Lids Interview Questions & Tips

Lids Hiring Information

Typically carried out in one-on-one question-and-answer sessions with hiring managers, the Lids interview process screens applicants for employment history, job skills, availability, personality traits, and work ethics. The process begins with candidates turning in paper or online job forms. Managers grant immediate interviews to some applicants, while other candidates may wait up to a month or more to hear back from the sports apparel retailer. Seasonal demands generally require large numbers of workers, but most retailers operating under the brand name consistently hire on individuals to fill vacancies as they arise.

Entry-level Interviews

Applicants should arrive at interviews ready to talk about sports and sports memorabilia. As a major retailer of baseball caps, Lids expects applicants to possess knowledge of sports and exude customer-oriented attitudes toward work. Speak properly and maintain consistent eye contact with the hiring manager when answering interview questions. A typical cashier or sales associate interviews once during the hiring process, while managers take on two or three interviews for employment consideration.

Management Interviews

Managerial interviewees often meet with Lids district managers and HR representatives. Candidates for managerial work may also field phone interviews to begin the hiring process. Each session, excluding phone interviews, lasts 20 to 30 minutes. The initial phone screening may take only 10 minutes to complete.

Study These Questions for Success

Common Lids interview questions include:

• Would you be able to recognize most of the sports logos on the hats we sell?
• Do you keep up with sports scores?
• How would you define passion?
• Why do you want to work for Lids?

Lids hiring managers may ask even more in-depth questions about topics related to sports, such as scores of recent sporting events and your favorite athlete.

How to Answer Questions

Keep answers simple, honest, and to the point. Maintain professional manners throughout the process and display genuine interest for the job at hand. Reassure Lids hiring managers by describing efforts taken at past jobs to ensure the safety and security of merchandise and customers.

What to Wear

The dress code for interviews remains fairly relaxed. Applicants often get away with wearing casual clothing acceptable for the workplace, such as jeans and t-shirts without offensive or noticeable graphics. Applicants looking to make a further impression on Lids hiring staff may want to wear business-casual clothing. Prospective managers should wear formal attire to make a sound impression.

When Will I Find Out About Job Offers?

Lids hiring managers typically take notice of professional attitudes displaying the abilities to carry out protocol and maintain organized stores. A hiring decision usually comes at the end of the first interview for entry-level workers and after the second or third interview for managerial candidates.

Lids Sales Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Lids Employee: Basically sales, retail, customer service, and basically just help out the customer.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Lids Employee: Pretty comfortable. Coworkers are fun to work with. Nice little friendly place to work.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
Lids Employee: Some days, it’s pretty busy. A lot of people like hats, so they like to come through and buy things.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Lids Employee: The application and interview process… they ask you about how you found this store, what makes you want to work for them, and what’s your experience with hats and selling.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Lids Employee: I remember there was one question that said: “What would you do if a person was to come in and buy an old sideline hat, for football or whatever? What would you do to sell off an old sideline hat?” And I was completely stumped by this question, and she said: “It would be good for a collector’s item.” I said: “That’s pretty clever.”

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Lids Employee: A lot of people came dressed down, with button-ups on and dress shoes and slacks, and I came with a polo, a hat, and actually showed them I knew about hats. I was a big hat person. I just showed them my experience with them and how many I had. A lot of people didn’t really have that many. They just wanted to get a job. So, the main thing an employee or manager will look for is if you have some type of experience with the product, or product knowledge.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Lids Employee: I would basically say make sure you’re comfortable. Prepare for obvious questions, like: “What made you get this job?”, “Who put you on to this job?” Make sure you know about product knowledge, how to sell things – teams, ball caps, snap backs, even skater brands, all of that. Make sure you know everything. Look on Lids.com and look at the products they have. Just make sure you’re ready for it.

Lids Sales Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Lids Sales Associate: At Lids, I was a sales associate. Primary duties is really… Lids is a lot smaller working environment, so primary duties is really just stocking hats and making sure the most recent hats were set up in a certain type of way as opposed to the other hats that would be going on sale and things like that, and just trying to sell hats to people.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Lids Sales Associate: The work environment was real chill. It was kind of small. You’re not really trying to help people find what they want, because people really already kind of have ideas, so it’s kind of just guiding them and helping them find exactly what they want.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Lids Sales Associate: My favorite part about working there is probably embroidering, because I couldn’t really write with embroidery when I first started there. So it was real fun helping people choose letters and getting them on there.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
Lids Sales Associate: Typical day… you come in – I know with Lids there was a lot of checking in and a lot with the inventory and the hats, because it’s all there was were hats. A lot of checking inventory and other than that just trying to sell hats, and a lot of embroidering, because when that first came out, that was really popular. That was something that we did a lot.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Lids Sales Associate: The Lids process was online, as well. And I filled out a paper application too, because they had paper applications available. Really the interview process – I wasn’t as persistent with Lids, because it was already in the same mall. I already worked in the mall. I don’t know if I was a familiar face or I gave off a good vibe, but I just luckily got the job. I just put in my cover letter, my resume, just to show I had good credentials. I had a history of being a good sales representative.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Lids Sales Associate: A few questions actually had to do with how often I shop there. That was something interesting that I remember, specifically. Other questions were asking about how well I am with people, like how good I work with people. Other questions would just get on my knowledge about the hats, my fondness of hats.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Lids Sales Associate: Be very, very persistent in joining the job, because I know a lot of people apply for Lids. That’s a very popular job, so I was actually really fortunate to get the job. Just make sure that they know you’re the best candidate to get the job. Really show that you’re good at sales, because it’s one thing to sell shoes – because everybody needs shoes – but hats are more accessories. So you’ve really got to sell yourself to show that you can sell the hats.

Lids Sales Associate Interview Video 2

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Lids Sales Associate: My job title was a sales associate. My duties was to sell people hats, embroidery, which is stitching on a hat, and the cashier.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Lids Sales Associate: Well, I filled out a paper app, took it in. I was dressed up business casual, khakis, shirt buttoned up. Then, I told them I was looking for a job, told them I was in school, and if any help is needed, can they contact me. After that, they contacted me, I believe, a week later and set up an interview with me and forwarded it to the interview.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Lids Sales Associate: They asked me a lot of leadership questions, a lot of scenario questions like, “If a customer did this, how would I react to that?” They asked me, am I a quick learner. They asked me, am I friendly or am I a mean person, how would I handle a situation if I had a bad day at school or work or another job or anything. They asked me how would I react if the day wasn’t going too good.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Lids Sales Associate: Me, dressing up for the interview, the responses that I gave them and me, looking them in the eye while I was talking to them I believe. Because when I started the job, he was saying that a lot of people was like moving their heads, looking down, a lot of stuff like that, little silly stuff that they pick up on when you talk to them.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Lids Sales Associate: I would tell them go in there comfortable believing that you can get the job. Dress up, of course. Don’t be shy because working at Lids, you have to be social, you have to talk, you have to be friendly and know how to count, basically, pretty much.

More Lids Interview Videos:

Related Links:
Lids Application