Job Interview Questions with analysis
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sam_atwalbtinternetcom (student)
Business studies department
Unit A244 Business and You
Interview Question
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Why is it appropriate to the role of retail assistant?
1. Why did you apply for the job of retail assistant at Primark?
* In the job advert it asks ‘Do you have a passion for fashion?”
* In the job advert it asks for “good communication skills”
* In the person specification asks for “good communication skills”
* This is an open question , this allows the candidate to give a detailed response on why they believe they are the most suitable candidate . This is also an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate their communication skills.
* This question is simply to answer and allows the candidate to relax into the interview , this is important because the candidate may be nervous so it is best to calm their nerves to ensure they complete the interview to the highest possible standard .
* The interviewer can assess the quality of the communication skills and rank the candidates from this . This is important as when the candidate starts working at Primark they need to communicate clearly with the other members of staff and the customers . The customers needs to understand what is being said or they may get frustrated and leave , this would lead to a loss in sales . Having good communication skills is a key part of being a retail sales assistant as the candidate will be talking and interacting with the customers all day . They will be representing Primark and giving off possibly first impressions . In the person specification and job description asks for “good communication skills”
* This question allows the candidate to demonstrate their interest and passion in fashion and retail , this is important as if a candidate is truly interested into Primark , they will be more motivated , put in more effort and perform all their tasks to the highest standard . The interviewer can also rank the candidates on how passionate they are about Primark as this directly shows how committed they are to Primark . The more committed an employee is , the more loyal they will be and they will often be more determined to take the business succeed .
* This is an opportunity for the candidate to show they have researched Primark and that they have a real interest in the business . This shows they want to find to find out and they are aware of the aims and values of the business . After the candidate has read those they have decided that this job is suitable for them , this shows their confidence and determination in getting the role of retail sales assistant . As the candidate is interested in the business , they are more likely to want it to succeed and therefore will give better customer service . This candidate is given the chance to explain why they want to work at Primark as a retail sales assistant , they can be specific to Primark .
* The interviewer can clearly see if the candidate is enthusiastic about Primark and the job , this will help with the ranking . In the job advert it asks ‘Do you have a passion for fashion?”
* This question complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory , This is important as this could put the candidate off the job and give Primark a bad reputation if it was not .
1. Tell me about a time when you have shown good teamwork skills?
* In the person specification a requirement is to able “to work in a team”
* In the job advert it states that the candidate will join a “successful team” , implying good teamwork skills are needed to integrate into the department .
* This is an open question , this allows the candidate to explain in detail a time in which they have demonstrated good teamwork skills . Team work skills are important at Primark as if the team isn’t running smoothly neither will the business . All the members rely on each other . In the job advert it states that the candidate will join a “successful team” , ...
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* In the job advert it states that the candidate will join a “successful team” , implying good teamwork skills are needed to integrate into the department .
* This is an open question , this allows the candidate to explain in detail a time in which they have demonstrated good teamwork skills . Team work skills are important at Primark as if the team isn’t running smoothly neither will the business . All the members rely on each other . In the job advert it states that the candidate will join a “successful team” , implying good teamwork skills are needed to integrate into the department .
* This allows the interviewer to asses the candidate and see if they work integrate well with the other members of staff and therefore if they would be appropriate for the role of retail sales assistant . If the candidate shows a lack of teamwork skills , the interviewers can rank them lower as this will cause day to day problems because if the candidate cant get along with the team , its highly likely that the candidate wont get along with the customers. In the person specification a requirement is to able “to work in a team”
* This is an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate good communication skills , if they have these skills are able to implement them into the interview , they will be able to implement these with the customers . This means a high standard of customer service , if the customers are happy they will come back more often , leading to an increase in sales .
* This gives the candidate to show off their communication skills to the interviewer , proving they are the most suitable candidate and they would be perfect for the role of retail sales assistant . Confidence is needed in this role , if the employee is not confident about what they are saying the customer may not believe them .
* This question complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory , This is important as this could put the candidate off the job and give Primark a bad reputation if it was not .
1. What would you do if you saw a customer putting unpaid stock in their bag from the fitting rooms and leaving?
* In the job description it requires the candidate to “watch for and recognise security risks and be able to report this situations as appropriate”
* In the job description it requires the candidate to be able to supervise the fitting rooms
* In person specification it requires the candidate to be able to “work under pressure in a busy environment”
* This is an open question and allows the candidate to give a detailed response and demonstrate other skills such as communication skills . This is important as it shows that the candidate is able to communicate confidently in an appropriate manner with customers, other sales assistants, and retail supervisors.
* This allows the candidate to show they can work under pressure and act quickly without causing a scene and disrupting other customers ., this is important as Primark will be very busy during peak shopping times such as weekends and school holiday periods. . In the person specification it requires the candidate to be able to “work under pressure in a busy environment” .
* This allows the candidate to show that they can recognize security risks and give a past experience and how they dealt with the situation then . In the job description it requires the candidate to “watch for and recognise security risks and be able to report this situations as appropriate”
* This allows the candidate to show they can supervise fitting rooms and possibly give a detailed response on what the would do . In the job description it requires the candidate to be able to supervise the fitting rooms . This is important as when the candidate would be working at Primark part of their job will be to supervise the fitting rooms as this is stated in the job description . . If the candidate can show that they can do this suitably .
* This allows the interviewer to assess whether the candidate would act appropriately if the situation occurred and helps to judge if they are suitable for the role of retail sales assistant.
* This shows that the candidate pays attention to detail and wants to improve the quality of their own work, therefore will be productive and effective as sales assistant as they will ensure stock is displayed to a high standard, customer service will be of a high standard
* This question complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory , This is important as this could put the candidate off the job and give Primark a bad reputation if it was not .
1. How would you apply you previous training in the workplace in Primark ?
* In the person specification it states “demonstrate willingness to undertake appropriate training”
* This is an open question , this allows the candidate to explain in detail a time in which they trained and how they would use that in the workplace . This is important as it ensures that the candidate will implement the skills into the workplace .
* In the person specification it states “demonstrate willingness to undertake appropriate training” The candidate can demonstrate their willingness to learn here by talking about a past experience . In the past if a candidate was unable to do a skill and they were willing to train to better themselves , it is highly likely that when they work at Primark they will be willing to train .
* This allows the interviewer to rank the candidates because to work at Primark you need to be willing to train as at Primark there could be new tills and machinery.
* If the candidate is willing to better themselves , they will also be able to ask for help when needed from another sales assistant or from the retail supervisor .
* The interviewer can make a decision whether they believe the candidate can also demonstrate that they Review their work to ensure it is meeting the standards required for example would they notice that stock needed replenishing or re-folding to ensure customer satisfaction based on their past experience . This will help with ranking as the interviewer rank the candidates not on how much training they have but on if they would use it in the workplace.
* This question complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory , This is important as this could put the candidate off the job and give Primark a bad reputation if it was not .
* This question allows the candidate to demonstrate their “ability to work in a team” through their past experience . This is important in the role of a retail sales assistant as everyone relies on each other , if one person does not do their job everyone is put off track.
1. Tell me about a time when you dealt with a customer complaint
* In the person specification it requires the candidate to “demonstrate a awareness of customer care”
* In the person specification it requires the “good communication skills
* In the job advert it requires the candidate to “deal with customer complaints as appropriate”
* In the job advert it requires “good communication skills”
* This allows the interviewer to rank the candidates on how they deal with this particular situation . Also the interviewer can see about any extra past experiences they may not have included . The candidates can be ranked on the most experience
* This allows the candidate to demonstrate how they would react in this situation and how they will implement their past experiences in .
* This allows the candidate to show that they are the most suitable candidate as they will deal with the situation with caution .
* This is an open question as you can deal with the situation in many ways that are all still correct , this allows the candidate to demonstrate their skills including communication skills , communication is an essential part of working at Primark. This means that the candidate will be able to communicate confidently in an appropriate manner with customers, other sales assistants, and retail supervisors if they have already done it. In the person specification it requires the “good communication skills
* This complies with the employment legalisation and is not discriminatory as it mentions nothing to do with race , religion , age or gender
* This shows the interviewer how the candidate would deal with customers as if they would be patient and polite when dealing with customer enquiries or complaints about products at Primark. Also the interviewer can see how good the candidate is at recognizing the needs of customers and acting on them. This is important as it is good to have good communication skills and be able to work in a team but the candidate needs to implement them in the workplace .
* The interviewer can also see what language they will use as basic literacy skills are required in the person specification , and if it is formal . The candidate will be representing Primark so they need to not use slang / swear and be polite at all times . This will help with ranking as the interviewer can decide on how they want to be dealing with the customers . If the customer complaint isn’t dealt with correctly , the customer may go to the media and a large problem may arise . In the person specification it requires the candidate to “demonstrate a awareness of customer care”. As well as In the job advert it requires the candidate to “deal with customer complaints as appropriate”
1. If a customer bought a pair of sunglasses for £3.49 and a top for £2.39 and paid with a £20 note , How much change are they owed ?
* In the Person specification it states that you need basic numeracy skills
* It is an closed question , there is only one correct answer helps with ranking as the interview can just check which candidates get the answer correct
* This complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory as it does not mention age , race , gender or religion .
* This will allow the candidate to demonstrate their numeracy skills . This is important because in the work place the candidate may need to count the change to give back to a customer and they need to be able to do this instantly. This is important as it allows the interviewer to know if the candidate would be able to do simply maths in their head in the case of the till breaking down .The candidate can show that they are able to work well under pressure as Primark will be very busy during peak shopping times such as weekends and school holiday periods. This helps with comparing and ranking of the candidates .
* This helps the interviewer with ranking also because if the candidate is unable to do this they can just be removed from the rest of the process and basic numeracy is a main component of working at Primark . If the candidate is unable to do a simple question like this , it is highly likely that if they are hired they will give too much or too little change , or just be extremely slow . Primark is a very busy business and the employees need to be able to “work under pressure in a busy environment” as it states in person specification .
1. How would you ensure that the customers are happy in Primark ?
* In the person specification “an awareness of customer care” is required
* In the person specification “good communication skills” are required
* In the job description it states the candidate needs to “meet and greet customers”
* The candidate can demonstrate that they would keep up to date with sales/offers and answer as well as give advice on products . This shows they are caring towards the customers . In the person specification “an awareness of customer care” is required . Interacting with the customers and giving advice on certain products is a great way to increase sales . In the job description it states the candidate needs to “meet and greet customers”. This is important because making sure the customers are happy is key at Primark .
* This is an open question , this allows the candidate to give an a detailed response on how they would ensure customer satisfaction .
* This allows the interviewer to rank the candidates on how they would be around the customers . If the candidate can explain how they would do it , its highly likely that they will
* This complies with employment legalisation and is not discriminatory as it does not mention age , race , gender or religion .
* The candidate shows that they will recognise the needs of the customers at Primark and will act promptly to serve them . This is important as if a customer is ignored that they would get annoyed and possible got to a competitor .
* .
* 1. What would you do if your colleague was struggling with keeping up the customers but it was the end of your shift ?
* In the person specification it requires the ability to work in a team and the ability to work under pressure
* In the person specification it requires an awareness of customer care
* If the candidate is able to work well under pressure as Primark will be very busy during peak shopping times such as weekends and school holiday periods.
* This allows the candidate to demonstrate that they are committed to the business and want it to succeed , so they would be willing to work overtime .
* This allows the candidate to demonstrate that they know when is appropriate to step in and when they are needed . This is important as Primark is quite often busy so a dedicated employee is needed . If they are willing to step in this show that the candidate works well under pressure
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Task 3 b
