When interviewing candidates for the role of store manager, employers are looking for positive leaders who can steer the team towards assisting customers, managing merchandise and keeping the operation moving smoothly. In an interview context, be prepared to answer questions about your ability to sell a product, resolve issues and create an enjoyable work environment with strong customer service. You should also be ready to discuss any previous experience in sales or retail.
Here are three top store manager interview questions and tips on how to answer them:
How to answer: A hiring manager uses this behavioural question to evaluate soft skills such as honesty, communication and problem-solving. Handle this question by describing a situation in which you made an error, such as incorrectly displaying advertising or incorrectly assessing inventory, and resolved it. Prepare a sincere and professional answer in advance.
How to answer: As a store manager, it is your job to maintain team morale and improve underperformance. Explain the behavioural process you would use to handle this situation. For example, an effective professional strategy could involve meeting with the employee, using empathy and active listening to understand the performance issues. Describe how you would develop a plan for improving performance and creating incentives for the employee.
How to answer: Through this question, the hiring manager assesses your managerial, strategy and leadership skills. Prove your aptitudes by talking about relevant techniques, such as using verbal reinforcement to build confidence, offering rewards or recognition to high performers, developing incentives to motivate employees to work hard and building a rapport with your team. Additionally, provide relevant metrics that demonstrate the effectiveness of your employee motivation strategies.