Pottery Barn Store Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I had an in-person meeting with the General Manager of a Pottery Barn Kids store. It seemed to go well, covering both getting to know each other and my work history. I'm waiting to hear back about a second, more formal interview because they had two openings and the manager wanted a group of ten people to pick from. We really hit it off, but it's been a week and I'm starting to worry! I thought it went great, but my lack of supervisory experience was a weak point, though I feel I could do it and do it well. I was hoping to move to a different store like Pottery Barn or Rejuvenation after a year, but I also like working with kids and am excited to start in design and sales there.

I found my resume on Monster.com and applied for the job. The Store Manager called me within 24 hours and we set up an interview for the next day. We met in a mall seating area and they asked me a bunch of standard management questions. I talked about my strengths and how I'm different. The interview lasted over an hour and a half, but it was pretty relaxed and went by fast. The Store Manager told me she had to pick 3 candidates to move on to the next round with the District Manager. The next day, they called me and said they actually only needed one candidate for the next phase and that I was the one they chose. My next interview was scheduled for two days later in San Francisco. When I got there early, I was surprised to see the District Manager and the Regional Vice President. I had a really open conversation with them, similar to my first interview. They didn't ask too many questions, and I think the Store Manager had already told them I was the best fit. This interview was about 45 minutes. I didn't feel too much pressure because my first interview went so well. We finished by discussing my salary expectations, and I left feeling good. Within an hour of leaving, the Store Manager called to offer me the job and confirm the salary we negotiated. The whole process from applying to getting the offer took 5 days.

I was called for the initial interview and arrived early, but there was a miscommunication and the GM was delayed. She got pulled into a customer issue, so my interview started about an hour late. These things happen. The interview itself was great, casual, and fun, and I felt a good connection with the GM. I was later invited for a second interview with the district manager. When I arrived for the second interview, the GM called to apologize that the district manager had forgotten and offered to do a phone interview from the store instead. I was a bit bothered by this disorganization, but again, these things happen. The interview with the district manager was casual, but when we discussed pay, he chuckled at my requested number. After two interviews, neither the GM nor the district manager contacted me to let me know they were moving forward with someone else. I find this disrespectful of my time. While I appreciate honest feedback and areas for growth, if pay was the issue, I expected a professional explanation. If it was for other reasons, I would have appreciated constructive criticism to help me improve for future opportunities.