Z Gallerie Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I was a bit worried that my retail fashion background would be a problem, but the store manager contacted me within a week of applying online. We had a quick chat about the role, hours, and other details to see if I was still interested in moving forward. I went in for an interview the following week. It felt odd interviewing on the sales floor with customers around, but I guess coverage can be an issue. It was also a bit rude and uncomfortable when the manager got distracted with customers while I was talking, cutting me off a few times, which was stressful. The questions were pretty standard. I was concerned when they brought up my previous jobs, thinking my descriptions were too short. I explained that most were seasonal or positions that were eliminated, but they seemed to think I was unreliable. Despite that, the store seemed organized and the other staff were nice. A few days after the interview, I got a call offering me a full-time sales position instead, based on my resume. I almost declined, but they matched my previous salary, so I accepted.

I had an interview with the Assistant Manager and I think it went really well. She asked me around 10 questions about sales, clientele, and my previous jobs. She did mention that they have secret shoppers who come in or call monthly to rate them. Once a week, there are 5 AM truck days where I'd have to unload the truck myself with another associate. We also have to color coordinate hat colors on the sales floor. There's merchandise that comes in that needs to be set up on the sales floor by a specific day and time. She mentioned that they aren't up to date with current technology. They are strict about sales, and you get rewarded for meeting your goals. I think I was in one of the first interviews because she said they would be interviewing for the next couple of weeks, and it's been 2 weeks already, so hiring takes a while.

So I applied for a full-time Associate Manager position at a mall location. The first interview was with the assistant store manager, and it was in the food court, which was super busy and loud. Honestly, he was really accusatory and made me feel like I was being lectured, not interviewed. He talked about the job in a way that felt like an attack on my customer service skills, which I actually have a lot of. The second interview was with the store manager, and that one was way better. She was really nice, professional, and the interview felt well-planned. But then they offered me a part-time sales job, and the assistant store manager said they weren't hiring a manager anymore, even though I saw the manager position reposted online shortly after. It was a really bad experience overall.