Dyson is a well-known British technology company, established in 1991. Famous for bagless vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, bladeless fans and heaters, as well as hand dryers and hair dryers, the advancement of the design of modern household appliances can be traced back to the innovative James Dyson and his mission to make vacuum cleaners work better that he began back in 1979.
Now an international business with research and development happening in China, the UK, the USA and elsewhere around the world, Dyson has a range of job opportunities available and specialises in bringing on new and emerging talent through a strong early careers program.
Getting A Job At Dyson
As an employer at the forefront of technological innovation, roles at Dyson are exciting and interesting, with career progression that does not have to be linear.
With a focus on growing and developing candidates from the ground up, the early careers program at Dyson includes in-depth apprenticeships and internships, as well as thorough graduate development.
Dyson Values
James Dyson is known to be a visionary - inventing the first working bagless vacuum and making it ready for commercial sales back in 1983. Back then, vacuum manufacturers in the UK and Europe were unwilling to let go of the profits that could be made selling replacement bags for their products, so the only selling route was in Japan.
However, in 1993, the first Dyson - the DC01 - was designed and built on a production line in Chippenham, Wiltshire.
With this in mind, if you want to work at Dyson you need to embody their values, including:
- Inventing the future
- Being unconventional
- Solving problems
- Being leaders not followers
Types Of Roles At Dyson
There are roles at Dyson for almost every skillset, from engineers to HR, marketing, design and retail operations.
Early career opportunities include internships and placements that could eventually lead to a full-time graduate position, including a fully immersive experience working as a part of the Dyson team. The Graduate program needs 2:1, usually in a STEM subject for a technical position, and is a two-year fully-paid programme.
Apprenticeships are also available, with world-beating education and training opportunities throughout different business areas - in the UK, this includes Malmesbury, Hullavington and Bristol.
One of the most impressive options for a school leaver looking for a technology career - especially in engineering - is the opportunity to join the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology.
This immersive engineering degree combines working for Dyson while studying for a BEng (Hons.) in Engineering for over four years. There are no tuition fees, and you will be paid a competitive salary while studying, getting the best of both worlds in an opportunity that is like an apprenticeship on steroids.
Getting into the Dyson Institute requires an interest in engineering, and a minimum grade C/4 in English and Maths, an A-Level in Physics at Grade B, plus AAB in other A-Levels including STEM subjects.
Hiring Process At Dyson
The application process to work at Dyson will vary slightly depending on the role you have applied for, but you can expect it to be very thorough and slightly different from other technology companies, too.
The below is a detailed breakdown of the hiring process used for applicants to the Dyson Institute, and the steps you need to take during your application could vary.
Dyson Online Application
The first step is to complete an application form. This is a simple questionnaire that needs details about who you are, where you live and your qualifications. Alongside this, you will be expected to attach a copy of a current CV.
The application form also requires the upload of a personal statement - much like you would complete for a place on an undergraduate course. In 4,000 characters or less, you need to describe your motives, and interests as well as demonstrating the development of relevant skills and attributes for the course at the Dyson Institute.
For other roles, the attachment might be a covering letter, outlining the same details.
Dyson Aptitude Tests
If you are successful in your application, you will be invited to take a number of online assessments.
The psychometric tests used will depend on the role you have applied for, but you can expect to find a combination of one or more of the following assessments.
Dyson Numerical Analysis Aptitude
This short assessment is like a numerical reasoning test, designed to test your aptitude using numbers. You will be presented with a set of information presented as data in a table or chart, with questions related to the data.
It is likely that you will have to complete simple calculations using the data in the table, and you will have just 24 minutes to complete this test.
Dyson Diagrammatic Analysis Aptitude
Each question presents a series of images in a sequence, and you will need to find the pattern that governs this sequence in order to select the correct image that completes the pattern.
This assessment is all about how you can make logical decisions with limited information, and it is made more challenging because, like with abstract reasoning tests, the style of the questions are unfamiliar. In just 24 minutes you will need to understand and analyse the sequences to find the pattern.
Dyson Personality-based Assessment
This questionnaire-based test assesses your personality traits to understand what motivates you and how you behave at work. This is a great way for the recruitment team to find out how you will fit into their work culture.
Dyson has a very specific culture of innovation, and it is important that the candidates they take forward for the advertised roles can fit in and stand out.
In just 6-10 minutes you will need to decide how much the presented statements relate to you.
Dyson Coding Test
If you are going for a role relating to programming or software engineering, then the likelihood is that you will need to complete a coding test to assess your skill level.
With an increasing focus on technology and software integration, candidates that are going for a role in software need to have experience in programming languages like C++ and Python. With a coding test, you need to perform a certain number of tasks to demonstrate your knowledge.
Dyson In-tray / E-tray Exercise
For clerical and office-based roles, the In-Tray or E-Tray exercise is designed to assess your decision-making, time management and problem-solving skills.
You will be presented with an email inbox full of messages that need to be dealt with in order, and you will also have to deal with incoming memos and messages.
The key to this assessment is remaining calm and working out what is important - and therefore needs to be dealt with.
Dyson Analysis Exercise
In a technology role, you will be expected to have good analysis skills - and in an analysis exercise, you will be presented with a series of problems, usually in a spreadsheet or database.
Dyson Simulated Meeting
To understand how you will behave in a meeting situation, you might be expected to complete a simulated meeting.
There will usually be a subject-specific to the role you have applied for, and you will be expected to run the meeting, deal with presentations and take questions, as if it was real.
In this simulated meeting, you will be assessed on your leadership, listening and teamwork, all-important 'soft skills' that are important in a role in Dyson.
Dyson Telephone Interview
When you have completed the psychometric assessments, your results will be assessed by the recruitment team. If you meet the required standards, you will be taken forward to the next stage of the process.
The telephone interview is designed to see how much you understand the role or programme that you have applied for, as well as asking questions about your interests and motivations.
In this interview, you will also be given some realistic work-based scenarios and allowed to describe how you would deal with them - like a verbal Situational Judgement Test.
Throughout the telephone interview, bear in mind the Dyson values and also the specific competencies and skills that are needed in the role and use these to inform your answers.
Remember that there will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the telephone interview, so you can clarify any issues that might have, and the whole thing lasts around an hour or so.
Dyson Assessment Centre
The assessment centre is the final stage in the application process, and it is a chance for you to really impress the recruitment team as you work your way through the day.
There are likely to be several candidates taking part in the day, and they are not likely to all be going for the same role. You will have several activities to complete, and you will be under constant assessment on soft skills (like teamwork and listening) as well as more job-related skills and competencies.
You can expect to take part in:
- Group Exercise
- Presentation
- Case Study
- Interview(s)
What Is It Like To Work At Dyson?
Dyson as a business prides itself on being at the forefront of innovation, finding solutions to the problems that real people have. Working for Dyson means not being beholden to shareholders, and making brave leaps into new, innovative worlds of design.
Working for Dyson means getting a competitive salary, with financial, lifestyle and health benefits designed to suit the needs of employees. As a global business, opportunities exist throughout Europe, Asia, the US and Canada.
Top Tips To Getting Hired At Dyson
Read About James Dyson
As the founder of Dyson, and the innovative brain behind the first bagless vacuum cleaner, James Dyson is an important figurehead in the business - and is often found working in the R&D department and meeting graduates and engineering students.
Understanding his story, and the reasons he created the DC01 and started the business will help you capture the entrepreneurial spirit of Dyson and use that throughout the interview process.
Do Company Research
There is more to Dyson as a company than just James Dyson. Researching the company as a whole, as well as the position of Dyson in the wider appliance industry will give you all the information you need to answer questions thoroughly, but also give you great details to use when you are asking questions.
Practice Different Tests
Practicing psychometric assessments will help you tackle the main difficulty that candidates face - the unfamiliarity and time pressure of an online examination.
All practice can be good practice, but if you know what type of assessment you are going to be facing then it is a good idea to focus on those so that you can get an idea of the type of questions, the structure of the assessment, and the way the questions need to be answered.
Be Innovative
Innovation is at the heart of Dyson, and with leaps being made every day in research and development, especially in software and programming.
Throughout the recruitment process, if there are any opportunities to be innovative and show off your grand ideas and inventions, take them.
