior responsibility very early
in their careers.
We realise that this type of person is
rare; but we offer the rewards, the
challenges and the opportunities to
attract them.
Thank you for considering a career
with Sainsbury’s. I am proud of our
organisation’s reputation for
supporting and developing talent.
We invest in your future because, quite
simply, we see you as a future leader
of our business.
> Good luck with your application.

2020 is more than just a number. It is a
symbol of what we want to achieve.
We’re looking to the future with
optimism. We’re broadening our
product ranges, developing our people,
engaging with our customers in
exciting new ways. We’re recruiting
graduates of exceptional talent.
People with the passion, tenacity and
determination to embrace our
2020 Vision.
> Embracing our 2020 Vision
As a graduate in 2013, what exactly
does the 2020 Vision mean for you?
It means being part of an organisation
where there are great ideas and great
expectations. We’re not afraid to be
ambitious.
Our 2020 Vision is built on five key
pillars. We’ll always provide great food
at fair prices – but we aim to become
recognised as a retailer that engenders
trust beyond our traditional product
ranges. So we’ll continue to develop
complementary channels and services,
such as Sainsbury’s Online,
Pharmacies, Banking and Energy.
Our 2020 Vision
Though our business DNA is constant,
our vision is evolving.
We’ll build on our compelling Clothing
and General Merchandising offers.
We’ll also explore new areas of
business – digital technology and
international opportunities are already
on our radar. Finally, we’ll make the
most of our space assets: opening new
stores, enhancing our retail
environments and maximising the
value of the property we own.
> Loving What We Do
Sainsbury’s has always led the retail
field. But the more we extend our
brand into new areas, the stronger the
bonds with our customers need to be.
By loving what we do, we’ll inspire our
colleagues and create a Sainsbury’s
experience that keeps our customers
coming back. Leadership, loyalty, loving
what we do – it’s a vision that calls for
charismatic people.
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Our Values
We’re the world’s largest retailer of
Fairtrade goods. Just one example of
achieving what we believe in.
> Values That Mean Something
As a business, we keep our values
recognisable and relevant. We trust
each other. We make working together
simple. We deliver great service and
make great things happen. We treat
every pound as our own and, as we
head towards 2020 together, we’re
cheering each other on every step
of the way.
Our values genuinely affect how we
work, treat others and do business.
We are the largest Fairtrade retailer in
the world, the UK’s leading retailer of
Freedom Food products, as well as
being sector leaders in both the
FTSE4Good Index and the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index. We support Comic
Relief and sponsored the London 2012
Paralympic Games. We’re committed to
being a leader in environmental
innovation, by reducing waste, reducing
packaging and reducing emissions.
Not necessarily things we shout about.
But all excellent and tangible examples
of why people are proud to say they
work for Sainsbury’s.
Look for this Mark
on products in-store
> Store Support Centre, Holborn, London
> Intelligent Ambition
2020 may seem a long way into the
future. But we make great plans
because we’re natural forward-thinkers.
Our 2020 Vision relies on a strong
group of highly talented graduates who
can grow with us. You need to come
here equipped with the right mindset,
right from the start. It’s more than
simply the drive to move up. It’s the
self-awareness, intellect and judgement
to seek out opportunities, influence
others and actively shape your own
future. By doing that, you’ll help us
shape the future of our business.

The Programmes
We’re an increasingly multi-faceted
business. It’s a perfect environment
for multi-talented leaders.
> The 2020 Leaders Programme
You can join the 2020 Leaders
Programme on three different streams,
depending how you see your career
developing in the future:
- Commercial
- Operations
- People
Find out more about each individual
area on the following pages.
However, all Programmes share the
same structure. Meaning that, no
matter what your starting point, you
gain a rounded view of our business
and rapid advancement.
> Store Experience
Every 2020 Leader starts with at least
a four-month in-store placement over
Christmas. You’ll see close-up how the
store works, from departmental
decision-making to people
management, customer relationships
to the Christmas rush. It’s fast, festive
and full on. It’s also crucial to your
development. Many of our Senior
Managers began their careers in a
store role, so this is a proven platform
for progression. There’s no better way
to get to know our 30,000 different
product lines, our award-winning
standards and our unswerving
commitment to quality and service.
> Strategic Project
After two further placements within
your chosen stream, you will spend two
months in the Store Support Centre in
Holborn, Central London. Here, you will
work with other graduates to tackle a
strategic project: a ‘live’ business
challenge relating to our future
direction and growth.
It’s going to be an intense, enjoyable
two-months: a thought-provoking,
intellectually demanding and richly
engaging piece of innovation-led work.
> Leadership
No matter which stream you follow,
leadership forms the central element in
Phase Two of your Programme.
You will learn how to use your
management skills to create a
performance-led culture in any
environment. This isn’t learning in the
theoretical sense. Quite the opposite.
Part of Phase Two will see you
undertake an operational leadership
role, which could include holding the
keys to a Sainsbury’s Local; managing
end-to-end delivery in a depot; or
leading up to 300 people as a Deputy
Store Manager.
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Your Development Timeline
> Your Development Timeline
Each programme follows the same structure giving you opportunities to
experience a number of different roles, approach real business challenges and
develop a broad business understanding.

The Programmes
2020 leaders gain in-depth knowledge
You join a 2020 Leaders Programme to make the
most of your potential. In each case, you’ll be able
to push yourself into new areas, in new ways and
onto new challenges.
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Commercial
TU is the 7th largest clothing brand in
the UK. That’s well tailored commercial
thinking.
> The Commercial Programme
• £32,000
Our Commercial Programme gives you
exposure to the full product lifecycle –
from Buying through to Marketing.
You’ll gain a thorough insight into
exactly how we engage with suppliers,
manage product profitability and really
understand our customers.
> Phase One Placements
During Phase One, you will complete
two six-month placements in our Store
Support Centre. Your placement in
Buying offers first-hand experience of
sourcing, negotiating with and
managing suppliers. In Marketing,
you’ll gain a deep insight into just how
quickly we respond to customer
expectations. You’ll learn how we spot
trends, articulate messages and
communicate our brand in a vivid,
immediate and creative way.
> Phase Two Developments
During Phase Two, you will spend three
years in roles with measurable
business objectives. You could cut your
teeth in a marketing role, plan store
layouts in the Space and Formats team
or get involved in the launch of a new
clothing range as a Merchandiser.
We’ll also give you first-hand
experience in a management role in an
Operations environment, so you
understand clearly how customers
respond to our brand and products.
Throughout this period, the emphasis
will be on sharpening your commercial
acumen, developing your people
management skills and defining your
personal leadership style.
> Your 2020 Future
After completing Phase Two, you
should move into your first significant
management role, for example as a
Senior Buyer, Marketing Manager or
Online Project Manager. By now, you’ll
have developed your people skills to
build strong supplier and colleague
relationships. You’ll have honed your
analytical thinking, so you can interpret
consumer data. Above all, you’ll have
the commercial and financial skills to
manage big budgets and get
outstanding results for the business.
> Are you right for the Commercial
Programme?
Find out more by visiting
sainsburys.jobs/graduates

Commercial
‘People often don’t realise how quickly
products go from concept to creation.
In Buying, you have to think and act fast.
We identify opportunities, liaise with suppliers,
negotiate prices and ensure products meet
customer expectations. The market changes
constantly – so we have to be really responsive
and really switched on.’
To hear more from Cassie, watch her video online
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Operations
Our online business reaches 95% of
UK households. It shows how rapidly
retail is changing.
> The Operations Programme
• £32,000
Operations opens doors for people
with large-scale ideas, expansive
ambitions and wide-ranging thinking.
We have over 150,000 people, over
1,000 stores and over 30,000 different
product lines. Our vehicles travel
nearly 110 million miles every year.
By quite some distance, we offer some
of the most exciting graduate
challenges around.
> Phase One Placements
Phase One of the Operations
Programme is a series of roles in
Stores and Logistics and by Christmas
2013, we’ll expect you to already be
managing a large team. First stop is
Department Manager in a
Supermarket. This is followed by two
more placements. You’ll experience a
Sainsbury’s Local – it’s smaller, faster
and you’ll deal with a wider range of
retail issues than in a single
department. You will also spend time in
Logistics, which provides essential
insight into stock movement in a
fast-moving distribution centre – that’s
the heartbeat of our business, a 24/7
operation making 1.3 million deliveries
to stores each year.
> Phase Two Developments
Phase Two focuses on developing your
management skills as a Deputy Store
Manager or Shift Manager. You’ll take
responsibility for hitting targets and
leading teams, developing your
awareness of exactly what it takes to
deliver exceptional service to our
customers. In addition, you’ll spend
time in a central role, which might
include leading a new store opening
project or planning supply chain
developments. It helps you understand
the strategic decision-making that
ultimately affects every area of
our operations.
> Your 2020 Future
Your first major leadership role could
be as Store Manager, General Manager
in a depot or in a central role,
contributing to decision-making for
stores with £multi-million turnovers,
hundreds of colleagues and
exceptionally high customer
expectations. So responsibility arrives
early in your career. By now, you’ll be
immersed in the retail environment
and inspiring others through your
leadership, energy and drive.
> Are you right for the Operations
Programme?
Find out more by visiting
sainsburys.jobs/graduates

Operations
‘Many graduates find their store
placement challenging. You’re visible
to customers, leading your team and
maintaining high performance. So the
exposure is constant.’
To hear more from John, watch his video online
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People
Our profits last year rose by 7.1%.
But our key figures will always
be people.
> The People Programme
• £32,000
There are 150,000 colleagues in our
stores, offices and depots providing
great service for our customers every
single day. The Customer Service and
Colleague Division works in partnership
with leaders across the organisation to
encourage and inspire our people.
A place where people love to work
and a place where people love to shop.
That’s our people promise.
> Phase One Placements
Your two six-month placements during
Phase One could be in Human
Resources, Customer Service,
Communications or Corporate
Responsibility. These teams ensure
that Sainsbury’s offers a rewarding
experience – whether from an
employee perspective, a customer
perspective or as a member of the
broader community. So you could be
involved in projects surrounding our
customer experience, benefits and
incentives, employee engagement or
our sponsorship schemes.
> Phase Two Developments
Phase Two of the Programme gives
you line management experience in
roles that impact directly on customers
or colleagues. This will most likely
include time as an HR Manager or
Customer Service Manager, but it could
also cover more specialist roles such as
Events Manager, Reward Manager or
Internal Communications Manager.
In every case, there’s a common theme
– to ensure that the people who come
into contact with us, as customers or
colleagues, feel valued, rewarded and
loyal to our brand.
> Your 2020 Future
With over 22 million customer
transactions each week, understanding
how people interact with each other
will always be fundamental to our
success. So you could develop your
career here as an Regional HR Partner,
looking after hundreds of people in up
to 15 stores. You could lead major
Corporate Responsibility programmes
or head up a Customer Service team.
Whatever your career path, your
consistent objective will be to find,
reward and inspire the best people – so
that, in a changing environment, they
can do their best for our customers.
> Are you right for the People
Programme?
Find out more by visiting
sainsburys.jobs/graduates

People
‘Gaining insight into people will, in the
future, give our business a sharper edge.
By understanding our customers, we’ll be
able to inspire greater loyalty and trust
in our brand.’
To hear more from Sara, watch her video online
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Placements
We added 1.4 million square feet of
space last year. So there’s room
to learn.
> 2020 Placements
• £18,000 per annum
One way to see exactly what retail can
offer as a career is through a
placement. It’s not only a rewarding
way to learn; it’s an invaluable
experience that can form part of your
longer-term development.
Placements can be within any one of
the three streams; Commercial,
Operations or People and will involve
you working within a team on a
business project. Placements are a
superb opportunity to see how we
work, experience our company culture
and gain a broader appreciation of the
opportunities and challenges involved.
You’ll get an overview of exactly how a
major retailer functions – and
experience the values, training and
opportunities that make Sainsbury’s
a great place to work.
The majority of these placements will be
offered during the summer to students
at the end of their penultimate or final
years. For exceptional candidates, we
will also consider offering six and twelve
month placements undertaken as part
of your degree.
When you’ve finished your placement,
we’ll assess you and your potential to
go further. We hope that after your
placement, you will return to us on the
2020 Leaders Programme.
> Would you like to find out more
about placements?
Find out more by visiting
sainsburys.jobs/graduates

Become a 2020 Leader
Become a 2020 Leader
2020 Leaders are natural leaders. By growing
transferable knowledge and management skills,
we’ll make sure you can succeed in any field.
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The Training
The first food retailer to be awarded the
‘Gold’ accreditation from ‘Investors
in People’.
As a graduate, the support you receive
at the beginning of your career is
invaluable in helping you to fulfil your
potential. The following training is built
into your Programme:
> Induction
To describe our Induction week as
comprehensive is an understatement.
It’s a whistle-stop tour of everything
we do. Straight away, you’ll meet the
key people in your department and
spend time with our CEO Justin King
and other Sainsbury’s Directors.
You’ll discover exactly what inspires
our culture, values and 2020 Vision,
but don’t think for a moment that this
is simply a series of presentations.
We’ll arrange for you to visit a major
supplier, spend time in a store and see
a Distribution Centre in action. This is
all in your first week, so your feet
won’t touch the ground. We’ll organise
a couple of social events too, so you
can get to know other graduates –
after all, you’ll all be moving up
through the business together in
the future.
> Roger Burnley
MD of General Merchandise,
Clothing & Logistics
> Gwyn Burr
Customer Service and
Colleague Director
> Off-the-Job Training
Bespoke Learning & Development helps
you develop your personal, commercial
and leadership skills. These regular
off-the-job development activities are
structured yet flexible enough to fit
around other aspects of the
Programme. They help you to gain core
management skills, such as negotiation,
influencing and self-awareness, which
are essential characteristics for our
business leaders.
> Mentors
A Senior Business Leader will act as
your mentor throughout the
Programme, sharing their knowledge,
skills and experience to assist your
career development.
> Business School Programmes
In Phase Two, you may have the
opportunity to complete a course at a
top Business School. This includes
studying a combination of
management theory, work based
projects and coaching to give you the
theoretical knowledge that underpins
business leadership.
> Mike Coupe
Group Commercial Director
> Helen Buck
Retail Director

The Training
Sainsbury’s is an organisation that
has continued to grow, even in a tough
climate. The opportunities are
immense, not only to progress your
career, but to really love your work
and challenge your own expectations.
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The Rewards
We want every one of our people to
share in our success - and the
rewards you receive reflect your
contribution.
First and foremost, we’re asking you to
join Sainsbury’s for the challenge.
For the opportunity to engage and
excel at the very highest levels of our
organisation. In return for your efforts,
you can expect:
> Competitive Starting Salary
We offer a very competitive starting
salary of £32,000 on all our 2020
Leader Programmes and £18,000 for
all our Placements.
> Pay Progression
We make a commitment to reviewing
your salary regularly and ensuring it
progresses if you perform. The best
should expect to double their salaries
after five years.
> Bonus
Your annual bonus is based on
business and personal performance.
> Discount Card
(eligible after six months’ service)
Every colleague receives a discount
card. This entitles you to a discount on
shopping at Sainsbury’s stores and
through our online shopping channels.
> Sponsorship of Final Year
Some successful Placement students
may be considered for financial
sponsorship through the final year of
their degree.
> Support
We understand that colleagues may
need support relating to their life
outside of work and the graduate team
are on hand to talk through anything
personal you may want to discuss.
You will also be assigned a buddy who
will be another graduate who joined
the business the previous year.
This means they will be able to advise
you on topics you may not wish to
discuss with your mentor.
> Other Benefits
We also offer a host of other benefits
that reward people for dedication,
support and service. Many of our
benefits are flexible, so you can choose
those which suit your lifestyle best.

Eligibility Criteria
2020 Leaders
While we set minimum criteria for all of
our programmes, it is likely that
successful candidates will far exceed
basic expectations. Above all, we ask
you to do one thing: inspire us.
The minimum criteria are:
- At least a 2:1 degree classification
in any discipline
- 1A and 2Bs at A-Level
- B in GCSE Maths and English
- Geographically mobile
For the Operations Programme, we
also expect that candidates will already
have retail experience and
demonstrable evidence of team
leadership skills.
> 2020 Placements
Criteria for Placements are identical to
the above. We recognise you may not
have graduated at this point, therefore
we ask that you are on track for a 2:1.
> How to apply
To begin your application, visit:
www.sainsburys.jobs/graduates
For more information on our
opportunities and to see which
universities we are visiting, please go
to our website.
Eligibility Criteria & Application
> Equal Opportunities
We know that everyone is different
and we value this because it brings us
such diverse perspectives and ideas.
Our workforce spans many aspects of
age, gender, disability, ethnicity,
religion and sexual orientation.
This helps us to understand what our
customers want from us and how this
might change.
If you have any specific requirements
and/or would like assistance with your
application, please contact us on
0845 603 6290 option 1, option 1 or
email us at:
grad.recruitment@sainsburys.co.uk
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Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
Application Process
> Application Process for all Programmes and Placements
To begin your application, visit: www.sainsburys.jobs/graduates
Key requirements questionnaire
Motivational evaluation
Situational judgement appraisal
Application form
Verbal Reasoning ability test
Numerical Reasoning ability test
Personality profile
Telephone interview
Assessment Centre
The first stage of your application is
to check your eligibility and your
appreciation of what the Programme
involves. Questionnaires reveal what
inspires you and challenge you to
problem-solve in real life
Sainsbury’s situations.
Approx 2hrs
Next, we’ll assess your reasoning
skills. You must be excellent at
understanding complex information
in words, numbers or tables.
20 mins per test
An online profiling exercise will help
us get to know you better as a
person and how you would fit into
our culture.
30 mins
We will arrange a telephone
interview with a member of our
graduate team. It’s a chance to
demonstrate your judgement, drive
and ability to influence others.
30 mins
The Assessment Centre is your
chance to showcase your talent.
You’ll be invited to the Store Support
Centre in Holborn for a series of
tests to evaluate your current level
and future potential. If successful,
you will be interviewed in person by
one of our Directors.
We’ll be in touch after each stage of the process let you know how your
application is progressing. If you are successful, we will contact you within
two days of the Assessment Centre to offer you the opportunity to become
a 2020 Leader.
If you require any adjustments to your application process, please contact
us 0845 603 6290 option 1, option 1 or email us as
grad.recruitment@sainsburys.co.uk

sainsburys.jobs/graduates