Home depot department supervisor interview questions and answers

Sometime in the next week I will be interviewing for a department supervisor position for either lumber/building materials/millworks or flooring/decor/paint ( both are strictly in-stock departments and not specialty since all specialist are now under their own department at my store). I was wandering what to expect in the interview. I’m fairly confident in my credentials and have been told by the ASMs that I’m exactly what they want for the positions but our merchandising manager is brand new to our store and doesn’t know me that well yet so I really want to shine and blow the interview out of the water. I guess what I’m asking is what kind of questions are there and are there certain ways to answer that will give you more brownie points.

My backstory if it matters: I’ve been with the company for over 2 years now. I’m only in my mid twenties and have had no previous managing experience. Most of my time with he company has been as an OFA and maybe 8 months in D23, which is where I am now. I’ve also only been full-time for 4 months. I’m PK certified in almost every department and all lift equipment. Even when I was new I was recognized as one of the “go to” guys for anything and am regularly used to help as a back up in everything from toolrental to paint and even service desk. All that to say, because of this I’m on great terms with management and almost everyone in the store because of my strive to help. I’ve already started helping out my current DS with the Smartlist and have been given the credentials to access to both that and On-hand changes, so have a bit of a head start with that. I guess that’s enough of a backstory tangent but the point is I feel qualified for the positions but I know I’m not the only person being interviewed so I am a bit nervous.

Any help and advice is appreciated.

Home depot department supervisor interview questions and answers
Home Depot Interview Questions

If you are looking for Home Depot Interview Questions you have come to the right place.

We all know interviews are stressful and competition is intense.

However, with a bit of preparation, you can ace the Home Depot Job Interview.

Here you will find how to successfully answer frequently asked Home Depot interview questions, Home Depot Interview Tips, and advice on how to dress for the interview.

Please note that this company has no affiliation with worknearyou.net, therefore we cannot guarantee specific questions asked on the interview.

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  • Cashier Interview Questions
  • Sales Associate Interview Questions

Home Depot Interview Questions and Answers

1. Tell me about yourself?

  • It’s okay to discuss your hobbies and interests but keep it brief. Try and focus on related work experience. Remember having related work experience will put you ahead of the competition.

2. Why do you want to work at Home Depot?

  • Mention you would be proud to work for a company that donates (according to their website) $270 million to non-profit organizations through the Home Depot Foundation.
  • Mention that Home Depot being a Fortune 500 hundred company can help you learn a lot about the retail business.
  • Watch this video to give you some more great reasons as to why you would want to work at Home Depot.

3. What is your greatest strength?

This question is an invitation to explain why you are the best-qualified candidate for this job!

The answer should be broken down into three parts

  1. The Strength – state the strength
  2. Proof of the strength – an example of how you have used this strength.
  3. The strength’s relevance to THIS job.

4. What is your greatest weakness?

  • You should not deny you have a weakness or state strengths as a weakness (I am a perfectionist, or I work too hard and neglect my friends and family).  State a fault required for the role but not a dealbreaker if you don’t have it.
  • When you state your weakness make sure you say what you are doing to overcome that weakness. For example, I have a fear of public speaking and enrolled in a public speaking class to overcome my fear.

Company Information

5. What can you tell us about Home Depot?

Interviewers ask this question to weed out applicants who are hoping to get an interview by randomly applying to hundreds of jobs. Instead, they want to meet with applicants who have done their research about the company. Here are a few facts about Home Depot.

Home Depot Facts for Interview

  • Bernard Marcus, Arthur Blank, Ron Brill, and Pat Farrah founded Home Depot in 1978.
  • The first Home Depot was opened in Atlanta Georgia
  • They have over 2200 retail stores around the world.
  • As of 2021, there are over 182 Stores in Canada.
  • Home Depot is the fifth largest retailer in the world.
  • The Home Depot offers Buy Online Deliver from Store.  This is a service where you can order online and have your order delivered to your home or job site quickly.

6. Who are our competitors?

  • The most obvious competitor is Lowes, and Ace Hardware. Other competitors include Walmart, Target, and Amazon.

Customer Service Interview Questions

7. How would you deal with an upset customer?

  • Listen and let the customer vent.
  • Show the customer you care.
  • Don’t blame the customer or the company.
  • Try to solve the problem or find someone who can.
  • Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
  • Finally, it is important not to take it personally.  If you get upset you will take it on future customers.

8. How would you define excellent customer service?

  • The staff is friendly and always willing to help the customer find what he or she needs.
  • Customers are not waiting in line for long periods of time at checkout.
  • The store display is well-kept and presented with adequate inventory.

9. Why do you believe customer service is so important?

Great customer service can

  • Increase customer loyalty
  • Grow the amount of money each customer spends per visit
  • Increase how often a customer buys from you
  • Generate positive word-of-mouth about your business

10. Tell us about a time you went above and beyond for a customer?

  • Customers love when you go above and beyond for them which will, in turn, generate more business. Try and think of a time you went above and beyond for a customer. For example, when I was a server at a restaurant we did not have a particular dessert in the restaurant. Luckily the restaurant next door had it and I was able to get it for the customer.   
  • Here’s another example: in my last job I worked at a fast-food chain.  There was a senior citizen at the restaurant and he had finished his meal.  It started to rain and he was worried, as he did not have an umbrella. Luckily, I had an umbrella, so I walked him to his car, sheltering him from the rain.

Additional Interview Questions

11. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

  • Take a look at the career page on Home Depots website.  Find a career you can see yourself advancing to and mention that.
  • You can also look at other jobs that would benefit Home Depot such as IT, marketing, or accounting.

12. Why should The Home Depot hire you?

For this question, you will want to reread the job description and find key skills they are looking for and reassure the interviewer you have those skills. Suppose we are doing a Home Depot Cashier Interview, the job description states they are looking for someone who has the following:

  • Cashiers play a critical customer service role by providing customers with fast, friendly, accurate, and safe service (skills required: people skills, attention to detail, work well under pressure).
  • They proactively seek product/project knowledge to provide customers with information and identify selling opportunities (skills required: quick learner, and sales knowledge).
  • They follow all policies and procedures to ensure that shrink is minimized (skill required: attention to detail).

So when answering this question I would state

  • Say you can work in a fast-paced environment and work well under pressure.
  • Mention you are a quick learner and will always seek product knowledge to provide the customer with the information they need.
  • State you pay excellent attention to detail.
  • Finally, say you have great people skills and will work well with customers and other home depot sales associates.

13. What experience do you have?

  • Tell them about any customer-cashier experience you have.
  • Tell them about any handyman experience mention or DIY projects you have worked on.

14. What is Home Depots mission statement?

The Home Depot is in the home improvement business and our goal is to provide the highest level of service, the broadest selection of products and the most competitive prices. We are a values-driven company and our eight core values include the following:

  • Excellent customer service
  • Taking care of our people
  • Giving back
  • Doing the “right” thing
  • Creating shareholder value
  • Respect for all people
  • Entrepreneurial spirit
  • Building strong relationships The most recent motto is “More saving. More doing”.

Home Depot Motto – “More saving. More doing”.

15. What are the Home Depot Values?

The following are Home Depot’s Core Values:

  • Excellent Customer Service
  • Entrepreneurial Spirit.
  • Taking Care of Our People
  • Doing the right thing.
  • Building strong relationships
  • Respect for all people.
  • Giving Back
  • Creating Shareholder Value.

We will ensure that associates continue to possess unsurpassed product knowledge and maintain their dedication to customer service and respect for their colleagues and for the communities in which they work and live.

Co-Founder, The Home Depot

16. What hours can you work?

  • The more flexible you are with your hours, the better your chance of getting hired, so be flexible!
  • If possible, let the interviewer know you can work on weekends and/or holidays.

17. What are your salary expectations?

  • This is a stressful question because if you ask for too much, you will not get the job, and if you ask for too little, they will happily underpay you.
  • Be sure to research salary expectations for your role before you go into the interview. There are plenty of sites that discuss salary ranges.
  • If you don’t know what to say then ask what the salary range is?  You can then counter with the high end of the range.
  • Note most entry-level jobs will pay minimum wage.

18. Do you have any questions for us?

Tip! Don’t be afraid to ask questions during the interview. Asking questions is important because it builds rapport between you and the interviewer.

  • What do you like best about working here?
  • How would you describe your ideal candidate for this position?
  • What about this position is the most important?
  • How would you measure my success and what could I do to succeed in your expectations?
  • Which part of the position has the steepest learning curve? What can I do in order to get up to speed quickly?
  • What opportunities will I have to learn and grow?

Home Depot Second Interview

The second interview is an opportunity for the interviewer to find more about you or to have someone more senior to interview the final list of candidates.

Many suggest the second interview is about past performance. Such as

  • Name your greatest accomplishment in your last job?
  • Tell us about how you increased sales and/or productivity?

Remember to use the names of all the people you met last time. Make sure you recognize them and greet them.


Home Depot Interview Tips

  • Arrive 10 minutes early
  • Turn off your smartphone.
  • Learn as much as you can about the company.
  • Don’t speak too fast as you will sound nervous.
  • Don’t speak too slowly as you will sound boring.
  • Make eye contact during the entire interview.

Home Depot Interview Attire

Home depot department supervisor interview questions and answers

  • Dress business casually if you are interviewing for an entry-level position.  Do not wear shorts and avoid wearing jeans.

Home depot department supervisor interview questions and answers

  • Dress formally or business casual if you are interviewing for a management position.  Blazers and dark trousers are a safe choice, as well as wrap dresses for females. Avoid sportswear clothes. 

Home depot department supervisor interview questions and answers

  • Blue tells employers that you’re credible and trustworthy.
  • Black shows leadership and is great if you’re going for a senior position.
  • Red sends a message that you’re assertive and works well in fields like sales.
  • Orange is apparently the worst color to wear for a job interview, with it being linked to unprofessionalism.


Home Depot Sales Associative Interview Questions

Here are our top 5 interview questions for sales associate

  1. Why do you want to be a sales associate?
  2. Why should we hire you as a cashier?
  3. What hours can you work?
  4. Why is customer service so important?
  5. How would you approach a customer?

Tip! Remember you will be helping customers solve their home improvement needs so you need to show the interviewer you love home improvement and you have excellent communication skills.


Home Depot Cashier Interview Questions

  1. Why do you want to be a cashier?
  2. Why should we hire you as a cashier?
  3. What hours can you work?
  4. How do you feel about standing for long periods of time?
  5. How would you deal with a difficult customer?

Tip! Be sure to let the interviewer know if you have previous work experience as a cashier, and/or have worked in customer service.  Having related work experience will put you ahead of the competition.  Also, if possible, tell the interviewer you have a flexible work schedule and you are willing to work evenings and weekends.


See Also

  • 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions (affiliate)
  • The Interview Checklist
  • General Interview Q&A
  • The Behavioral Interview
  • Interview Tips
  • Search for Jobs

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Do you have experience in home maintenance or DIY projects? ... .
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What is your availability?.