Get Hired at Home Depot
Many people consider Home Depot a great company to work for. Flexible schedules[citation needed], competitive benefits[citation needed], and various degrees of difficulty[citation needed] within the job makes jobs there suitable for people who enjoy a fast-paced environment and ambitious learners. Here's a few tips to get hired to work at Home Depot!
Steps
- Be polite to every employee you encounter. Even somebody who appears to be "low status" could have great influence in the company. Home Depot management can be very hands on, working around the store in different areas alongside associates.[citation needed]
- This includes anyone who calls to schedule your interview and anyone in the store.
- Example: If you ignore/disrespect a staff member greeting you at the store, it may indeed be a store manager!
- Even if the associate you are speaking to isn't a member of management, Home Depot associates tend to be very tight-knit and feel comfortable bringing issues to management. If a candidate comes in and does not act very friendly, a concerned cashier or greeter may mention it to the ASDS or ASM.
- Arrive on time for your interview. Be punctual and don't be late for your interview. Hiring managers are well-aware that associates are on their best behavior during an interview. If showing up 10 minutes late is a candidate at their best, then it's a good indicator that punctuality will be an issue.
- Dress professionally. Business casual, neutral colors, and clean clothing are recommended. For example, men can wear a suit and a tie. Women can wear dress pants and a matching blouse.
- Don't wear anything overly revealing. Men don't wear sleeveless tank tops. Women don't have exposed cleavage or short skirts.
- Dress in a neat and clean manner. If a candidate looks unkempt or has a strong body odor, it is a signal that they do not take the presentation of themselves seriously. And managers really don't want to spend time dealing with complaints from customers about associate body odor, which is fairly common[citation needed].
- Have proper posture and body language. Make eye contact, smile, sit straight, and respect the interviewer's space. Don't fidget or cross your arms.
- Don't pull the chair up right next to them. This should really go without saying, but leave the chair where it is when you enter the office. If a candidate invades the space of the interviewer, it is a signal that they may not have the social skills or emotional intelligence to work with the public.
- Answer all questions in a friendly and detailed manner. Home Depot gives "structured interviews". They will write down everything that you say and you will be scored based on standards set by corporate. The scoring of the test is not subjective. If you don't touch on the points that corporate has set, you will not make it to the next round of interviews, even if the interviewer likes you and wants to hire you.
- Answers such as "Customer Service" or other vague answers will get you scored a 1 out of 5 and you will not be hired. If the interviewer asks "Let's start by you telling me what makes you a good fit for this position?" You should give an answer that focuses on past experience and gives specific examples that relate back to the question.
- This is true for all questions: Have a positive attitude towards customers, mention past experience, and give specific examples.
- Don't ever say anything negative about "rude" or "difficult" customers. Do not say "Oh well, I have no experience". Learn how to spin! Even if you have no cashiering or sales experience, you have done things in your life and you can spin these into qualities that will make you an asset.
- School projects, volunteer experience, babysitting, a successful vlog. Anything that incorporates working with other people or self-motivation can be given as an example of what you bring to the table.
- Answers such as "Customer Service" or other vague answers will get you scored a 1 out of 5 and you will not be hired. If the interviewer asks "Let's start by you telling me what makes you a good fit for this position?" You should give an answer that focuses on past experience and gives specific examples that relate back to the question.
- Do not be rude to the interviewer. There was once a candidate who rolled his eyes and said: "I feel like I'm being put on the spot here". To which the interviewer responded, "That is what a job interview is; a series of questions that you are expected to answer. What did you think was going to happen today?"[citation needed]
- If you are caught off guard by a question, politely ask the interviewer for a moment to think. Try to compose your answer as quickly as possible, because they do want candidates who can think on their feet, but most Home Depot hiring managers understand that the vast majority of candidates are younger and have not had very much experience interviewing. Most of them will give you the benefit of the doubt, as long as you are polite and professional.
- If you know anyone who works for Home Depot, see if they will conduct a practice interview with you. They most likely won't remember the exact questions, but they can give you some practice and point out anything you are saying that would be a red flag to Home Depot hiring managers. This isn't about lying, you never want to do that. It's about knowing how to market yourself.
- Follow up with Home Depot. Home Depot isn't usually going to tell you if you didn't get the job. You just won't ever hear from them again. That being said, sometimes they're just really unorganized and that could be the reason that you haven't heard back.
- Call and ask to speak to the ASDS. Don't bother the manager who interviewed you. They may have been meaning to call you with a job offer but became overwhelmed or distracted by other tasks. If you didn't get it, no harm was done and at least now you know.
