Think you know B&Q? Think again.

Think you
know B&Q?
Think again.

Retail management
graduate programme
We are looking for ambitious graduates with a
single-minded passion for retailing to help drive
our business onto the next level. This programme
offers the right candidates
un-equalled retail experience and management
responsibility to guarantee a rewarding and
successful career in retailing. You will receive
an excellent starting salary with the potential to
increase this by between 20-40% by the end of the
programme, as well as qualifying for our excellent
benefits scheme.
About us
B&Q is part of the international Kingfisher Group,
the largest home improvement retailer in Europe
with over 350 stores across the UK. Such size
and scale means we can offer fantastic career
opportunities and with our policy to promote from
within you’ll get the support you need to make
your retail career ambitions a reality.
We’re an employer that takes environmental issues
seriously. B&Q achieved the Observer’s Ethical
Business Award and is listed 18 on the Sunday
Times Best Green Companies list as well as
becoming the first retailer to buy 100% responsibly
sourced wood. We are also proud of our unique
culture - a fun family environment promoting a
‘can do’ attitude that has seen us win the Gallup
worldwide award for outstanding Employee
Engagement for the last 5 years running.
If you want to find out more about our commitment
to the environment visit
www.DIY.com/oneplanethome
Think you would like to kick start
your career with this progressive,
challenging and fun retailer?
Think B&Q.
3

Shape of the
programme
Think you want a graduate role that will
give you real accountability, the chance
to manage a team and the opportunity
to potentially be running your own store
by the end of the programme?
Think B&Q.
The programme will kick-off with an exciting
and interactive launch event after which you will
embark on a 3 month structured induction which
will include core management skills training. Most
importantly you will spend this time working as
a Customer Advisor on the shop floor building a
foundation of customer, service and store insight
that will inform the rest of your career. Following
the induction you will be appointed into a range
of management roles heading up an area of
our store and leading a team to deliver service,
sales and profit. Subject to regular reviews you
will progress through our management structure
ensuring that you experience the breadth of our
store roles and operation and are able to develop
all the skills required to be a successful B&Q
leader. If you meet all the criteria at the end of
the programme you will be appointed as a Store
Manager with accountability for running one of
our stores.
5

Training and
development
Think you want a training and
development programme focused on
your individual needs and designed to
give you real on the job learning?
Think B&Q.
At B&Q we are committed to developing our
people and as a Retail Management Graduate
Trainee you will have access to a unique
programme of developmental and experiential
initiatives. Your learning opportunities will include
group development, personality traits profiling,
workshops and on the job learning activities
matched to your individual needs. You will receive
support from a mentor as well as a buddy and one
to one coaching from a qualified coach.
A key element of our programme will be ‘retail
experience events’ designed to expose you to the
most exciting projects and experienced individuals
B&Q has to offer. This will involve a number of
planned days away from your store where you will
meet some of our best in class role models as well
as see the innovation and development happening
in key areas of our business including Eco,
Marketing, Systems, Product Development and
People Management. Armed with this insight you’ll
go back to your store with the ability to influence
the execution of this at a local level.
You will experience a broad range of retail
activities including attending senior management
meetings, leadership conferences, and
undertaking a business project assigned by our
main board. You will also have the opportunity to
support B&Q’s community strategy by working
with our charity partners UK Youth.
7

What are we
looking for?
Think you have a passion for retail
and people?
Think B&Q.
We are looking for people with a genuine passion
for retail, people and leadership that want to build
a foundation for their career where it all happens…
in store! You’ll need to share our values for the
environment and ethical behaviour and most
importantly prioritise engaging with your team and
customers above all else.
You’ll be working in a very demanding fast-paced
environment so high levels of drive and the ability
to prioritise, plan and delegate are essential.
We will be running our assessment centres in
February 2012 so you’ll need to ensure that you
can make yourself available to attend.
Other requirements of the programme include:
• Minimum 2.2. degree in any discipline,
awarded in the last 2 years
• Retail experience
• Ability to relocate across the UK
9

Rewards
and benefits
Think you want a company that offers
an excellent starting salary as well as an
attractive benefits scheme?
Think B&Q.
B&Q is committed to providing a competitive
reward package. Alongside a starting salary of
£25,000 you will also enjoy the following benefits:
• Management bonus scheme
• Store team bonus
• Kingfisher money purchase pension scheme
(after 12 months)
• Life assurance
• Share save scheme
• 20% staff discount
• Childcare vouchers
• A UK benefits scheme offering a selection of
discounts including; retail vouchers, holidays,
UK attractions, restaurants and theatre tokens
• Career breaks
• Maternity/paternity packages
• Long service awards
N.B. The estimated financial value of the starting package is
£28,490 (all benefits elements are subject to scheme rules
A key benefit of this programme is that as you
progress through your placement roles your salary
and benefits package will be adjusted in line with
the placement role. This means that you can
expect 2 salary reviews during the course of the
programme with the potential to have increased
your starting salary by 40% by the end of it.
How to apply
Apply on-line at DIY.com/careers
Graduate Contacts
If you consider yourself to have a
disability for which we may need to
make special arrangements in order for
you to attend an interview or complete
an online test please email us at
graduaterecruitment@b-and-q.co.uk
If you’ve still got questions about our
schemes, the application process or
if you have any requests please direct
all enquiries and correspondence to
graduaterecruitment@b-and-q.co.uk
Please note, we do not accept
applications by CV.
For a map showing where our stores
are, you may find it useful to use our
Store Locator on-line.
11

B&Q - helping people create
careers to be proud of.
When you have finished with
this leaflet please recycle it
80%
This leaflet is printed
on 80% recycled paper
B&Q plc,
Hampshire
S053 3LE
Visit us at: diy.com
© September 2011