Old Navy Interview Questions & Tips

Hiring Process Overview

Due to the popularity of Old Navy stores, parent company The Gap Inc. conducts regular hiring for positions at all levels of retail operations. Stores accept hiring materials both online and in-person to begin the interview process

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As candidates move forward into the hiring process, applicants encounter group interviews and one-on-one interviews. Multiple interview generally prove necessary for employment consideration; however, the retailer sometimes hires workers without going through traditional hiring procedures due to increased demands for associates.

Initial Group Interviews

Applicants going through typical channels to receive employment consideration follow through with at least one job interview during the hiring process. Group interviews often represent the first stop for aspiring candidates, which may include five to ten other candidates. The initial group interviews often include brief histories of Old Navy and The Gap Inc. companies. Workers then make personal introductions to the group, followed by ice-breaker games, like Rock, Paper, Scissor, dice, or word associations. During the dice game, applicants may need to mock-sell clothing items represented by the numbers of the die. Applicants also candidly discuss various scenarios commonly encountered in retail settings.

Scheduling One-on-One Interviews

Successful group interview participants receive a phone call later the same day to schedule additional job interviews, in most cases. The Old Navy hiring process moves onto one-to-one sessions with HR representatives and store managers to further screen applicants for available positions.

Common Interview Questions

What Questions Do They Ask?
During subsequent job interviews, candidates respond to interview questions regarding personal strengths and weaknesses, interests in the company, and customer service. The most common interview used during the hiring process includes:

• Can you briefly describe a time in which you had to use your strengths to overcome a challenge?
• How would you manage a difficult customer?
• What would your friends say about you?
• "What are some things you are passionate about?"
• "What inspires you?"

Tips for Success

Often referred to as an "audition", the Old Navy interview process looks for highly personable and engaging individuals. During each interview, speak freely and directly. More communicative applicants tend to fair better during job interviews and regularly receive additional hiring consideration. Think about questions you'd like to ask hiring personnel regarding the job or company history. Hiring managers often open the floor for candidates to ask questions during job interviews.

What to Wear

How should you dress?
Workers should also think about potential attire. Wearing Old Navy brand clothes generally represents the best choice in possible wardrobe. Trendy, youthful clothing featuring bright colors in-style with current fashion trends work well.

Navigating the Interview Process

Most Old Navy applicants receive formal job offers during the second interview session. Shorter than the group interview portion of the hiring process, one-to-one interviews last about 20 to 30 minutes. Some group interviews may last up to an hour. Exercise patience and exude genuine interest in the potential job. The hiring process concludes in roughly a week, although managers may face companion rounds of 1:1 interviews in addition to and replacing the group interview process spanning as much as a month in total.

Old Navy Sales Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Old Navy Sales Associate: I was a sales associate for Old Navy. That means I did just about everything under the umbrella. I would work a cashier, the fitting room, I would stock, I would fold clothes on the floor, I’d do a lot of customer interaction. You know, the basic things you think of when you think of your days at Old Navy.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Old Navy Sales Associate: The work environment was good. Everyone was friendly. You have to be friendly towards customers so I mean before you can be friendly towards customers you’re probably going to be friendly to your coworkers and you know kind of be around them in a daily basis and just get to know them and whatnot. It was good. It was a nice, open environment. The building would have a lot of light which was always nice, you don’t like working in the dark. I’d say it was overall a good work environment.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Old Navy Sales Associate: My favorite part about working there honestly was probably like the discount that you got with working there. Since Old Navy is owned by GAP, I not only got like a discount at Old Navy but I also got a discount at Banana Republic and GAP. It was like a 50% discount, which is like a good chunk of change when you’re buying clothing which can be a little bit expensive. That, and it was just, I don’t know, it was just nice. I like the customer interaction, being able to talk to people. I wasn’t just a face, I got to interact with some customers and learn their names and have them get to know me as a person rather than just a person folding clothes or checking them out.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Old Navy Sales Associate: I actually applied but they do it a couple different ways. They have open applications and they can give you a call but basically they have these things I forgot what they’re called but they’re basically kind of like audition days. It’s not an interview really. It’s more you and other people who have applied will go in there and they’ll put you through situations and activities and you know have you also interact with some customers as if you were working there just to kind of see how you were doing. Actually you don’t really have to apply. You can almost, just when they have those, you can kind of just show up and go through them. If they like you, they call you back for an interview with the store’s GM and then after that whether, you know, you pass the manager’s test and you’re offered a job or not.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Old Navy Sales Associate: I was eager to talk to customers and also a big part of it I dressed very professionally for my group interview and I was the only one who did. I think that kind of set me apart from everyone else. In any job interview you just want to be the one that sets yourself apart. Dressing professionally especially in a job where you know you’re not dressing professionally every day but showing the effort is a big deal. I think that helped me a lot. Just being a personable individual and just you know talking to them as if they were people not people that were just interviewing me.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Old Navy Sales Associate: Make sure that it’s something that you’re into and you’re not just, you know, doing it to get a job. I understand if you are doing it to get the job but if it’s not your cup of tea then you’re going to find that out really quick. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but in any work field you want to make sure you invest yourself in what you’re working in. I would definitely agree with that in Old Navy because retail is not for everybody. Old Navy is not for everybody and in the group interview if you are doing that you’ll see that if it’s not for you. Try to make sure that it’s something that you actually want to do because you want to do it, and not just because you want a paycheck.

Old Navy Keyholder Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Old Navy Keyholder: I was a sales associate, but I did a lot of things. I was customer relations. I was on the floor a lot. I did the cash register. I was also a keyholder, so I would do audits and a lot of different cash handling functions. I also worked in the fitting room. Some of my shifts I would do truck, so bringing in new shipments, and signage – putting up new signs and also changing signs for pricing, markdowns, and stuff like that.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Old Navy Keyholder: I worked at two different Old Navys, so I’d day say that… I worked at one before it was renovated, and it was very relaxed. You could wear pretty much anything to work. It was always fun. Then, I worked at a P1, arenovated Old Navy. It was in a busier location, and it was much more professional. There was a stricter dress code, and you had to take work a little bit more seriously there.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Old Navy Keyholder: Probably the employee discount. It was very nice because I love shopping.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Old Navy Keyholder: The application took a fair amount of time. There was a very long section with a lot of multiple choice questions, and then there was, in addition to that, a visual part to the application. So, it took a long time. The interview was more stressful. It was my first real job, and they asked you to sell a credit card to them, so it was point blank. “Here are some benefits of our card. How would you sell it?” So, it was a little bit stressful.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Old Navy Keyholder: I would suggest you like the brand, that you shop there. They definitely love people who like their product. Be willing to help customers in any way. So I’d say, again, bring a really positive attitude to the workplace.

More Old Navy Interview Videos:

Related Links:
Old Navy Application
Old Navy Customer Experience Associate
Old Navy En Espanol