The Duck Store Interview Questions
& Process

The interview was set up as a group interview where about 10 of us met with two hiring managers. They asked us questions and had us interact with other interviewees. We were given the questions ahead of time right when we got there and had to take time to formulate our responses before hand, which was nice. The whole process was very friendly and laid back.

I applied online from The Duck Store website. The initial application was not difficult; most of it was questions regarding when you'd be available to work. At the end of the application, you must upload a resume. I heard back via email two days later about scheduling an interview. I was informed it would be a group interview, with 1-2 interviewers and 3-6 applicants. They request that you arrive 5-10 minutes early and upon your arrival, they provide you with the questions that will be asked. Each applicant gets asked the same questions; you just go around the table answering. The two interviewers were friendly enough, but they took us underground into a small room for the actual interview. They began by explaining the company's mission, which is largely based on serving the U of O. However, they are not directly affiliated with the UO, and unknown to some, they are a non-profit organization. We began by quickly introducing ourselves and what brought us to the interview. Before the official questioning began, we were asked to explain how we could prioritize the following stressful situation: You are working at the register. A customer is waiting, the phone is ringing, a team member needs to ask you a question, and you must take your legally required break. The four questions my group was asked are as follows: 1) Give an example of when you've participated in a teamwork experience and how you could have improved. 2) Example showing how you are flexible and adaptable. 3) Example of when you used your fact-finding skills and good judgment to solve a problem. 4) Describe your short and long-term employment goals. And finally, we were asked to analyze another scenario about a rude clerk. We discussed how we would have handled it and what the clerk did wrong.

It was a group interview, and it was pretty easy. The interviewers tried to make us feel comfortable. They really emphasized a team-oriented atmosphere. It lasted about an hour. Group interviews are good because you get time to think about your questions, but having an audience is a bit strange. I recall there was a partner exercise where they presented a situation and wanted to see how we'd respond. It also seemed like a test of how we worked with others, they were assessing us in several ways!

First, there's a smaller group interview where everyone gets asked the same questions. Then, the second round involves the hiring managers, and it's usually a larger group setting where, again, everyone is asked the same questions.