Congratulations on getting an interview with Target! Now it’s time to get to grips with Target interview questions.
Your resume was good enough to get you through the first filter, and now you’re faced with an interview.
This article covers some common Target interview questions. For each question, we give a brief explanation of what the interviewer is trying to understand by asking the question, and provide an example answer.
Let’s dive right in…
Table of Contents
1. What do you know about Target?
With this question, the interview is trying to find out if you have done your homework or not.
Before the interview, you should do some research on Target to understand about the company.
For example:
- What do they sell?
- How many stores do they have?
- How many staff do they have?
- How much do they turnover?
The ‘About’ section of the Target website is the best place to find some of this crucial information.
Example Answer:
“Target was originally established in 1902 as the Drayton Dry Goods Company, by founder George Drayton, in Minneapolis. It became known as Target in 1962, and developed into the general merchandise retailer that we know today.
Target’s purpose is ‘To help all families discover the joy of everyday life’ and the tagline is ‘Expect More. Pay Less’.
Over 350,000 staff work for Target, with nearly 2,000 stores – in each of the 50 US states. Supporting these stores are distribution centers, including in India.”
2. Why do you want to work for Target?
Your interviewer is trying to understand your motivations for joining the company. They want to see if you are joining for the right reasons, rather than just because you need a regular pay check.
You should be positive about the company, and explain how the company aligns with your values and ambitions.
Example Answer:
“I have been a Target customer for many years, and I have always found the shopping experience to be positive. I am a firm believe in providing great customer service, and I like that Target values this.
I also really like that Target puts great emphasis on bringing joy to everyday shopping. Having the chance to surprise and delight customers is something that really motivates me.
The ethical practices of Target align with my personal values, including responsible sourcing of products and commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
3. How would you handle an angry or abusive customer?
Whilst rare, there are occasions when customers do become irate. They can even shout and become abusive, potentially even violent. Your interviewer is trying to understand your thought process for how you would react in such a situation.
Ensuring the safety of you and your colleagues, as well as reaching a happy customer conclusion, should be your answer.
Example Answer:
“If a customer became angry, my first response would be to remain calm to avoid escalating the situation.
I would seek to understand what their concern was and make sure I fully understood the problem. I would acknowledge their concerns, to show that I empathize with their situation.
From that, I would then look to find a solution that the customer is satisfied with. I would explore all avenues that are in my limits of responsibility. If I still can’t find a solution that the customer is happy with I would offer to escalate to a manager.”
Related Article: Informal Interviews: How To Succeed And Secure That Job
4. What does ‘good customer service’ look like to you?
By asking this question, your interviewer is looking to see if you define good customer service in the same way that Target does.
Example Answer:
“I think good customer service involves meeting and exceeding expectations. So when a customer interacts with Target, the service they receive is at least as good as they were expecting it to be.
This involves going the extra mile to help deliver the Target purpose of ease, fun, surprise and innovation at every turn.”
5. Can you describe a time when you have had to innovate?
One of the key words in Target’s purpose is to innovate, so it’s likely you will be asked to talk about a time that you innovated.
Be sure to describe the situation, what you did specifically, and the outcome. Your interviewer is looking to assess your ability to think differently, and come up with creative solutions in challenging situations.
Example Answer:
“In a previous role the company was struggling to generate sales. I came up with an idea to offer a prize to one of our customers if they shared a promotion on their social media.
The idea was that customers would have a greater chance of winning the prize the more they shared, so it encouraged lots of sharing!
As a result, that promotion did great sales, it generated a whole bunch of new social media followers, and one lucky customer was very happy with their special prize!”
6. How would you bring joy and fun to the workplace?
Don’t forget, bringing joy is part of Target’s company purpose. You will need to show that have done something in a previous job, college, or other club or society, to promote fun.
Be careful not to talk about things that you might consider fun, but others might frown upon. Keep your answer fairly mainstream to avoid any potential to offend.
Example Answer:
“In my past company I volunteered on the Social Committee, and I took an active role in all events organised by the Committee. I was the lead organizer for a company-wide sports tournament, with families invited.
It was a much smaller company than Target, so everyone could attend. I would be keen to get involved in similar activities in Target too, supporting my team in having fun at work.”
7. What is your greatest weakness?
Not just a Target interview question, but a common question in many interviews!
Your interviewer is trying to understand if you are self-aware, and understand areas for development. They also want to know if you are doing anything about your weaknesses, so make sure you explain how you are tackling it.
It may some obvious, but don’t talk about a weakness that would make you unsuitable for the role!
For example, if you’re interviewing for a Customer Service role, don’t say that you are not very good at dealing with customers!
Instead, talk about a weakness that could be perceived as a positive (e.g. I can be too friendly), or something that’s not too relevant for the role your applying for.
Example Answer:
“I can sometimes be guilty of spending too much time on a task to get it absolutely perfect, when ‘good’ would be good enough.
I am very aware of this now, and I challenge myself to find the right balance. Is it more important to get something done and move on to the next task, or keep working on this task to get it perfect?
I am also not afraid to ask if I’m unsure, so I can get a steer from my manager on what the priority is.”
8. What is your greatest strength?
Again, quite a common interview question.
Make your answer directly relevant to the job you are interviewing for. So if you’re applying for a cashier job in a Target store, talk about your people skills.
Or if you’re applying to work in the Finance department, talk about your accuracy with numbers.
Example Answer:
“I have a natural ability to build rapport with people, which comes in really handy when dealing face to face with customers.”
9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
By asking this, your interviewer wants to know whether or not you are going to stick at the job, or if you will be leaving as soon as you find something better.
A really good tip here is to take a look at some of the other jobs available in Target that are ore senior, and see what you would like to do. You can talk about that role in the interview as a career goal.
Example Answer:
“I’m a loyal and committed person, and I’m looking to build a career with Target. So I’m to still be here in 5 years!
In terms of the specific role, I really find the Store Manager role interesting, and I’m rally motivated to achieve that as a mid-term career goal.”
10. How would you help a customer who couldn’t find what they were looking for in store?
This is a simple but direct check to see how you would handle a specific situation.
Your answer should include the steps you would take to reach a happy conclusion for the customer.
Example Answer:
“I would ask the customer to explain as best they could what they are looking for. If needed, I would ask questions to draw out a good description.
I would then walk with the customer to place where they could find the item. I would not point them in the direction and let them find it alone.
During the walk I would make polite small talk, or perhaps share a joke with the customer. Once at the item, I would make sure it is what they wanted before seeing if the needed any further help.”
Target Interview Questions: Conclusion
We’ve covered some common Target interview questions here, and provided some sample answers. With this information you can go ahead and perform in your interview!
Best of luck!
