Archived Team Lead Interview Tips

[treacherous]

I am beginning the process to potentially be sent to interviews. I am beginning my interview prep with an ETL next week. I have spoken to a few of the recently promoted team leads, and they have given me a few ideas about what kind of questions I will be facing.

My main issue is that I am terrible at interviews. I can usually get by on the skin of my teeth, but I know that won't be possible for a leadership interview. I don't want my first prep session to completely disqualify me for the position, because it is so disastrous. Are there any tips you would recommend to help me maybe not make such an ass of myself?

 

[Meli4Target]

The easiest thing is to come up with Situational stories. and they lay them out like this.
1. Situation
2.Behavior (which is the the biggest one, this is where you show how you used your leadership skills to overcome a situation)
3. Outcome.

If they ask you about a time you made a mistake, or something went wrong, its best to tell what you learned from that and what you are doing to make sure it doesn't happen again. Also show some accountability.

I have just went through my TL interviews, and am now on the bench awaiting to be put into position. if you have any questions you can always PM me

 

[Meli4Target]

Another tip, I found it easier to write then what my outcome was to my situation first then work on the behavior and situation.

 

[Nauzhror]

Another tip, I found it easier to write then what my outcome was to my situation first then work on the behavior and situation.

Write? There's aspects of the interview that aren't strictly verbal?

 

[Meli4Target]

It's all verbal, but what worked for ME was to write down my situations, i broke it down into bullet points and went over them, and kept going over them.

 

[Meli4Target]

When it comes to the actual interview your going to have to have some stuff memorized and know your situations. when you are prepping with your ETL its okay to bring in a pen and paper and write down stuff and or go over things you already written down.

 

[Nauzhror]

Oh, damn, I was going to say, I'd do much better at something written than something verbal. I'm a much more eloquent writer than I am a speaker because writing is less rushed, and more analytic and thought out as opposed to speaking which is more improvisational.

 

[treacherous]

Thanks for the reply, InStocksQueen. I'm sure the first meeting with my ETL won't go too terribly. The only thing I am worried about is that a friend said his first interview "prep" was a mock interview with his ETL. He never heard anything about being promoted after that first meeting.

 

[Rock Lobster]

I am beginning the process to potentially be sent to interviews. I am beginning my interview prep with an ETL next week. I have spoken to a few of the recently promoted team leads, and they have given me a few ideas about what kind of questions I will be facing.

My main issue is that I am terrible at interviews. I can usually get by on the skin of my teeth, but I know that won't be possible for a leadership interview. I don't want my first prep session to completely disqualify me for the position, because it is so disastrous. Are there any tips you would recommend to help me maybe not make such an ass of myself?

Read through the Leadership Expectations. Every phrase you would want to use in an interview is somewhere in that packet. Remember to have great scope to your answers. I do not want to hear about a time you forgot to set a Salesplan as your mistake and how you are going to remember to set them going forward. I want to hear about a communication error or a perception change and how you went about fixing it. Have a few "home runs" that you definitely say in every interview, along with a few passing situtations (so a total of 5-7 to pick from). Remember that the vibe is a focus as well, so some questions will ask about a specific vibe moment with a guest. Finally, know general store wins/opps and what your store is working on. How are you doing on vibe, loyalty drivers, logistics, salesfloor presentation, and turnover/bts?

 

[consume]

Be able to grab your ankles on demand and smile during intense pain and you'll be alright

 

[treacherous]

I am beginning the process to potentially be sent to interviews. I am beginning my interview prep with an ETL next week. I have spoken to a few of the recently promoted team leads, and they have given me a few ideas about what kind of questions I will be facing.

My main issue is that I am terrible at interviews. I can usually get by on the skin of my teeth, but I know that won't be possible for a leadership interview. I don't want my first prep session to completely disqualify me for the position, because it is so disastrous. Are there any tips you would recommend to help me maybe not make such an ass of myself?

Read through the Leadership Expectations. Every phrase you would want to use in an interview is somewhere in that packet. Remember to have great scope to your answers. I do not want to hear about a time you forgot to set a Salesplan as your mistake and how you are going to remember to set them going forward. I want to hear about a communication error or a perception change and how you went about fixing it. Have a few "home runs" that you definitely say in every interview, along with a few passing situtations (so a total of 5-7 to pick from). Remember that the vibe is a focus as well, so some questions will ask about a specific vibe moment with a guest. Finally, know general store wins/opps and what your store is working on. How are you doing on vibe, loyalty drivers, logistics, salesfloor presentation, and turnover/bts?

Thanks for the advice. I am struggling with my mistake. I either feel that my mistake isn't a big enough thing or that I am not phrasing it to make it feel that it's enough of a mistake to pass. I've gone through a couple different ones, and I've struggled with each one. I've also been told that I am the first one they are sending through the new process. From what I can gather, it means I am not allowed to know what questions I will be facing, which is what every other TL before me has had in their corner.

 

[monkeyman90]

they will ask you 3 our of probably 5 questions. they want to hear a "this is the problem" "this is how i dealt with it" "this is how the guest is happy" there's also the upsell, a guest asks about birthday thingy for their kid. you should acknowledge the kids birthday first. talk to the kiddo and have mindless conversation. what's the theme? how old are you? now you're cool. now show them where the item is. now suggest an item the kiddo would like based off interaction, and hopefully they parent buys. we have happy guests, got them what they wanted, and left with more than they came to buy.

there's also a guest says a price is more than they are charged. problem guest is upset they are charged more. solution, hey, we can change the price, sorry for the inconvenience. we get left with happy guests. don't just say we know as a store if we can guest price challenge that, explain you know the situation. that's what they want to hear.

 

[PinkZinnia]

Is it normal to have etl's work with you for your district interview? Why would they do that with someone who is not liked my most team members and who isn't mentally stable? Why would they even want her in the position? Is it because no one from outside the store has applied?
If this person gets the job, I see lots of others leaving.. I know target doesn't care if people leave or not, but foolish to do this before 4th qtr.. Let the position stay open until January. At least you will have floor coverage...