How To Prepare For A Retail Interview

Research The Retail Company

Find out as much as possible about the company before attending your interview.

• Study the company website for valuable background.
• Assess company culture in terms of sustainability, diversity or professional development.
• Get to know company products in as much detail as possible.
• Check out customer reviews to see how well the company is doing.
• Look for staff feedback to see whether employees are enjoying their work.
• Glean interesting facts about company history, heritage and goals.

You can use this knowledge to impress interviewers and ask some pointed questions of your own.

What Are Your Expectations On Store Managers Buyers Stock Clerks And Other Employees In A Store

You have two options for a good answer. First one is saying that you have high expectations on one person onlyon yourself. You want to be the best version of yourself, try your best in job each day, build good relationship with your colleagues. Once you manage to do this, on a continual basis, you are sure that your colleagues will follow suit and the cooperation will be great.

Another option is highlighting the importance all these employees play in your work. Some have daily contact with customers, other with suppliers. Some will hopefully follow your orders, while stocking shelves with the right products at a right time.

Basically each employee in a store can provide you with valuable feedback, and with information that can help you make right decisions as a merchandiser.

Thats exactly what you expect from themhonest feedback, open communication, constructive ideas , and that they give you a chance to prove your skills over time, since youll be a new force in the company

Retail Interview Questions To Hire The Right Candidate

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Retail interview questions to hire the right candidate

Asking the right retail interview questions is extremely important, especially given that retail has the highest rate of no-shows for job interviews. Coupled with the problem of high employee turnover, failing to identify suitable retail staff during interviews can have a big impact on your store. Although retail job applicants may only want temporary and seasonal work, youll still need to ask the most appropriate questions to ensure the candidate is a right fit for your store and your team.

Choosing sensible retail interview questions will help to ease the pressure that hiring managers face when constantly trying to fill vacancies. The questions you ask during an interview should help to determine the candidates:

• Attitude
• Skill level
• Experience

Preparing suitable retail interview questions and being clear on the ideal answers will help you to weed out poor fits. Bad hires could end up becoming a burden to the rest of the team because they wont pull their weight. Or, worse still, the wrong employee could introduce issues of criminality to your store.

Given the high-stakes involved in retail recruitment and the fact that retail managers have so much on their plate, weve compiled a list of 77 retail interview questions for you to pick and choose from. This list should help you to hire candidates with the most potential and who will be an asset to your store and your team.

Basic retail interview questions

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How Would You Handle An Unhappy Customer

Dealing with unhappy customers is an unfortunate but almost guaranteed part of working in retail.

When faced with this question, you should remember the above point that showed you can deliver good customer service!

Here you need to show that you can remain composed and empathetic in stressful situations.

You should emphasize that you would endeavor to understand and resolve the customers issue.

Dont be afraid to say that you would ask a manager for help, as this shows that you can use your initiative and involve more senior members of staff to settle the issue.

Retail Job Interview Questions & Answers

Which retail job interview questions can you expect in your interview? Know the commonly asked retail interview questions and use the sample interview answers to prepare for success in your retail sales job interview.

Communication skills are key to a retail position. Be well prepared and answer typical retail job interview questions fluently and with confidence.

We show you how to impress as the right candidate for the retail job opportunity.

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What Is Your Greatest Strength

What They Want to Know: Interviewers want to know if your strengths match the company’s needs. In your response, emphasize relevant skills that will benefit the company and help you on the job.

My greatest strength is my ability to communicate. Having strong communication skills means that I can work well with other team members, and that I am also very comfortable interacting with customers. I tend to think of myself as a real people-person, and I genuinely enjoy interacting with customers and helping them find the items they’re looking for.

What Exactly Is A Second Interview

First off, lets start with what a second interview really is.

Yes, its what it sounds likea second chance for the hiring manager to take a good look at you and decide if youre a good fitbut its also so much more than just that!

HANG ON! Before we get into this too deeply, we have to issue this brief disclaimer:

Job Interview Questions and Answers 101.

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming!

So what does a second interview mean?

Well, we can tell you it ISNT a guarantee of employment. This isnt the time to get cocky and let everything youve worked so hard on slide.

Not by a long shot.

It IS, however, another opportunity for you to really show them that youre the best person for the jobyou are the perfect candidate!

The first interview was the warm up.

Odds are in your first interview you met with someone from human resources or a hiring manager and was probably more of a broad screening to weed out the last of the unsuitable candidates.

The second is the big leagues which means your second interview will probably be conducted by someone a little higher upor even a LOT higher up.

You can almost guarantee that this interview will be much more in depth and very well might include introductions to other key members within the business including superiors, senior managers, and even possibly fellow teammates.

A second interview is a bit more seriousthink of it as a second dateon steroids.

No pressure!

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Retail Interview Questions On Customer

How Do You See Developing Over The Next Three Years

‘Aldi is always in the news – but ask about something that youre truly interested in,’ advises Kelly. ‘If you’re passionate about sustainability, ask about the trials we have in place to improve the way we offer sustainable options for our customers. Love technology? Ask about our checkout-free stores. This really shows youve researched the business and are passionate about the way we do things differently.’

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Reflect On Your Accomplishments

Now that you have a bit of an idea of what youll need to cover, spend a little time reflecting on your achievements. During an interview, youll want to show the hiring manager you have what it takes to excel. Typically, that means discussing a relevant accomplishment.

Ideally, you want to identify key moments in your career that showcase you as a great fit. As you reflect, write down the ones that stand out most and that show that you possess the skills and qualities you found on the job description. Those are the accomplishments you want to work into your answers.

Imagine A Scenario Where A Customer Says Your Colleague Has Been Impolite To Them And Demands A Refund How Would You Hand The Situation

An interviewer may ask you this question to gain a better understanding of how you would approach conflict and customer service in your role as a retail professional. This is a frequent challenge that retail professionals face in their day-to-day duties, so it’s a good idea to prepare yourself to answer this question by acknowledging this situation’s commonality. From here, you can describe a proactive, customer-oriented approach to defusing the situation to show your ability to satisfy their needs while helping your colleague.

Example:’I’ve been in this situation before and I feel equipped to handle this type of conflict.Iwould immediately intervene and ask the customer to accompany me to a different space in the shop to discuss the matter so that I could remove my colleague from the situation. From here, I would validate the customer’s feelings, apologise for the instance and ask them to describe the problem to me so that we could collaborate on a solution that best fits their needs. If the situation required it, I would ask my colleague to apologise to the customer.’

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How To Succeed At A Group Interview

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A group interview is when an employee or team of employees interviews multiple candidates at the same time, or when a team of employees forms a panel to interview one candidate. Generally, employers perform both types of group interviews in conference rooms to simulate a meeting or team project.

To help you prepare for a group interview and ensure you stand out from other candidates, consider the following tips and sample questions.

What Type Of Management Training Development And Support Can I Expect In This Role

‘Many retail management jobs offer training to new recruits. This will benefit your professional development and boost your CV. It can also help develop your understanding of the organisations expectations for you and help you to succeed in your new role. If the role doesn’t have any formal training then clarify what kind of support is available for new management trainees and whether there are opportunities for you to seek out further development through external associations,’ explains Korin.

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Get To Know The Star Method

The STAR Method is a classic approach to answering behavioral interview questions. It allows you to turn a generic response into a compelling story. Thats why, when youre trying to figure out how to prepare for a job interview, learning the STAR Method is a must.

While we took a deep dive into the STAR Method before, heres an overview. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Results. Its an approach for outlining how an event arose and played out, making it ideal for structuring how you discuss an accomplishment.

With the STAR Method, you can make sure the hiring manager has every critical detail. Youre showing them how you put your skills to work, giving them important context about how you perform on the job.

Why Are You Applying To Work Here

What They Want to Know: Your answer to this question will reveal if you feel positive about the company and its products, or just want any job. Obviously, interviewers know you need a job. You’ll have to express other reasons you are applying to work for their company in particular. The best responses are specific and focused on the company .

All my life I’ve been a big reader. That’s a solo activity mostly, but I love to make recommendations to friends and family. I’d love to work at ABC Bookstore to be able to help customers find bookswhether it’s a specific title they can’t find on the shelves or a just-right title for a celebratory occasion.

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Want To Rock Your Retail Sales Interview Get Ready By Rehearsing Answers To These Sample Interview Questions

Have a retail sales interview coming up? While there are plenty of sales careers and retail careers available to you, most positions will want to know answers to common questions. These are the retail sales interview questions most frequently asked of retail job applicants. Expect to be asked some of these if you’re interviewing at one of the top 100 retailers:

• Tell me about your previous work experience as a retail salesperson.
• What type of merchandise have you had the most success selling?
• What do you know about this companys products and services?
• What makes you a great candidate for this particular job?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses when interacting with customers?
• What do you enjoy about working in retail sales?
• What have you done at your present/last company to increase revenues, reduce costs or save time?
• Tell me about a time when you felt you were at your best with helping a customer.
• Talk about a time when you were challenged in the sales process. Why was that, and how did you handle it?
• What type of retail sales systems have you used?
• How much did they require you to use your math skills?
• What was the management structure in your previous retail sales jobs?
• Did you work on commission?
• What have you done to become a better retail salesperson?
• What type of schedule are you looking to work?
• Would you be available to work additional shifts?

Question #2 You Are Due To Leave Work At 5pm Your Replacement Worker Doesnt Show Up What Do You Do

TIP #1 You have to stay behind and help out! There is simply no other answer option to this retail interview question.

TIP #2 This question is assessing how flexible you are as an employee, but also assessing how much you care about the company. Whilst it is your right to leave at 5pm, no employer wants to hire an employee who isnt flexible, especially in a situation like this.

Sample Response

The simple answer is, I would stay behind until they either turned up or an alternative replacement could be sought. I would never leave the business in trouble and I understand working in retail requires a level of flexibility. Obviously, it would be important to establish why my co- worker hadnt turned up without giving notice, and I would implement steps to make sure they were safe, first of all. One of the positive traits I have is a flexible attitude to work and also a commitment to reliability. I can assure you that I would never let you down and would be on hand to cover situations like this, as and when they arose.

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The Credit Card Machine Is Broken What Do You Say To Customers

What They Want to Know: Technological and other glitches can happen when you work in retail. Interviewers are looking for a glimpse of your problem-solving and communication skills in your response to this question.

The sooner that people know the machines are down, the better. So first, I’d make sure my manager was aware of the situation. Then, I’d suggest putting up a sign to inform customers that the machine is down, so they can run to the ATM before getting to the cash register. As customers pay, I’d apologize for the inconvenience and thank them for their understanding.

Retail Job Interview Tips

Answering questions the right way is the most important part of the interview, but there are other things you can do to improve your candidacy.

Here are a few ways to impress the hiring manager at your retail job interview:

• Dress the part. Depending on what sort of retail environment youre applying to, the definition of dressing the part changes. If its an office supply shop, you should probably look neutral and professional, whereas a toy store employee should have a bit more pizzazz in their look.

  Pro tip: if youre applying to a clothing store, wear clothes from that store. Its a big plus if youre a legitimate customer who will be able to honestly recommend the brand to other customers.

• Ask questions. Interviews are not interrogations theyre conversations. Prepare a list of your own questions for the hiring manager about the company and its products.

  Interviewers love candidates who express genuine curiosity and enthusiasm for the role. Plus, an interview is a great time to learn answers to important questions about a potential job. It might turn out that the way the interviewer describes the work environment and culture doesnt sound appealing to you at all.

• Follow up. Always send a follow-up email to the recruiter within a day of the interview. Its polite to thank them for their time and for considering your candidacy. Not to mention that it keeps you at the top of their mind as theyre reviewing candidates.

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