Retail employees are often the face of your brand and play a key role in maintaining your company's reputation. As such, interviews provide an opportunity to assess a prospective employee's communication skills, customer service abilities, and problem-solving skills. While interviews may vary, most questions will focus on these key areas, as well as the candidate's retail knowledge and relevant experience.
In this article, we provide 25 of the most common retail interview questions, along with potential answers to help you identify the best candidate for the job.
General questions
Tell me about yourself
Employer: Starting most interviews with this question is an effective way to gain insights into a candidate’s background, past experience, and skills gained from previous roles. Additionally, this question can be extended to help you understand the candidate on a personal level and assess how they would fit in with your company culture. It is an essential question to ask to get a better understanding of the candidate and their potential fit for the role.
Candidate: There are several ways to approach this question. To give an effective response, a candidate should start by describing their current role and responsibilities. Then, they can share past experiences that are relevant to the position they're applying for. Finally, they should explain why they are interested in the opportunity. If you need help with your next career step, our expert consultants are here to assist you.
Why do you want to work in retail?
Employer: When you start an interview with a candidate, it's a good idea to ask them why they want to work in your industry. This question can help you understand their level of passion for the role. If you're hiring for a retail position, asking why the candidate wants to work in retail can help them highlight their experience in customer service, their ability to interact with people, and their desire to help customers have a positive experience. This information can help you assess whether the candidate is a good fit for the job.
Candidate: The retail environment can often be challenging, but this question provides an opportunity for the candidate to express their enthusiasm for working in the industry. Answers can reveal the candidate's people skills.
Why do you want to work for our company?
Employer: It is important to test if they have done their research about the company. You, as a hiring manager, should aim to determine if the candidate understands your brand and vision. Make sure to pay attention to answers that demonstrate knowledge of the company's values and online presence.
Candidate: A good candidate should demonstrate that they have done their research on your organization. They should also explain why they value your brand and what they find most appealing about your company, products, or services. Don't forget to pay attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
What makes you stand out? Why should we hire you instead of somebody else?
Employer: When answering this question, it is important for candidates to understand the requirements of the role as stated in the job description. While looking for mention of the essential criteria points, it is equally important to pay attention to the candidate’s body language, attitude, and presentation when providing their response. For further details about the recruitment process, our sales recruiters are available to assist you.
Candidate: In the retail industry, sales are crucial. Therefore, candidates must demonstrate their ability to persuade the hiring manager of their suitability for the job. By providing a genuine and distinctive response, candidates can establish their compatibility with the company and their potential to enhance an already strong team.
What do you know about the products we sell?
Employer: It is highly advantageous to interview a candidate who is already familiar with the product or service. This question not only highlights a candidate's ability to anticipate, but also demonstrates that they have invested their time in comprehending the product, its functionality, and how it can benefit customers and clients. Additionally, it helps the interviewer gauge the candidate's level of interest and knowledge.
Candidate: It's a great idea to mention a few of the products or services that the company offers, especially during a retail manager interview. Even if the candidate isn't familiar with the products in-depth, having a basic knowledge of the industry and what the company sells demonstrates that they've made an effort to understand the organisation, which makes their application more appealing.
What is your greatest strength?
Employer: During an interview, there is a question that is commonly asked across most industries. This particular question is designed to help the employer assess a candidate's skill set and determine if they are a good fit for the role. It serves as a way for you to get to know the candidate better and make an informed decision about their suitability.
Candidate: It is advisable for the interviewee to be truthful when answering this common question. When asked about their greatest strength, candidates should highlight their ability to work under pressure while maintaining the quality of their work. This would demonstrate to the employer that the candidate's strengths align with the job requirements.
What do you consider a weakness of yours?
Employer: In retail, evaluating a candidate’s self-awareness is a common interview practice. Look for self-evaluation and improvement.
Candidate: It can be challenging to answer this question. Candidates should avoid showing any signs of insecurity, but at the same time, they should not come across as overly confident. Responses that indicate a growth mindset and a willingness to improve may impress an employer who is seeking a candidate that can fit into their organization. Such an employer may see the potential to develop the candidate into a perfect fit for the role.
What are your salary expectations for this retail job?
What three words would you use to describe yourself?
What do you hope to learn in this position?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Experience and background questions
What do you consider good customer service?
Employer: A crucial aspect of the retail environment is providing high standards of customer service. It is important to confirm if the candidate's response aligns with the company's definition of customer service.
Candidate: When answering questions about customer service, candidates should provide examples of good customer service they have received or given in the past. The main goal of customer service is to create a positive and memorable experience for customers. Therefore, providing examples of such experiences will help in giving a strong and effective answer.
Tell me about a time when you’ve worked well as part of a team?
Employer: It is crucial for many retail jobs that candidates are able to work effectively as part of a team, as the industry relies on collaboration. It is important to assess a candidate's ability to work with their colleagues to create an environment that is conducive to success. Additionally, ensure that you take the time to understand their collaborative work style.
Candidate: Employers use scenario-based questions to assess a candidate's practical abilities, asking them to provide examples of how they overcame challenges as part of a team.
Can you give an example of a time when you went the extra mile for a customer?
Employer: In retail, you want to hire employees who are passionate about helping the customer. Here, you’ll want to find out what a candidate has done in the past to go the extra mile in customer service – offering multiple examples of high standards.
Candidate: Competency questions are used to evaluate scenarios where a candidate has interacted with customers. Interviewees may use these questions to highlight when they’ve received praise in previous roles from customers, and what the overall outcome of their hard work was.
Tell us about a time you exceeded expectations at work?
Employer: Managers are motivated to trust employees when they have positive experiences. To gauge a candidate's motivations and work ethic, it is helpful to ask questions about their commitment to excellence in service and exceeding expectations.
Candidate: Hiring managers are seeking candidates who are dedicated to the role. Just like going above and beyond, candidates should highlight instances where they received praise from line managers, customers, or external providers for tasks they were assigned. If a candidate lacks retail experience, they can think of an example from a different job or role.
What experience do you have in problem-solving to meet the needs of the customer?
Can you describe the achievement you’re most proud of?
Position-relevant questions
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer?
Employer: Another frequently asked scenario-based question aims to assess a candidate's empathy, de-escalation skills, and problem-solving abilities. This question can also reveal a candidate's accountability and self-awareness, which are valuable qualities for retail industry employees.
Candidate: It is important for candidates to demonstrate their proficiency in conflict resolution. They should provide a detailed account of the situation, including the specific circumstances that led to the difficulty, their approach to resolving it, and the ultimate outcome.
How well do you perform in a busy work environment?
Employer: Employers in the retail industry are aware of the high-stress nature of the work. Asking questions about performance will help you gauge how candidates handle difficult situations and demanding customers. It is also important to assess if candidates can thrive in a fast-paced environment, particularly during busy periods like Christmas and New Year.
Candidate: Being able to multitask and prioritize is a crucial aspect of various retail positions. Candidates should provide instances of successfully working under pressure and demonstrate their ability to stay organized to prevent feeling overwhelmed.
Tell me about a challenge you experienced in a past role and how you overcame it.
Employer: Gaining insights into a candidate's character and their ability to handle challenges can be achieved through their response to behavioural questions. Pay attention to indications of resilience, adaptability, and a positive mindset.
Candidate: It is recommended for candidates to provide specific examples that showcase their skills relevant to the position they are applying for. The most effective answers to this question typically follow the STAR (situation, task, action, and result) technique, allowing candidates to maintain focus and meet the interviewer's expectations.
What do you enjoy most about working in retail?
Employer: It is crucial to grasp the candidate's motivation for working in the retail industry and provide them with a chance to showcase their personality, drive, and ambition during the interview. Ensuring that the candidate aligns well with your team is important.
Candidate: The retail industry can be incredibly fulfilling. Candidates should consider what aspects of their job bring them joy, such as improving their interpersonal skills, the industry's flexibility, the benefits that contribute to a healthy work-life balance, opportunities for growth, or the ability to interact with customers.
What would you do if the payment machines stopped working on your shift?
Tell us about a time you went beyond a customer’s expectations?
How do you handle it when your replacement worker doesn’t show up?
Tell me about a time that you showed leadership in a previous role.
Important things to remember
During a retail interview, it is important to keep in mind that the experience can be challenging for both employers and professionals across various industries. Apart from the questions asked and answered during the interview, there are additional measures that can be taken to ensure a smooth and positive experience for everyone involved. Here are some key points to remember when preparing for a retail interview:
Research
When interviewing for a retail position, it is crucial for the candidate to have a basic understanding of the products sold, the target audience, and the company culture. Similarly, employers should consider conducting background screenings to streamline the recruitment process.
Asking questions
Candidates should take the opportunity to ask questions during and before the interview to gather information that will help them determine if the role and company are a good fit. Employers can use this opportunity to showcase the company culture and highlight the benefits of working for the organization.
Follow-up
Both the candidate and the employer have a responsibility to ensure that any further details and next steps are communicated after the interview. Candidates can send a follow-up email expressing gratitude and inquiring about the decision timeline. Employers should also reach out to the shortlisted candidates, whether they were successful or not.
