PepsiCo Assessments

Careers at PepsiCo

In 1965 Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay merged to become a single company that promised to deliver great snacks and soda together. Over fifty years later in 2019, PepsiCo generated more than $67 billion in net revenue across their profile, which includes brands like Quaker Oats, Pioneer Foods, Tropicana and Walkers.

PepsiCo’s mission is to be “better, faster, stronger” by maintaining market growth while supporting local communities with opportunities and skill development. It is committed to integrating environmental policies into its business practices to become part of a sustainable food system that can work for people and the planet.

PepsiCo’s diversity policy is to lead by example, from hiring the first all-black sales force in the 1940s, to supporting minority owned enterprises and initiatives such as ‘Women with Purpose’ in Latin America, to help more women to join the workforce.

PepsiCo was recently identified as one of the best employers for graduates in the USA, for promoting career growth and skills development. The PepsiCo code of conduct encourages innovation, integrity, and respect, working to build and support a diverse workforce.

It’s likely that you will be asked to take the relevant aptitude tests before the initial phone interview. Due to the high volume of applications, PepsiCo places considerable emphasis on how well you score on the aptitude tests, as it helps to identify the strongest candidates early on in the hiring process.

Therefore, it is crucial that you prepare for your aptitude tests as much as possible to make sure that you have the best chance of getting an interview.

PepsiCo online application form

The first step of PepsiCo’s hiring process is an online application form, which should take about 30 minutes to complete.

You have to fill out basic qualification questions, watch a preview video, and then take an online culture test. Make the most of the information about the hiring process and culture that is available on PepsiCo’s website.

PepsiCo uses a CandidateCare application tracking software (ATS), which scans CVs and cover letters for key phrases and words. Candidates who do not have the relevant skills and qualifications are filtered out, so it means that you need to be very deliberate with your responses.

Make sure you read the job and person specifications carefully for specific phrases. Then be sure to match these when you fill out your application, so that the computer recognises all of your experience as relevant.

PepsiCo Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Tests

PepsiCo uses the Wonderlic cognitive ability test, also known as the Wonderlic personnel test, which tests general knowledge, logic, verbal reasoning and numerical reasoning.

There are two types of Wonderlic tests:

• Quick test: This is an 8-minute test, during which you will have to complete 30 questions that assess your ability to take direction, learn and retain new information, and solve problems.

• Revised test: A more in-depth assessment that is 12 minutes long and has 50 questions. These tests assess your analytical skills, decision-making skills and response time.

PepsiCo numerical reasoning tests

PepsiCo uses numerical reasoning tests to determine your numerical literacy and see how well you work with numbers. They are usually given to applicants for jobs in management, accountancy, consulting and engineering.

These tests examine more than just basic mathematical skills and ask you to solve problems regarding data interpretation and analysis, so you will need to be confident with graphs, percentages, and identifying key information in large sets of data.

The types of questions given will also depend on what job you are applying for; more advanced and technical jobs will have tests that reflect the skill level needed.

You can practice SHL-style numerical reasoning tests, the type used by PepsiCo, to give you the best chance of success.

PepsiCo verbal reasoning tests

Verbal reasoning tests are a popular aptitude test as they assess your communication and complex language skills, which are crucial for many jobs.

PepsiCo frequently uses them for roles such as internships, marketing, and sales. You can practice SHL-style verbal reasoning tests, which are the type used by PepsiCo, to give you the best chance at success.

These tests are more advanced than basic literacy skills; although they do assess your spelling and grammar, they also evaluate your dexterity with large blocks of text and your ability to filter out key information.

Typically they comprise explicit multiple choice, implicit multiple choice, true-false-cannot say comprehension, and knowledge-checking questions.

PepsiCo mechanical reasoning tests

A more specialist aptitude test given by PepsiCo is the mechanical reasoning test, which is used for applications to technical positions in fields such as IT, construction and engineering.

These tests assess your ability to apply mechanical concepts to solve problems and work through scenarios. They are industry-specific, so will ask you questions that directly relate to the type of work you will be doing in that role, as well as testing your ability to solve problems and work under pressure.

PepsiCo phone interview

If you pass the aptitude tests, you will be invited to do a phone interview. This will be conducted by a representative from HR and should take around 30 minutes.

They’ll ask you about your previous work experience, educational background, and why you’re leaving your current position.

It’s also an opportunity to discuss the role in more detail, so make sure you’re prepared with knowledge about the company, your understanding of the position, and any questions that you might have about working for PepsiCo.

PepsiCo panel interview

The final stage is an in-person interview. This can be a panel interview, usually conducted by an HR representative and a couple of managers from the department you will most likely be working in.

Panel interviews may seem daunting, but they are simply used to get different perspectives from different people in the company. They allow for you to meet with more people and get a better understanding of the culture and the team that you will be working with.

So as long as you prepare for your interview, they shouldn’t be more difficult than a one-to-one.

Typical interview questions for PepsiCo include:

• Why do you want to work at PepsiCo?
• Tell us about a difficulty you faced at work and how you coped with it.
• Tell us about yourself.
• Explain how you handle working in a team.
• Explain how your experience is relevant to specific aspects to the job.