Staples Interview Questions
& Process

Worst Onsite Experience! I interviewed for a Product Manager - PDP Position. The recruiter was super communicative and really good throughout the process. I also liked my conversation with the hiring manager, very professional, clear, and overall a good discussion. But one of the onsite interviews was honestly frustrating. The guy came across pretty unprofessional and the way he asked questions felt a bit off, almost condescending at times. He was asking very basic things like “what is product management” and even asking me to explain what’s in the job description. He also asked things like the name of the hiring manager and my degree name, which felt odd and not really relevant. Given I have 7+ years of experience, it just didn’t feel like a serious or meaningful conversation. And when I tried to ask about the team’s current challenges, instead of giving a proper answer, he responded in a sarcastic way saying something like “if there were no challenges, we wouldn’t be hiring,” which made the interaction even more frustrating. And honestly, with that kind of attitude and approach, I’m not sure how he got to a Senior Director, PM position. On the other hand, the other director (the woman) was great, very professional, thoughtful, and the conversation felt relevant and engaging. Overall, some parts of the process were really good, but that one interaction definitely stood out in a negative way.

I applied for a TA Leader role in Chennai. The first round of interviews was with an RPO partner who I'd manage, which was unexpected. The interview questions were mostly about services hiring, even though the company is product-based. The interviewer seemed disengaged, often turning off their camera and looking away, which felt unprofessional. I haven't received any feedback since, and my follow-ups to the HR Head have been ignored. If this is how they treat leadership candidates, it doesn't look good for their reputation.

First up was an internal screening test from the college, checking basic programming, logic, and ML/AI fundamentals. If you passed that, you moved on to the actual interview with three professors. They really dug into my academic background and projects, asking about ML/AI concepts, how I used algorithms in my work, and my approach to problem-solving, including how I picked and evaluated models. It was a back-and-forth chat to see if I knew my stuff and understood the ML/AI concepts.

The interview process was pretty easy, especially since I'm a freshman in college. They asked some basic stuff like how I'd handle a chaotic environment and if I had my own ride to get to work. They also wanted to know if I was a team player and if I had any prior sales experience.