Halfords Manager Interview Questions
& Process

First, I had a quick phone call to go over my past work and accomplishments. Then, I was invited for an in-person interview. When I got there, I was asked to give a SWOT analysis of the store, which they hadn't told me about beforehand. Throughout the interview, the interviewer kept getting my work history wrong, like the dates I worked at previous places. They also talked about how the company culture is to actively annoy customers and that they were voted worst for customer service. They didn't even ask for my right to work documents, I had to give them copies, and they refused to check my original documents when I offered. It was a really bad experience, and I'm pulling my application.

I applied online and then got a phone call for an interview within 4 days. After that, I was invited for an interview with two store managers. They were really nice and made me feel comfortable. We started by talking about my experience and why I was interested in Halfords. Then, I presented my SWOT analysis, which I had prepared beforehand. The last part was a role-play where I had to give the team their daily brief. They gave me a piece of paper with all the info, figures, and KPIs, and the two managers acted as the staff. It was actually pretty fun, though a bit nerve-wracking. Overall, it was a good experience, and the managers were very professional and knew their stuff.

The interview process was very informal, which I liked. However, it took a long time to get to a real interview. I had to do a telephone interview with scripted questions, then an online test, and finally get to the store. I wonder when we'll go back to being able to call a store and get an interview.