Gap Interview Questions & Tips

Getting the Process Started

A notorious clothing retailer with a distinctive, all-American feel, Gap hires bright and enthusiastic individuals to provide excellent guest services. With a need for sales, stock, and leadership roles in each store, the company hires a variety of talents. To find the right people, the clothing retailer evaluates candidates through structured interview processes, which evaluate job capabilities as well as individual personalities. Interview processes are unique for each job title.

Group Interview Sessions

Sales associate is the most common position at Gap, and hiring managers often screen multiple candidates for each job opening. In most cases, the clothing retailer uses group interviews to evaluate entry-level candidates. Group interviews may consist of five to ten candidates and often last about 30 minutes. Hiring managers mostly ask customer-focused questions, such as, "What is the difference between selling to a customer and providing customer service?" and "How would you get a customer to sign up for a Gap card?" One-on-one interviews follow group interviews. Most interview questions used in the one-on-one interviews are behavioral and ask for past experience serving customers or working in teams.

Typical Interview Questions for Stock Associates

Applicants vying for stock associate jobs may participate in face-to-face interviews or group interviews, depending on the volume of candidates. Stock associate interviews feature common questions like, "Why do you want to work at Gap?" and "What stock experience do you have?" Gap stock associates often need to interact with guests. Hiring managers ask a number of guest service questions, such as, "How do you break the ice with a customer?" and "Can you give me an example of a time you received excellent customer service?" Interviews usually conclude with applicants stating given availabilities to work.

Management Positions

To acquire management jobs, applicants usually need to pass through several interview rounds in a one-on-one or panel format. Interviews cover financial acumen, leadership skills, abilities to ensure customer care, and operations aptitude. Gap hiring personnel probe for competency by asking behavioral and situational questions. Some questions managerial candidates encounter in interviews include, "If you could change one thing about the store, what would it be?" and "How do you motivate a team to improve results?" Managerial interviews may also feature salary discussions, which are usually discussed toward the end of final interviews.

Dress the Part

An apparel brand with a unique style, the retailer looks for fashionable associates. To evaluate a candidate's fashion tastes, hiring managers often look at what applicants wear to interviews. Candidates should meet the company-look by dressing casual yet classy to interviews. To best fit the brand-look job hopefuls should wear Gap clothing. To get an understanding of exactly what to wear, candidates should evaluate how current employees dress and wear similar clothing to interviews.

Know the Brand and Follow Up

Gap needs to hire energetic, motivated, and trustworthy associates for entry-level jobs and professional careers. Workers with experience or interest in fashion who exude positive and personable personalities may gain advantage over other applicants. During any job interview, demonstrate a strong knowledge of merchandise and apparel. Sit up straight throughout the hiring process, maintain eye contact with interviewers, and exude confidence. Keep responses honest and try to provide original answers. Standing out from the competition is important, especially during group interviews. Follow up a few days later to check on hiring status.

Gap Sales Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript:

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.

Gap Sales Associate: All right. So at Gap, I was a sales associate. Basically just run the floors, making sure clothes are organized on the floor, and making sure fitting rooms and stuff is organized. Attending to customers, making sure they find their items, of course. And also, I was a cashier, so ringing out customers from their purchase and stuff.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?

Gap Sales Associate: I would say it was fun. It was my first retail job, so my managers and supervisors were really nice, so it made it comfortable. My coworkers were cool and nice, so I guess the environment was really friendly, welcoming environment. It was good.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?

Gap Sales Associate: I did like just how stress-free it was, a bit. Just to the fact of not worrying I’m doing my job wrong. They were really on-hands with showing me ropes and making sure I was comfortable since it was my first retail job. I guess also coworkers, actually making friends with coworkers, as well.

Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.

Gap Sales Associate: I applied. It did take some time. I applied probably the year prior to getting a job. It’s just, I guess they were going through a whole bunch of other stuff, so I didn’t get a call back until like May or so. It wasn’t like a whole year waiting process, it was just a few months, but it was at the ending of the year I applied, and then waiting until April or May to get the call back. After that, I got the call to come in for an interview. Came in for the interview and I guess I got hired on the spot, just had to wait for background checks, which took like two days. And then the next week I got my schedule.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?

Gap Sales Associate: Just background on my prior work environment and more of customer service experience I had based off of just how I handled certain situations with customers and how I go above and beyond for customers. And basically retail, as a customer myself, what was my experience going into a retail store? So those type of questions.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job-seeker looking to gain employment?

Gap Sales Associate: I guess just be relaxed and be honest, because if you try to lie, it’s going to catch up to you.

Gap Sales Associate/Denim Specialist Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Gap Sales Associate & Denim Specialist: I was a sales associate, and I had to take care of customers, help with merchandise, and clean up when they closed, basically.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Gap Sales Associate & Denim Specialist: It was fun. We had customers all day, especially during the holidays. I would mostly work in the fitting rooms. I got to work with a lot of people.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
Gap Sales Associate & Denim Specialist: Go in. They give you a goal of Gap cards for the day. Then, you have to set everything back in the store, then make sure the store looks nice by the time you close.

Interviewer: Did you experience any promotions or career growth?
Gap Sales Associate & Denim Specialist: I’m a denim specialist. It’s a minimum advancement opportunity, but it’s still good. They teach me about the fabric, how they fit, and whenever a customer had a question about denim, they would send them to me, because that’s a job where the business depends mostly on their denim aspect.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Gap Sales Associate & Denim Specialist: It took about two weeks. They called me back. I called often before they gave me the first call back. The interview was pretty laidback. It was pretty chill. Mostly situational questions during the interview.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Gap Sales Associate & Denim Specialist: How you work with others, because it is a team job there. But none specific – they’re pretty general that you would see at other places.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Gap Sales Associate & Denim Specialist: Its really hectic during the holidays, but at least where I worked at, it was really easy. You just have to be able to talk to people. That’s the biggest part, but that’s in all retail.

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