Office Depot Interview Questions & Tips

Beginning the Hiring Process

Stationary and general office supplies retailer Office Depot maintains one of the largest networks of stores in the industry with over 1,600 locations. As the popularity of the brand increases and new locations open, the nationwide retailer will need to fill entry-level and professional positions across the country. To enter the hiring process, applicants must first complete online assessments. The assessment generally determines eligibility for potential interviews.

Pre-Employment Assessments

Based on the answers provided in the assessment, hiring managers call eligible candidates to schedule job interviews. Most of the questions that appear on the assessment deal with situational circumstances Office Depot employee regularly encounter on the job. Hiring representatives often reference questions used on the assessment in later stages of the interview process. Applicants must score at least a 70% in order to move on to the next round of the hiring process.

One-on-One Interviews

For positions like sales associate, workers often only need to participate in a single job interview after taking the initial assessment. The session generally plays out in one-to-one format and includes a question and answer session with a potential supervisor. In some cases, Office Depot locations may require an additional face-to-face interview with a store, area, or district manager.

Typical Interview Questions

If previously employed, applicants may respond to interview questions regarding past jobs. Questions offer hiring officials a glimpse of the potential fit an applicant might make with an existing team, like:

• "Can you describe the relationships you had with former managers/coworkers?"

Other interview questions commonly encountered include:

• "Do you have any experience in sales or customer service?"
• "Do you feel like you would make a good fit at Office Depot?"
• "Could you tell us about your past jobs and personal interests?"
• "What are three of your weaknesses?"
• "What are some of your greatest accomplishments?"

How to Make a Good Impression

The best ways to prepare for interviews include wearing professional dress and researching products, services, and company history. Cheerful and motivated workers regularly gain hiring consideration throughout the interview process. Demonstrating sales skills may prove necessary, as hiring managers often ask applicants to sell random objects within reach on-the-spot. Applicants should also remain confident in the interview. Office Depot looks for workers who maintain cool and level heads at all times and respond well to pressure. Strong memorization skills also benefit prospective employees.

Following Up

After completing the final job interview, the average applicants waits roughly a week to hear back about employment. Office Depot contacts applicants via telephone and email to make hiring decisions. The retailer may also make hiring decisions during the final interview, but many job seekers wait for contact from a hiring manager following the interview process to receive word about a certain position.

Related Links:
Office Depot Application

Office Depot Computer Sales & Help Desk Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.

Office Depot Computer Sales & Help Desk Worker : So I did a little bit of computer sales as well as the help desk there. So whenever the customers came in, talked to them about laptops, PCs, whatever it might be, as well as if customers had any issues, they could drop it off at our help desk and then we would go through and troubleshoot and fix some of the issues.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?

Office Depot Computer Sales & Help Desk Worker : Depending what time of the year it was, like back to school season was obviously super crazy. At that point I would kind of get pulled a little bit from computers and you’d go into just like general inventory, just stocking the shelves with, you know, all the stuff people need for schools.
At that point it was pretty hectic. Around Black Friday. That was also pretty crazy. But for the rest of the year it’s not too bad. Pretty just, you know, normal.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?

Office Depot Computer Sales & Help Desk Worker : I liked being on the help desk. Just, you know, trying to figure out all the different problems. There might not have been, like an easy solution to it and you’d have to go and actually think about it and figure it out.

Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.

Office Depot Computer Sales & Help Desk Worker : Yeah. So I went in and tried to do it face to face, tried to talk with the manager and he directed me to their website. So I just went on the little kiosk computer in the store and applied to their website.

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

Office Depot Computer Sales & Help Desk Worker : So I did a phone interview at first with the assistant manager. Just talked about just kind of general computer knowledge, asking questions about “What would this person need in their computer?”, stuff like that.
And then I came in and talked to the manager about a week later. Same thing, just general interview questions.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?

Office Depot Computer Sales & Help Desk Worker : So, it was… The first phone interview, about a week later I had the in store interview and then about a week later I got called and they said, “Hey, you’re going to start in a few days.” So it was about three weeks.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?

Office Depot Computer Sales & Help Desk Worker : I think my past experience. I had worked with computers a lot. This was a job in high school and I had done a lot with computers, with my school’s network and stuff. I had worked in that field before.

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

Office Depot Computer Sales & Help Desk Worker : Just know that even if you’re going just for the IT or the the computer help desk job, you’re going to be doing other things as well. Inventory’s super important there.