Kmart Interview Questions & Tips

How to Get a Job at Kmart

The Kmart interview process varies largely by position. Entry-level cashier, sales, and stock jobs available at retail locations require applicants to attend at least one interview onsite, while candidates for management positions typically participate in a more extensive process featuring multiple interviews conducted in various formats. Job seekers often secure Kmart interviews by following up consistently after applying for the position.

Interview Format

Entry-level applicants ordinarily interview with human resources or personnel managers in a one-on-one meeting held at the appropriate Kmart store. Some entry-level candidates also meet with store managers, either the same day or during a second interview normally scheduled for the same week.

Interviewers primarily ask questions about related work experience, schedule availability, and reasons for seeking employment with the third-largest chain of discount stores in the world. Commonly asked Kmart interview questions range from general queries such as:

• What do you know about us?
• Can you do the job?
• Who is your hero?
• Describe a time you made a good suggestion.
• Define customer service.

In some cases, the interview also includes a written test evaluating the ethics and personal judgment of applicants when responding to potential scenarios, which often arise in the retail industry.

Obtaining Management Roles

For management positions, the hiring process often starts with a basic phone screening before interviewing candidates in person. A majority of managerial applicants meet with a Kmart district manager individually before potentially qualifying for additional panel interviews hosted by a regional manager and district executives. The company uses the various interview sessions to probe into previous experiences and achievements relating to leadership. Interviewers also pose hypothetical situations to see how candidates would work with associates and customers in difficult circumstances. Job seekers should also have salary expectations in mind when interviewing for management opportunities. Managerial candidates typically finish with the Kmart interview process after a month or two of interviews.

How to Impress Hiring Personnel

Kmart looks for friendly and enthusiastic associates to provide superior customer care. If possible, applicants should speak about past experiences involving customer service or any type of regular interaction with the public. The retailer also tends to favor applicants with prior work experience. When asked about previous jobs, applicants should speak highly of former positions, coworkers, and bosses, as disparaging remarks about past employers reflect poorly on interviewees. Display a professional yet enthusiastic attitude by wearing dress clothes to each interview, maintaining eye contact with hiring managers, and smiling modestly throughout the meeting. At the conclusion of the interview, show appreciation for the job opportunity and express desire to work for the company.

Completing Interviews

While hiring managers frequently take as long as a month to contact applicants and schedule interviews, the discount retailer sometimes hires competent entry-level candidates on the spot. Like the other companies owned by Sears Holdings Corporation, Kmart performs thorough background checks and drug tests on all successful interviewees and usually disqualifies those with criminal records.

Kmart Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.

Kmart Employee: I was a front-end cashier, so I was basically just responsible for ringing out customers, answering questions anyone had about a sale item or discount. Occasionally, I would be responsible for returning stuff that needed to be returned to different places, stuff like that.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?

Kmart Employee: It was very busy, especially on the weekends. It’s very fast-paced – always on your feet, especially being a cashier.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?

Kmart Employee: I think it’s also just the fact that it’s always constant, you always have something to do, so the days go by faster. Talk to a lot of people – interacting, learning new stuff.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.

Kmart Employee: Pretty much, you come in, clock in, and we were responsible for our own drawers. So, we had to put a certain amount of money in the drawers, relieve whoever’s there, sign into our registers, begin the work day, take breaks and a lunch, and that’s pretty much the whole day.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?

Kmart Employee: It’s actually on a computer. It’s computerized for the application, at least when I applied. You fill that out online, and when they call you in, it’s a private interview with the supervisor, and then the orientation is group. Everyone who’s been hired at a certain time will be in the same group orientation for the store.

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

Kmart Employee: Pretty much personality questions, just if you have any experience, if you’ve ever done anything like that before, and just pretty much how you would handle yourself in certain situations that you’ll probably run into day to day being a cashier, as far as customers who are unhappy with a sale. They have questions, and how you would handle that.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?

Kmart Employee: I had a great deal of availability at the time, so I think that helped. Pretty much, my schedule was clear, and I also had other experience doing that. I also work well with people.

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

Kmart Employee: I would just say that they are very big on honesty, and they’re very big on honesty in the workplace. If you see anything that goes against the guidelines of the store, you need to report it because if they discover it’s a problem, it’s a bigger situation. Also, it’s a fast-paced job, and you’re on your feet a lot, so just be prepared for that.

Kmart Hardlines Merchandiser Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Kmart Hardlines Merchandiser: My job title was Hardlines Merchandiser, specifically in the electronics department. My primary duties were to both stock products and handle transactions in the electronics department, as well as referring potential customers to whatever area of the store that they needed to go whenever they wanted to know where something was.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Kmart Hardlines Merchandiser: The work environment was a fairly nice environment. Everyone there was nice in there for some reason or another. Most people were working part time, but there were also people who had been there for a number of years and everyone was really nice with people coming on board and with the training process. I did feel very welcome while I was getting into the swing of things there.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Kmart Hardlines Merchandiser: To apply for a job at Kmart you go to jobs.kmart.com and all of their positions are listed electronically. It’ll come up as Cashier, or Hardlines Merchandiser, and those different positions will open up depending on what they are looking for at the time. Most often they are looking for cashiers but other stuff does become available as vacancies are opened. The interview process, after you apply, they just call you up and you can schedule an interview. They’re fairly flexible but it has to be within whatever their human resources times are. Generally during the day. Then you go in, talk about whatever you put on the application. If you’re a high school student then maybe your grades and previous employment, and what you hope to get out of the company, and what you think that you can offer for them.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Kmart Hardlines Merchandiser: Particular questions that they ask might include what you think that you can bring to the company. Then if you happen to have any particular skills that they’re looking for, like if you happen to speak another language other than English. That’s something that they want because some areas happen to have high populations of minority groups who grow up speaking another language. That’s an important thing to have and just the ability to communicate in general, they want to see that you have that. Any kind of awards or achievements that you’ve earned and become proud of. For me specifically, that was my Eagle Scout Award, but for anyone else it can be anything that you’ve done. Something that you’ve attached your heart to and that just helps them get to know you a little bit as a person.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Kmart Hardlines Merchandiser: As far as me, my Eagle Scout award was one thing and they were also just impressed with my relatively high GPA and standing in my graduating class. Doing well academically is something very important for high school students because you don’t have a ton of actual job experience yet at that point so academics is one of the best indicators for people of that age demographic to show them what you might be able to offer and how hard working you might be.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Kmart Hardlines Merchandiser: I received a phone call about a week after the initial interview telling me that they had decided to hire me. It wasn’t an awfully long, drawn out wait but it wasn’t immediate either. I knew that that gave them time to think about it, review it considerably, and that they felt confident in the choice by the time they called me.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Kmart Hardlines Merchandiser: I would more strongly recommend it for part time employment and a temporary thing because a lot of the people come there for money in between jobs or before going to college. While there are people who have been there a long time it’s not one of the best jobs for advancement opportunities but it’s definitely something where it does pay and it’s not one of the worst experiences out there. It’s definitely doable and I would recommend it to anyone looking for that kind of position.

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Related Links:
Kmart Application
Kmart Stock Clerk
Kmart Cashier
Kmart En Espanol