Our recruitment process is geared up to inspire you to play your part in our shared purpose: to connect more people with great stories and ideas. Our recruitment team are here to ensure you have a robust, inclusive process in which you can perform at your best.
Here are the stages in our recruitment process, information about reasonable adjustments and accessibility, and steps on how to sign up to our job alerts.
You’ll find all of our roles here, on our careers site. We usually ask for a CV and a cover letter but may also for a portfolio or for you to answer a relevant question in your cover letter. Once submitted, you will get an automated confirmation email.
We then review your application based on the criteria that is outlined within the job advert. You may be asked to complete a short video task on the HireVue platform so that we can hear more about your interests or experience.
Your recruitment partner will clarify whether your interviews are either virtual or face-to-face. Each role has between two to three interview stages with your hiring manager and some of the key stakeholders you’d be working with. For some roles you may be asked to complete a task as part of the process so you can show us your skills!
At Penguin, differences are welcomed and celebrated. Throughout the recruitment process we will encourage you to discuss any reasonable adjustments you may have to ensure you can show up as your best self. Previous candidates have been supported with extra time for interviews, transcription for video meetings, removing task time limits, and adjusting room lighting or temperature for example.
Here are some tips, tricks, and resources to help you get the most out of our recruitment process.
As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer interviews to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the role.
Please note – there may be occasions where volume of applicants means we can’t take all eligible candidates to interview.
This means that we have partnered to commit to:
• Making our recruitment process inclusive and accessible
• Promoting our vacancies through a range of channels
• Anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments
• Supporting existing employees who gain a disability or long-term health condition to stay in work
• Offering an interview for any disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role
Please note that there might be occasions where the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview.
If you’re not given an interview, we’ll let you know if this is because of the volume of applications or if you haven’t met the essential criteria this time.
We use the gov.uk definition of a disability as outlined in the 2010 Equality Act:
“You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.”
It’s completely up to you.
We want to give you the opportunity to be your best during the application process – so please feel free to share any helpful information with your recruitment partner who will help you discuss any reasonable adjustments.
We use the gov.uk definition of a disability as outlined in the 2010 Equality Act:
“You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.”
It’s completely up to you.
We want to give you the opportunity to be your best during the application process – so please feel free to share any helpful information with your recruitment partner who will help you discuss any reasonable adjustments.
You can email our recruitment team at [email protected]. If you can include your full name and the role that you’re applying to, that’s helpful.
As a Disability Confident Committed organisation, we offer an interview to candidates with a disability, who meet the essential criteria for the role.
You’ll be able to opt-in to the offer an interview scheme when you apply for the role and complete your details in our application system.
There may be times when the volume of applications means we cannot take all eligible candidates to interview.
If you opt-in but are not given an interview, we’ll let you know if this is because of the volume of applications or if you haven’t met the essential criteria this time.
On our job applications, we offer you the option to opt-in to our scheme by selecting either ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ in the field.
We will treat your requests with confidence and will only share information with the hiring manager(s) if we need to let them know about any adjustments (for example, if you require rest breaks during the interview).
We’ll only share the information about your adjustment, rather than your condition itself, unless you ask us to.
When you’re offered and accept the role, HR will send an email with your contract and some useful information for before you start.
They’ll also ask at this point if there’s any adjustments you need. If there is, HR and your manager will follow up for a conversation to understand what barriers or difficulties you face at work and what adjustments could help.
We might need to get further advice, for example through occupational health, but letting us know before you start can help us get as much arranged as possible before your first day. We can consider a broad range of adjustments, including physical adjustments (like furniture, equipment or software) or non-physical adjustments (like altered work hours, communication preferences or more on-to-ones).
You might not know what barriers you face until you get to the office – that’s fine too. You can discuss the request with your manager at any time.
We use a tool called the Tailored Adjustment Plan, which can help structure a conversation with your manager about adjustments. There’s also further support you can access when you’re with us – for example occupational health, Unum, Access to Work, the Employee Assistance Programme and more.
Of course – just let us know in advance so we can make sure that they have all they need. We may also be able to help arrange a sign language interpreter.
Each of our buildings has different accessibility specifics. Please email us at [email protected] so that we can answer any facilities or accessibility-related questions!
We review and assess each application in isolation so one application doesn’t affect the other. After one year, the data from any unsuccessful applications is also deleted from our system so applications you have made over one year ago won’t appear now.
Absolutely! If you see a role that interests you and aligns with your experience, then please apply. Just remember that you’ll need to re-upload your CV and Cover Letter into the system so that they correspond with each vacancy. We recommend that you tailor your cover for the requirements of each role.
Log in to or create your account on our recruitment portal
Head to your profile
Click the ‘options’ tab and select ‘job alerts’
Click the ‘create new job alert’ button and set up which job roles and frequency you’d like to be emailed about