Target Group Leader - DC Interview

Interview Details – A recruiter from Target contacted me via e-mail to ask if I would be interested in this position. After replying, we spoke on the phone and went over the basic "interest/strengths/weaknesses" questions. Next, I was asked to complete an online assessment. A 2nd staffing person called and set up a face-to-face interview that consisted of 3 groups of 2 interviewers taking turns asking questions. These were all behavioral questions like "Tell me about a time when..." and you were encouraged to follow the STAR format. I also received a tour of the facility. Overall, Target left me with the impression that they were generally interested in me. They took the time to thoroughly vet my candidacy and make sure I would be a good fit in their organization. I was impressed by the time their HR staff and Distribution Center staff took to talk to me about the business and my candidacy.

There were a few negatives:

1) I really did feel like each interview session consisted of the same questions, just set up differently. Maybe it was my inability to detect the nuances of each question variation that led to me not receiving a job offer. However, there are only so many ways to respond to a question about helping your teammates or counseling a direct report.

2) What type of position is this? I was unclear about what type of candidate Target was really looking for. I am in my mid-20's and have 2 years of shipping industry experience on the back of 7 years of customer service experience. I currently manage a fleet of about 80 truck drivers. That's solid experience for my age. I have to use problem solving skills on a nightly basis to deliver good service to our customers. However, the other 2 candidates interviewing at the same time as me hadn't even graduated college yet. In fact, and not to get too personal, they seemed like sorority girls and had no real interest in the industry. I do not know if they were offered a position, but I would be genuinely surprised given the fact that I was not.

With these 2 observations in mind, it seems like Target is trying really hard to find "their" match. And that's perfectly OK! If I wasn't going to be a good fit for their company, that's fine. I was just really, really surprised given the people I talked to during the interview and the background I brought to the table.