Why Lord Sugar’s approach isn’t sweet enough

Whatever you think about the realism of The Apprentice , there is no doubt that it makes great viewing. Anyone who has ever applied for a job must feel sympathy for some of the candidates and the hoops they have to jump through. However, apart from being great television, some of the outcomes make it seem like a huge waste of time and effort.

In theory, the format should produce a great selection decision as it’s like an extended version of an assessment centre. Candidates all go through the same set of challenges, so we can compare their performance on various criteria such as selling, leading, creativity, communicating and negotiating. They also take on a variety of roles - team leader, team player and presenter - on different occasions.