The store manager and I held a group interview last week to find a couple of new sales assistants.
In my experience in retail - it is very rare to find applicants who match up to how they describe themselves on their CV, e.g. "I am an honest, hardworking, self-motivated individual. I would feel completely unfulfilled if I didn't complete any given task with my full capability. I am reliable and responsible and feel I can become an asset to your company if given the opportunity". Applicants for a part time sales assistant role tend to be young, has alternative focuses outside of the role applied for i.e. studying, aspiring dancer or photographer, they may have just completed their studies an need a part time job until their desired role becomes available else where. In general the applicant does not see a future within this role, therefore tend not to be fully dedicated, focused or reliable.
It is very important that the successful applicant has the right attitude and work ethics at least, so that with the right training, responsibility and motivation - they may just find themselves more satisfied with the job than perceived. Someone with the right attitude will know that even though this may not be their ideal job, it is still a role that carries responsibilities; working in retail puts you at the forefront of the business, ultimately you are the among the faces of the brand and therefore represent the brand, so your attitude goes along way in building brand identity at store level. Experience is always useful at any level, whether it helps shape your personality, boosts your confidence, defines you as a leader or at least builds your knowledge of consumer behaviour - it can all be put to use with the right attitude and a willingness to learn. A common error for young part-timers seeking quick cash with minimum workload is narrow minded dismissal, focusing on the negatives rather than the positives - no denying that I once had this attitude, until I realised that working hard and getting more out of the given tasks will lead to job satisfaction and will diminish the sheer devastation when your alarm goes off in the morning signalling your remaining hour of freedom before a day at work.
A group interview is a great way to see real personalities. The relaxed atmosphere provides a platform for people to express themselves on a real level, rather than a scary high-pressured one-on-one interview. I think this technique is highly appropriate when looking for sales assistants as applicants are usually young and may not have much interview experience, therefore may crumble under the pressure of a one-on-one interview. While other people speak it gives other applicants an opportunity to plan their answers and they are able to bounce off each other.
We had 12 applicants so we started off by getting everyone talking to each other, finding out the basics of one another, we then asked them to introduce each other - this was a great way to see what they felt was important to tell us and the way they portrayed each other said a lot about themselves.
We then asked a question about the brand in order to get an overview of what they knew and what they were interested in. It was clear who had been on the brand website the night before and tried memorizing the history, likewise it was clear who genuinely knew about the brand before dropping their CV into the store - signalling that they may specifically want to work for us as apposed to just wanting any job.
The interview took place in a conference room which was lined with the collection samples for the following season - we asked each applicant to pick a shoe and one by one explain the customer they imagine this to appeal to and why. This was a good opportunity to see who had a basic understanding of sales, and customer behaviour, likewise we were able to see who really didn't have any product knowledge or understanding of our customer.
We then explained the expectations and requirements of the successful applicant(s).
