Payless ShoeSource Interview Questions & Tips

One-On-One Interviews

Payless ShoeSource applicants may be asked to participate in several job interviews to gain employment with the footwear company. Most entry-level shoe store applicants need only complete a single question-and-answer session with a store manager. Depending on the number of applicants, a group interview may be required to handle the overload. Applicants looking for advanced work may undergo more than one interview, usually with a district manager or corporate representative. Outside of these interviews, applicants don't endure much else prior to hiring, save for a training or probationary period with the company.

Common Interview Questions

Employees often perform many different duties. To that effect, interviews with the footwear retailer often cover how well an applicant accomplishes various tasks and demands common to the job. Common questions include:

• "Tell me about a time when you had to solve a difficult problem."
• "How do you close a deal with a customer?"
• "Why do you want to work with Payless?"

Role-playing may be a big factor of the interview, and interviewees may be asked to sell products to manager. Additionally, applicants are given common problematic retail scenarios and asked to provide solutions.

What the Company Looks for in a Candidate

Payless ShoeSource interviewers look for several things when meeting with applicants. Following these factors may increase hiring chances greatly with the shoe store chain. For example, candidates with a good vocabulary and comfortable speech are highly sought-after due to the social nature of employment in retail. How applicants present themselves extends to how they look, as well. Proper clothing and appearance is required for each interview, and applicants must be willing to adhere to the employee dress code. Schedule flexibility is a major factor in selecting new associates, since workers may be asked to work nights, weekends, and holidays.

Payless ShoeSource Keyholder Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Payless ShoeSource Keyholder: I was a key holder. Basically I was in charge of opening and closing the store, as well as training other associates. I was in charge of the deposits, taking the deposits to the bank afterwards, making change, and things like that. A group lead position.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Payless ShoeSource Keyholder: The stores usually only have two to three people in there at a time because most of the stores in this area, they’re not too big, and you can pretty much watch the store from the front. I was usually only working with two to three people, and maybe a manager or the supervisor in the back room, but not really out on the sales floor with you.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Payless ShoeSource Keyholder: It was pretty basic. What I did was once I did my online application, then I came in for the interview. The interview was just basic questions really. Any customer service experience? A lot of scenario questions is mainly what they had too. Like what would you do if any employee came to you about such and such problem? I would say definitely brush up on all the normal scenarios. If someone came to you and they say they didn’t make the deposit and they were late on it, what would you do, would you go to a manager? Things like that, questions like that. How would you handle an irate customer? That’s basically it. They like bilingual as well because Payless, it is the majority Hispanic company. We have a lot of Hispanics who come there, so they really like if you can speak Spanish, just to communicate with them.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Payless ShoeSource Keyholder: I am a very social person. With Payless because that’s mainly what you’re doing. You’re talking to customers, you’re trying to add on accessories and things like that. You’ve got to be able to be face to face with them talking to them, asking them probing questions. Definitely the biggest thing they like is open ended questions. Questions where you cannot say no or yes to. You want a question where they have to explain to them what color are you looking for? “Oh red, blue, nothing.” They can be like, “Oh no,” or stuff like that. Being able to be face to face with someone, social with someone, talking to any type of person, and really being able to get through to them, not really … I don’t know the word for it, but one of them people who … You can’t be one of them people who someone just stops and you stop. I guess with the close ended questions. If they be like, “No,” and you’re like, “Okay bye.” No stay, you got to get able to go, “Okay well” … Push more. You got to be able to push more to really try to connect with the customer to see what they’re doing and what they’re looking for.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Payless ShoeSource Keyholder: Oh, they called me. I received a call. I received a call.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Payless ShoeSource Keyholder: Like I said, I would brush up on the scenarios. I would try to go there, even if you use some of the key words I said. Open ended questions. When you sit going through your interview, I would throw them words in there like, “Oh yeah I think open ended questions.” I would throw open ended questions in there. Definitely say that you’re a sociable person who likes to communicate with different people. Keep in mind you’re going to be on your feet so be okay with knowing how to stay on your feet because there’s no sit down, even behind the register; you’re no your feet. You’re constantly walking around. Being someone who even when the store is … One of them people who can keep themselves busy because a lot of times it does get slow, and one of the main things you do when it’s slow, you’re fixing shoes. Not one of them people who are like it’s slow and you just stand there like, “I’m bored.” No, you got to be able to keep moving around even if you’re just circling around the floor. Do be prepared to be on your feet your whole shift. It’s not really a sit down. Also be able to work independently because yes, it’s two to three people, but sometimes you may the only person in the store, so definitely know how to multitask as far as being able to talk to a customer and tell that customer you’ll be back to go deal with another customer, to tell them you’ll be back, to go check someone out, as well as checking someone out, and being able to look over your shoulder to see what other customers is doing. I would say multitasking skills are very important as well.

Payless ShoeSource Sales Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Payless ShoeSource Sales Associate: Job title was sales associate. We were pretty much in charge of straightening up shoes, tagging and running the shoes, making sure the correct price were on the shoes, and dealing with customers as they entered the store.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Payless ShoeSource Sales Associate: The work environment was fun. You got to meet different people and learn what they like and what they didn’t like, and help them pick shoes. It’s the best thing.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Payless ShoeSource Sales Associate: The work environment was fun. You got to meet different people and learn what they like and what they didn’t like, and help them pick shoes. It’s the best thing.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
Payless ShoeSource Sales Associate: A typical work day. Okay, you get there at like 9:45. We open at 10 o’clock. The manager would be there before that, so she’ll have everything straightened up. You count the drawer down. You might have to run to the bank to make a deposit from last night’s money. Customer enters the store, you help them figure out what shoe they want, what they’re looking for. They might need shoelaces, shoe cleaner. They leave the store and you straighten up and wait for the next customer to come.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Payless ShoeSource Sales Associate: The application process is actually online. You answer, do your name, where you live, if you’re in school or not. You take a test, and that test decides if you go into the application that will be pooled, or if you just go into a drawer where you don’t get picked to work there. If you pass the test, then you’ll get hired. You’ll have your interview and then you start working.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Payless ShoeSource Sales Associate: She asked strengths and weaknesses, she asked you to sell her a product. That one was random for me, but I did really good on it. She asked a time you had to deal with a difficult customer, just a few different things like that.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Payless ShoeSource Sales Associate: What set me apart was I’m really good with customer service, I’m not afraid to ask somebody what they’re looking for, go up to them and ask them if they need help or if they found the right shoe. I think I was just perfect for the job.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Payless ShoeSource Sales Associate: It did take quite a while. I filled it out I think before I left school, and then I got called maybe a month and a half later, into the summer. It was a phone call, and she let you know you got the job, you got the interview. She set up an interview, then you learned if you had the job or not.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Payless ShoeSource Sales Associate: I would say know a little bit about the company. Know how to sell a shoe, because I think all of the employers will ask you to do that. Just be comfortable with talking to customers and talking to the person giving you the interview, and you should do well.

More Payless Shoes Interview Videos:

Related Links:
Payless Application
Payless Sales Associate