Applied online, got call one week later for interview. Was instructed to arrive at least 10
minutes early to complete computer based questions. These were multiple choice and along
the lines of, "If you observed a guest behaving in a suspicious manner, what is the
best/worse thing you could do?" HR person came and took me to back offices. Another
associate was first person to interview me. She was personable, but seemed somewhat put
out at having to do the interview . She asked why Target and then a series of questions about
past situations, such as, "describe a time (at work or home) where you didn't get along with
someone. What was the situation? How did you handle it? What was the outcome?"
"Describe a time when you had to work as part of a team to accomplish something?" "What
would a former supervisor say were your strengths? Weaknesses?" She then led me back to
a waiting area. Then a manager type came and took me to another office for another office.
She, too was very friendly and mostly easy going. She stressed the importance of the cashier
role, said that often the cashier is the only Target employee the "guest" makes contact with
and how vital it is that cashiers represent the best of the company...friendly, fun, respectful,
helpful, etc. She asked many of the same questions, "why Target" and some of the same
scenario questions. She then asked "what if questions". "What if you were working the
register on a very busy day and a guest complained that they couldn't find something...what
would you do?"
Through both of these stages I maintained an upbeat, friendly, smiley demeanor which they
seemed to like. I answered all the scenario questions about guests with the attitude that the
customer is the most important person in the building and that making sure they had a
positive experience is paramount. I felt confident through both these stages, except for when
I got the last question (see Most Difficult or Unexpected Question). But I got pushed through
to the next (and last stage), the HR person, who was the same woman who had retrieved me
from the front of the store. She sat me down in yet another office, asked me to indicate what
days around the coming holidays I was able to work. She then asked if I had been told this
was for a seasonal position, which I hadn't. She told me the pay was $8/hour and asked if I
was interested in accepting the position. It was a take it or leave it thing and there was no
negotiating. I then was sent for drug testing.
I did think it was odd that it wasn't until I got to HR was I told that this was a seasonal
position, with no benefits. I couldn't help but wonder if I had somehow been "downgraded"
during the process due to something in my performance. There was something cold about
the whole thing, even though everyone seemed friendly on the surface. Maybe they're all just
overworked and tired.