The Buckle Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I was asked to come in for an interview at the store. When I arrived, I was told to wait and just 'look around,' which I later learned is how they start observing candidates. The interview itself took place on the sales floor. They asked a lot of the same questions over and over. It felt like they weren't really listening or understanding my answers because some questions were repeated, which was a bit frustrating. I also felt like they were trying to guess my age. The interviewer almost asked me directly about my age but then changed it to my graduation year, even though my graduation date was right there on my resume. I'm confident I had the skills for the management training program, but I think they rejected me because I didn't fit their typical customer/employee look and was past my 20s. I received an automated rejection email early in the morning. I've since spoken with former employees who confirmed that the store's hiring decision is often made within moments of seeing a candidate. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't get the job because it seems they prioritize appearance over actual qualifications.

I found the job posting online and applied by creating an account and taking a personality assessment. After passing the assessment, I was emailed to set up an interview with the store manager. Since I lived far away, they were flexible with my schedule to accommodate the interview. The interview was informal, held on the sales floor, and covered my education, work history, and how my references would describe me. My advice for future candidates is to know the store's products, be outgoing, and be comfortable with the commission-based sales environment and the idea of being a personal shopper.

I applied online and got an automated email almost immediately saying I qualified and should call to schedule an interview. The first interview was one-on-one, held outside the store in the food court, which was a bit strange. They told me to dress like the employees and know the products and customers. I was asked about my resume, teamwork, and other relevant experiences. Even though I had no retail background, I found it easy. The second interview was a phone call with the district manager. The questions were similar to the first interview. He said he'd call in a few days with a decision, but didn't. He called the following week saying I'd get an offer by email within 24 hours. I received the offer, but the pay wasn't enough to live on, though I was hesitant to decline. I asked HR for an extension, and after some confusion with an assistant, I was told the district manager would call. He didn't, so I contacted HR again. They explained he was unusually busy and told me to call back the next week if I didn't hear from him. The following Tuesday, someone from the store called asking if I was still interested. I explained I already had an offer, and she sounded confused, saying someone would call me back. A few minutes later, a different person called, also confused, and asked me to come in for a second interview. I questioned why I needed another interview if I had an offer, but they insisted there were changes and I needed to come in. After I couldn't make their requested times, they finally admitted the manager had quit and they were interviewing again. This made sense as the district manager had mentioned visiting my store, and the manager likely quit shortly after I got the offer. The whole process with Buckle left me in the dark for a month. Two days after the confusing interview request, the district manager finally got back in touch and confirmed the offer was still valid.