Retail Interview Questions & Answers

First step was psychometric tests including numerical and verbal reasoning.

If you are successful and pass the psychometric tests you will be invited to the assessment centre. Before the assessment centre they send you a personality questionnaire. This is very long (mine took an hour).

The assessment centre was with approximately 8 other candidates and involved 3 group exercises and an interview which lasted approximately 1 hour. The interview is partially based on your experience and CV but a lot of questions are based on the results of your personality questionnaire. For example, if it came across in your questionnaire that you do not make decisions they will ask you about decision making.

When have you implemented a change?

Be aware of the time - take a watch.
Make sure you express your views, particularly, in the group exercise.
Be prepared for a long interview at the end of the day.
Read up on the company and its values.

There were 4 parts to the assessment centre.
1. Interview
2. Group exercise - decision making regarding various scenarios.
3. Presentation - regarding a store scenarios - making decisions and discussing strategy. You have an hour to review the information and prepare a presentation. You then present the presentation.
4. Single exercise - you are given a scenario by one of the interviewers and asked to respond to several questions.

The interview was done as part of the assessment centre. The lady who conducted the interview was lovely, but unfortunately I don't feel that enough questions were actually asked in order to show fully the skills I have which would have made me an ideal graduate on their programme.

When have you had to change your approach?

Be yourself, and try to be as confident as possible.

The assessment centre was mostly enjoyable, despite the obvious nervousness that most candidates will feel. The staff were friendly and offered advice and assistance and were happy to answer any questions we had.

I find it difficult being put up against other candidates, as I feel I need to be slightly competitive, but not show off.

The first task we had to imagine we were a store manager and prioritise certain tasks, then there was a one on one interview, followed by a role play and finally a group exercise.

I had numerous interviews during the process. The first was a phone interview, competency based. The standard 'give me a time when you've had to make a decisive decision' etc. Also a commercial question, such as why did I think halfords had offices based overseas. Once successful, you're invited to their assessment centre based in their support office in Redditch. There was a 5 minute 'get to know you' introduction at the beginning, very informal, nice way to start the day.

This was followed by an icebreaker where we broke off into 2 teams, we had to build the tallest tower with the materials given, highest tower wins. Chance to demonstrate your team working skills.

We then had speed interviews with 6 assessors, 10 minutes each. All competency based so prepare well and you'll be fine. A few tricky ones which I've listed in another sectiosection.

Then we had had to a presentation, this was communicated before hand so practice it and you'll do fine.

Next was role play exercise, again described in another section further along.

The day concluded with a group exercise to pitch a pit stop to the store (assessors acting as store colleagues)

If you had a newspaper advert, what 6 things would it say?
What would your colleagues criticise about you?

Do your research on the company, think of areas you think they could improve to pitch during your interview, this will show initiative. Think about why you really want the job, why Halfords? Why retail? There was a big focus on this so make sure you get it right. There were 24 of us in the assessment centre split into 2 sessions, 4 of us were chosen for the final interview. Be confident, be yourself and most importantly have fun!

Ice breaker - Given a bunch of materials and had to make the tallest tower against the other group. Speed interviews - 5 seseparate interviews with the assessors, 10 minutes each, all competency based. Role play - approaching a customer in the store and helping establish their needs, also involved a bit of conflict resolution. Group exercise - formulate a 'Pit-Stop', we were given a few pages of information about the store and it's sales then had to come up with a team talk to communicate this with the store.

There was an online application which asked several questions like "Why do you want to work here" and some comptency based questions too. You also had to include a cover letter and CV.

After that application there was a numerical reasoning test. You get to do some practice questions before hand, then the test is timed, and you have to complete as many questions as you can (correctly) in the allotted time. I didn't answer all the questions, but I got through - so just do your best to answer well and do the proper working out!

Then there was a telephone interview. It only lasts about 15 minutes because you only get 4 questions. They were quite similar to the online application and included, why would you be a good addition to Boots, and competency based questions.

This one was difficult because I wasn't expecting it (at the assessment centre) -
Describe a time, when you were part of a team, and you actively helped aq member of your team to grow.

Make sure you do your research on the company and the job role. You need to be able to say what you can bring to the role and the company as an individual.

The hardest parts are the unknowns - like the role play - so just try and use your initiative and stay calm. During the interview, make sure you give good examples, but don't talk too much or give more than one for each questions, because you get asked a lot of different things.

The best advice is to be prepared and then you can try and enjoy it on the day!

In the assessment centre there was an introductory presentation to start the day. This is a good chance to settle into the day, so try to enjoy it and listen well.

Then we went into individual interviews. These were one on one with one of the assessors. It was mainly comptency based questions, and there were a lot of them. The interview lasted for around 40 minutes. Several of the questions were based around teamwork, but different aspects (leading a team, part of a successful team, helping team to grow) so try to come up with different examples for each one, otherwise it will get very repetitive! The assessor had my CV in front of them, so the initial questions were asking you about things you have done and why you have done them. If you've done something unrelated to retail, make sure you can show how the skills you learnt are useful and will help you on the scheme.

After the interview we had a group task. There were 5 Assistant Managers profiles, and you had to decide who was the most impressive and the least impressive. You were given 10 minutes to read the information individually and make a decision. Then you got taken into a room with the assessors and had to discuss your ideas as a group. At the end of the task, you had to explain how you got to your group decision and why. Then they asked you questions about the task like, what do you think you did well on as a team? what would you have done differently? These questions were asked to the whole group, so make sure you answer something and don't let the others do all the talking. Show how you can be reflective of the group and be honest - if you think it went bad then tell them, and explain why and what you could do to improve.

Then we had a presentation, which we had to prepare before the day. These were individual, just in front of the assessors. You had 10 minutes to talk about how No. 7 could appeal (or currently does) to a younger audience. Do your research, visit multiple stores and really engage with the products. There is time for them to ask questions afterwards. Some candidates got asked things about their content, some got asked about the stores, or to give more information on a particular part of your presentation. We didn't get asked the same questions - so be prepared to talk about anything you say, or any questions they might come up about how you could improve.

Finally we had a role play task. This was also individual. You were taken into a room with one assessor who would be taking notes. Then another assessor knocked on the door and they were the angry customer. You were the store manager at Boots. They basically came to you with a problem about a product and the customer service they has received and you had to solve it. Stay calm and just react appropriately. Don't try and impress them with what you think they want, they want to see how you deal with things as an individual. Its quite intense, so just try and go with the flow as best you can.

Initially we had a 30 min phone interview about general interview topics (e.g. why M&S, why food etc), which got more specific to M&S towards the end.

At the assessment day the questions were a lot more related to the food industry, including the technical side involved.

We had to do a group task first, followed by a role play exercise, presentation and then two interviews.

The role play exercise was difficult, as you were addressing a 'client' who had worked with the company for many years, so you had to keep them on side but at the same time be strict with your outcome.

Learn the company ethos and bring it in as much as possible in the interview. Keep up to date with current food trends and issues, so that you can relate to what the company is currently facing.

For the role play it is difficult to prepare for but keep in mind the professionalism you'd expect from someone working at the company.

The group exercise involved the 8 of us being given 3 different topics to discuss in 45 minutes. They all had a similar theme but each one had a different issue, e.g. relocating a factory, supply issues etc

For the (unseen) presentation we were given an hour to prepare for but this included having to write a maximum 2 sides of A4 summary which they assessed you on later.

The interview was conducted online. You will see a question and have some time to think about it (usually between 1 and 2 minutes). Then your camera and mic will start recording over a certain period of time (1 to 2 minutes) during which you can give your answer. If you are done earlier, you can stop the recording and the next question will appear. As the interview in conducted via a program and there is no other person involved, you can do it whenever it suits you best.

There were a few unusual questions. However, unlike most other interviews that I have done so far, Morrisons gives you quite a bit of time to think about your responses. Some questions give you two minutes preparation time, which is a lot. Morrisons mostly wants to know how you think and act and questions are often hypothetical - so not even asking for real life examples, rather putting you into a certain situation and asking you how you would respond or act.

You need a paper and a pen for this interview as you will have to brainstorm during the preparation time you'll be given. While this might sound a little bit worrysome, you are given a lot of time to think about your answer before recording it - so that is good.

No assessment centre at this stage.

Competency based phone interview based around knowledge of Ocado. Followed by full day assessment centre. Morning - presentation, two group exercises and competency interview. If successful in the morning you get through to the afternoon which is three more interviews with senior members of the team

Explain a time when you've dealt with ambiguity. What was the situation and the outcomes?

Seemed quite disorganised after the assessment centre as one of the current graduates who was helping to run the graduate recruitment had moved onto their next rotation- not their fault!
They said on the day I would hear in two weeks but after 4 weeks I decided to phone them, and it was difficult to get hold of the correct person, after leaving several messages. I didn't get onto the scheme but was told there was another role in the company which would suit me but didn't hear anything else from them.
Left me with a poor impression of the company and as a result did not chase up the other job, and have found a job elsewhere since.

One ice breaker group task to build a spaghetti and marshmallow tower which isn't assessed. Then the actual group which is nothing to do with knowledge of Ocado- it's a puzzle so you can't prepare for it.
Had to pre prepare a 15 minute presentation on a new Ocado product followed by 10 minutes of questions. Then there was an hour long competency interview with members from different departments. The three afternoon interviews were quickfire 15 minute interviews with senior members of the departments that the scheme rotates around.

First step was psychometric tests including numerical and verbal reasoning.

The next step was a telephone interview. This was with a member of their graduate recruitment team and lasted 18 minutes. I was told it was to last no more than 20 minutes. They asked me general competency questions, what I knew about the Partnership and why I wanted to be a Partner.

I was successful at the telephone interview so the next step was the assessment centre. This was with approximately 10-12 other candidates and involved 3 group exercises and a small interview which lasted approximately 20-30 minutes.

Why is working for a Partnership important?

Really investigate the company, its structure (particularly the partnership model) and its values.
The recruitment team stayed with you throughout the process so remember to maintain professionalism at all times.
Be very aware of the time - wear a watch - everything is timed.

There were 4 parts to the assessment centre.
1. Interview
2. Group exercise - decision making n a group of scenarios.
3. Presentation - regarding store scenarios - making decisions and discussing strategy.
4. Group exercise - work as teams to achieve goals.

The person who called me was very sympathetic and assertive. I think it was a good opportunity to a fist contact and impression. The interviewer tried to show how works the brand, which is its point of view, vision and another important informations and asked if we really would like to part of this.

Why did you decided to work for Decathlon if it is a different job of your graduation?

About the telephone first interview, try to be clear and honest. To the second part, which is another interview and team group work, it is advisable wear comfortable clothes and shoes or trainers and be prepared to work with different persons.

It was in a good place near one of the Decathlon Shops, which is very interesting because make possible take a look around the shop, the products and to see how everything works.
The interviews and dynamics happend in in a comfortable office, were very interesting and exciting. We could feel about the idea of team work proposed for Decathlon.

In the beginning we were given a group interview where there were basic questions that were asked. Some of the questions that were asked were just basic interview questions. Also, when given a question, it was just going around in circles so each person would answer one question, and not the same person answering the question first every time.

Afterwards when given the position, we were to watch a video on the store and the rules that the associate is to follow if given the position. The video just talked about the rules and regulations. For instance, if someone was to steal what the person should do, or if someone was to ask for merchandise that was advertised on the Mancin, what does the model/associate do?

I got the call to work a couple days later. It was important to subtmit your availability as soon as you knew when you were going to be able to start. It is also really important to before hand try and figure out the days you are going to have off because the day you forget, it may be the day you will be scheduled.

What would be my biggest weakness and why?
How can I try and overcome that weakness?

I would say just be yourself, and just stay positive. It is important to have some background knowledge on the company, and even the progression of the company. I also feel that the managers will ask you random questions that may be from previous work positions you've had, just make sure you are up to date on what has happened, and what may happen in the position that will be offered.
I also will tell the person that the company may have strict rules and regulations that one is to abide by, so make sure those rules and regulations are followed by and just make sure you are following them the right way because the manager will remember the odd ball before the good one.

Customer Service, just keeping up to date on the floor setting. Making sure that customers are being talked to and just have been updated on the important sales and promotions that are going on.