Big Lots is an exciting place to shop for all kinds of useful items and bargains. With over 1,400 stores in the US, the company is always looking to hire more staff.
Are you a potential Big Lots employee? IF so, besides researching the company and the products it sells, you can also look at some Big Lots interview questions to gain confidence for your pending interview, so keep reading to learn some examples!
Big Lots Interview Questions In 2024
Big Lots interview questions will focus on your work experience and background in retail and customer service in 2024. You may be asked how you define customer service and how you deal with difficult customers. Some questions will require you to show familiarity with Big Lots and the store products. The interviewer will also ask about your availability and schedule.
Carry on reading for more on Big Lots interview questions and how to answer them to be fully prepared for your upcoming interview!
What Are Some Big Lots Interview Questions?
Big Lots interview questions will focus on your retail experience, customer service skills, and scheduling.
You may also be asked to do some problem-solving in hypothetical scenarios involving customer service and stressful situations.
According to online discussions on work-related sites like indeed.com, the interview is very casual and friendly, and it isn’t difficult to get hired.
Here are some typical questions that are asked in Big Lots job interviews. You can use these to prepare so that you go into the meeting feeling confident.
1. Tell Me About Yourself
You can introduce yourself briefly and discuss your work experience, hobbies, and other pastimes.
However, the core of your answer should be about work-related experience and what you bring to the job.
2. What Makes You the Best Person for the Job?
Your answer should highlight your work experience, willingness to learn, and commitment to helping people, and how these will help you in this position.
If you have related experience in retail, that will count in your favor.
3. Why Do You Want to Work at Big Lots?
If your goal is to make a career for yourself in retail, working at Big Lots will give you the experience and knowledge you can build on.
You can also mention that you have positive associations with the brand and that you frequently shop at Big Lots yourself.
4. What Can You Tell Us About Big Lots?
Big Lots is a national discount chain store that sells all kinds of merchandise, including home goods, groceries, toiletries, clothing, furniture, hardware, and more.
You could also research the range of products sold at Big Lots and how the prices are deeply discounted compared to other retailers.
5. What Can You Bring to the Company?
You can talk about your retail experience, communication skills, and problem-solving abilities as qualities that will help you perform well in this role.
6. What Motivates You?
For this question, an honest answer is best but you can discuss whatever motivates you.
This could be helping people, communicating with others, learning about retail – anything relevant to the job and how it will help you perform better in the role.
7. What Are Your Goals?
The answer to this question should match up with your goals of working at Big Lots. If you are aiming for a career in retail, this is a good way to learn how it works.
If you plan to go to school or train for a different career, you could say that working at Big Lots will give you the financial stability to achieve your goals.
8. What Are Your Best Skills?
Highlight your strengths, whatever they may be – problem-solving, creativity, mathematical ability, customer interactions – and how they match the job requirements.
9. How Would You Prioritize Time Between the Demands of Customer Service and Checkout?
This question is intended to test your problem-solving skills.
In a busy retail setting, you will have to decide how to prioritize time between the demands of customer service and checkout.
Research shows that long waits at the checkout can influence customer perceptions negatively.
The goal of customer service should be to ensure that no one has to wait longer than 5 minutes in line to check out.
So, between the conflicting demands, you should prioritize checkout. If long lines are starting to form at the checkout, you can also ask for more staff at the cash registers.
10. How Do You Define Customer Service?
Customer service can be the best way of creating brand loyalty, which is why it is so important.
Every bit counts, from helping customers find the right products to dealing with any problems that arise.
11. What Are Some Challenges You Have Faced in Dealing With an Upset Customer?
When dealing with a customer who is upset about something, it’s best to let them vent, and then try your best to find a solution to their problem.
If you can’t resolve the issue, you can ask a manager for help.
12. Tell Me About One Time in the Past When You Turned a Bad Customer Service Experience Into a Good One
This question is about your problem-solving skills as well as your experience in retail.
You could pick any event from a previous job, where you were able to help a customer who was becoming increasingly frustrated.
It could have been that you helped the customer to locate an item that was difficult to find in the store, or you opened a new checkout register when the line to pay was getting too long.
13. What Is One Weakness You Have?
When answering this question, mention something that doesn’t substantially affect your ability to do the job.
Ideally, when you mention a weakness, it should be something that can be changed. You could also talk about steps you are taking to overcome that weakness.
For example, if you are a perfectionist, you might spend too much time on a task. However, you can learn to let go of a completed project and move on to the next one.
14. Why Did You Leave Your Previous Job?
You may have left your previous job because you moved, or for some other reason.
Whatever the reason, don’t say anything critical of your previous job, supervisors, or colleagues.
A good way to answer this question is to add that you learned a lot from your previous job and that it was time for you to move on.
15. What Is Your Availability?
With over 1,400 stores, Big Lots managers do a lot of hiring to make sure all shifts are properly staffed.
The more flexibility you can show with scheduling shifts, including on weekends and holidays, the better your chances of being hired quickly.
16. When Are You Able to Start Work?
From the manager’s point of view, the earlier you can start, the better. Your answer should take that into consideration.
If you need to give notice at your previous job, or cannot start right away for some other reasons, explain the situation clearly and specify the earliest date you can start work.
17. Are You Ok With Part-Time?
You will have to answer this question based on your own specific needs for work. You could ask about the possibility of moving on to full-time work in the future.
18. How Do You Feel About Working Overtime?
Your answer will be based on your own time commitments and preferences.
However, as with all scheduling questions, it’s best to be as flexible as possible to improve your chances of getting hired.
19. Can You Lift Items up to 50 Pounds?
That’s quite a heavyweight, but your answer should be yes, you can lift items that weigh 50 pounds.
If there is a medical condition or some other reason why you cannot lift heavy weights, you can explain these. Unless you’re applying for a stockist position, it should not disqualify you.
20. Are You Ok With Cleaning Bathrooms as Part of the Job?
The store you are applying to may have a roster of cleaning duties, including cleaning the bathroom.
Unless you have any health problems that prevent you from bending or stretching, your answer should be that you are willing to do all the tasks required for the position.
21. Do You Have Any Questions?
It’s a good idea to come prepared with a list of questions that you want to ask about the job, the store, policies, and benefits.
Your questions to the interviewer could include:
- What are your expectations for the person who takes up this position?
- Do you offer training and opportunities for advancement?
- How do you measure success?
To know more, you can also read our posts on the Big Lots hiring process, Big Lots hours, and does Big Lots hire teens.
Conclusion
The questions you will be asked at the Big Lots job interview are quite straightforward and easy to answer. In fact, the interview process is very casual and friendly. With just a little focused preparation, you will be able to show why they should hire you for the job.
