Payless ShoeSource Store Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I had 3 interviews. The first two were with local store managers, and the third was with the District Manager. It was really poorly planned. I got a call about the first interview the week before, then nothing. Three weeks later, I got a call for the second interview, and again, heard nothing. A month after that, I was called for the third interview with the district manager and they expected me to be there in an hour, even though I live 45 minutes away. Then I heard nothing for two weeks, and finally got a call to come in for a background check. A week after that, they called and expected me to start full-time three days later.

I had two interviews. The first one went really well, I felt like I connected with the interviewer. She then set up a second interview with someone else from the company. The second interviewer was completely unprofessional. She arrived late to the interview, and then proceeded to make calls and do tasks while I waited. She was dressed very casually and looked disheveled. She realized she forgot my resume and another important document at the store, so we had to move the interview to the mall. She started asking me probing questions about why I left my last job, even though I told her it was due to sensitive legal issues. Then she asked me situational questions about how I coach my employees. I explained my background in coaching and leadership and detailed how I would handle the scenario. She then stated that she didn't think I understood coaching, which surprised me. I asked her to define coaching and she said it involved spending a whole day with one employee on behaviors. I clarified that coaching encompasses more than that. She then asked for references. I explained that one of my previous employers has a policy against providing references, but I could offer one from an earlier employer or from someone who worked at the company. She insisted on getting a reference from the employer that doesn't provide them. I was very put off by her unprofessional and casual attitude. If I were offered the job, I would decline due to the caliber of the people leading the teams.

It was quite a process with many steps. Started with a group interview with about 30 people. After that, I had a 1 on 1. Then came several phone interviews, followed by another 1 on 1. After a lot of calls and back and forth, they offered me the job. The pay was surprisingly good and it was a decent opportunity, so I would have taken it, but I got a better offer from a previous employer that was a bit more aligned with my skillset.