There is a HMC opening in the other company store in my town. It needs a lot of work and organization. There are only a few people going for it, should be interesting to say the least...
In the interview, if the place is a mess, they want to hear about leadership skill-sets, not just technical experience
use the word s"lead" and "team approach" and "positive attitudes"often, to achieve budgeted goals and objectives
give examples how you affected "change" in your past.
if there are "bad attitude" associates, you talk to them one on one, explain "clear department goals" with measurable results.
two ways to approach employees- with "direction" or "support" direction is training, hands on lead by example, if associates havent been properly trained, then it isnt all there fault, just need to re-train, re-direct, and be accountable
"support" means associates are technically trained, yet have negative attitudes- they need "esteem" leadership- re-inforce they are an important part of a "team effort" talk to them one on one- usually employees harbor perceived injustices from the past.
when i went to troubled departments, I wanted to set "clearly defined goals" that we are all working towards.
with attitudes, you deal with them one on one, its not group therapy.
secure, content employees, will be much more productive than threatened, poorly managed employees.
department atmosphere, or culture- you are striving for a positive, business atmosphere with clearly defined goals, -we've all seen what negative poison does to a productive group,- all it takes is one associate to "stir the pot" to make a poisonous atmosphere
if you are in the interview, and they are saying , we need "strong leadership" and are very frustrated with the department- then they may want a more forceful approach,, they want to know you will be a leader, and not "one of the guys" play this up in the interview, tell them you have "no problem" with discipline, accountability, and follow thru" if its needed
give examples in your past
be prepared- if he/she asks you what your goal is working here
accepting a new challenge is personal and professional growth, I will strive to be part of a productive, successful team, that we can all take pride in- this is a very competitive business, its a retail battlefield, and we need to be exceptionally trained- in customer service excellence, technical skills-following standards and company procedures, but also developing the associates you work with, to make them more valuable, secure, and as a team, build sales and profits for the company
be prepared for many open end questions, "what is customer service excellence"
also "what do you know about our company" give a big picture competitive answer- name some of there strengths"
if asked if you have any questions always have a few, when will i be hearing from you"? if I accept, I need to give my company a two weeks notice" if he doesnt bring up compensation, then you can bring it up as a "compensation package" not "how much"
if he asks "sensitive" questions in the interview concerning sales and margins- its ok to be a little guarded, dont be spilling your guts
tell him, if you were working for this company, this would be proprietory information, that you wouldnt share..
also-do some math, you probly have an idea what the volume is already or range- and if the department is a mess, this probly means a low gross so, if you helped turn the dept. around and increased the margins by 2-3 points, what gross profit dollars, would that be? have some general figures in your head- because if you start playing ping pong on compensation- you can aim high and say, 'I'm confident i can increase sales and margin by (x) amount, which equates to.............approx. dollars thats music to there ears.
ok, time to clarify my first post some. The opening is for a different store for the same company. The hmc resigned after being on medical leave for a few weeks. The store has suffered greatly under former leadership. I have access to all the numericals and stats for whatever store i need to do my research. The process has changed greatly for fielding and interviewing possible candidates( requiring resumes, panel of company people doing the interview and possibly multiple interviews). gone are the days of "friends" helping friends getting into positions of responability with no regard to ability or experience. Company wide , they are revamping the customer service level experience for the consumer in efforts to gain new customers and retain the current ones. Longtime coming for the company to get real about its inner workings. the kicker is that the pay raise per hour is less than a gas station 24oz cup of coffee... like i said it will be interesting.
