I applied through a recruiter. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at LensCrafters (Orlando, FL) in May 2011
Interview
I initially interviewed with a store general manager then I did a phone panel interview with the regional and other general managers. I then did a store panel interview with other regionals. The questions consisted mostly of coaching techniques and situational type questions.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Explain a time you had to coach and underperforming employee and what was the result
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 5 weeks. I interviewed at LensCrafters in Aug 2010
Interview
I obtained my initial interview through a recruiting agency. The first interview consisted of about 1/2 hour with two managers in the room. The interview was a bit rushed, they seem to have a lot of people scheduled for the same day and I did not have a chance to ask many questions. The interviewers were courteous and the questions were job specific and focused on: 1) customer service philosophy, 2) situational (describe a situation when you had an angry customer and how you dealt with it, 3) supervisory skills and management style (how do you go about assessing employees skills and what would you do if you had to move them to a different position).
I was disappointed that they had no job description for me to have a better idea and expectations on what job duties the job entailed, my recruiter did not have one either. I was then set up to complete an online assessment consisting of a math skills section (word problems, math/ sales oriented calculations such as percentages, profit margins etc..) and a general / personality test section geared towards assessing your customer service skills and general work ethic. The math part was challenging to me because each question was timed individually as opposed to the entire section being timed so if I finished one question in a few seconds, I could not apply my extra time to a more laborious question that required extra calculation - I found that a bit unfair. Passing the test was a requirement for management positions. I did pass. About two weeks later, I was set up for a second interview with 2 other managers. This second one was more relaxed and longer so I had the chance to find out more about the job itself. I then learned that the position required completing a certification to become an optician which on average takes about 3 years (working full time, and going for the education on a part-time basis). About another week later, I was invited for a third interview.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Did you have an occasion where you had to go against your superior (boss), describe how you handled it and what the outcome was.