I applied online for a cashier position, and the next day (a Saturday) I received a call from Target. I forget if the woman identified herself on the phone by name or position, so I don't know if she was from Human Resources or not. She sounded stressed and rushed, but asked me to come in Monday at 11AM for an interview.
I arrived on time, wearing business casual attire (slacks, blouse, dress shoes). The process was pretty much exactly as described in the other posts here. I walked in to Guest Services, was asked to fill out a kiosk questionnaire ("what would you do if you saw a team member stealing," "how would you handle a customer who asks for a product you know nothing about," rating the best and worst responses).
After I finished with the questionnaire, the Guest Services associate called for someone to come meet me.
I waited for about 15 minutes (I was expecting this) and was greeted by my first interviewer. He was about my age (mid-forties), and greeted me with enthusiasm. He escorted me to the back, where there were rows of offices, and he picked an empty one (I remember he left the door open, and am wondering they're required to do that).
He introduced himself, told me about his position at Target (how long he'd been with the company, what department he was in, his retail experience), and then asked me a few questions from my application, mostly for "small talk" purposes. He was pleasant and friendly.
He confirmed the availability timeframe from my application, and asked if I had vacation time already set aside (I did, and he made note of the dates). Then I signed a form confirming the info.
I learned that they were hiring cashiers, but had more of a need for sales floor associates, and told him that I would be willing to work either job.
After a few minutes, he explained the interview packet, the "STAR" interview process, and the format they'd be using. (It was really specific -- he even read a statement from the packet which explained exactly what they wanted: explain a situation/task, the actions required, and the result). He was interrupted several times by different devices (walkie-talkie, cell phone), but apologized and turned them all off.
He told me that he'd be "scribbling" while I answered questions, as he had to record my answers in the packet, but assured me he would be listening carefully.
I was asked about:
-Performing a task outside of my skill set and how I handled it;
-Working as a team, and the results;
-How I prioritized tasks;
-A situation where I helped someone;
-How a former employer would describe my strengths and weaknesses;
-Why I wanted to work at Target.
I'd prepared some answers in advance, and had practiced the interview the night before, so I felt satisfied with my performance. He seemed pleased with the answers, and told me that I'd have a second interview shortly. I asked if the questions would be the same, and he looked in the packet to check -- he said yes, some of the questions would be repeated.
After he escorted me back to Guest Services, he said that it was a "great pleasure to meet me," so I felt pretty confident.
After about 10 minutes, I was greeted by my second interviewer. Now, from what I've read here, this person is usually an Executive Team Leader -- someone who outranks the first person. But this woman looked young enough to still be in high school. She was very good-looking -- like she could be a model. I wasn't quite sure how to react, but she was friendly and down-to-earth.
This second interview was a little tougher -- no small talk, right down to business. Some of the earlier questions were repeated, but tougher ones were added:
-Describe a time you had trouble with a co-worker and how you handled it;
-Describe a mistake you made at work;
-Give details about a successful collaboration.
I stumbled a little during this round, and found myself rambling, but she was upbeat and positive -- even said "Perfect!" and "Good catch!" about two of my answers.
She asked if I had questions, so I inquired about the training process, the dress code, and a couple of other things I don't remember. She wrapped everything up and asked me to wait a moment at a small desk in the hall. About two minutes later, she returned. From the other posters here, I thought most people got hired on the spot. I didn't. She said that they were conducting interviews for the rest of the week, and I should hear from them within 7-10 days.
I called back today (Friday), and was told by HR that they'd be making a decision on Monday.
