By Mike Simpson
When you’re looking for a new job, neighborhood staples like the Walgreens pharmacy and drug store can be a great choice. Plus, with over 225,000 employees, the company is a major employer. Still, you want to make sure you’re ready to nail the Walgreens interview questions, ensuring you can stand out from the competition when you apply.
Fortunately, that isn’t as challenging as you’d expect. With a bit of preparation and the right tips, you can be ready for anything the hiring manager might throw your way. Here’s what you need to know.
How to Answer Walgreens Interview Questions
Alright, before we dig into the Walgreens interview questions and answers, let’s take a quick step back. You can’t just learn the questions; you need a reliable strategy by your side, too. That way, if the hiring manager tosses you a curveball, you’ll know how to approach it.
So, what do you need to do to get ready? First, you need to tackle some research.
If you’re going to impress with any interview answer, you need to create a sense of alignment. By learning more about the job, culture, and company, that’s far easier.
Walgreens is a giant in the pharmacy and drugstore space. They’ve also expanded into more direct forms of healthcare, with some locations integrating small medical clinics into their retail stores.
Since there are multiple positions represented in most stores, the best place to begin your research is the job description. The must-have skills and experience list lets you know a lot about what the hiring manager needs to find. Plus, any descriptions of the environment give you clues about the culture and key traits they’re after.
If you then move onto the company website, you can find out more about the culture on the careers page. Also, check out the Walgreens mission and values statements for even more insights.
Finally, head over to social media and check out the company’s profiles. Again, it’s a great way to learn about the culture. Plus, you may see information about recent company changes or achievements, all of which can help you take your answers up a notch.
Okay, now that you have the information, it’s time to talk about how to approach different types of interview questions. Usually, the traditional ones are the simplest to handle.
Most of those will ask you if you have specific knowledge or skills. If you do, you can say so, but follow it up with an example from your past that shows you putting it to work to make your answer more impactful.
If you don’t have the knowledge or skill, don’t panic. Instead, be honest, and then follow up with an overview of how you’ll learn it or highlight your willingness to learn, as both can help position you as a great candidate.
With behavioral and situational questions, you need to change things up a bit. Both typically require an example. With behavioral ones, you’ll rely on past experiences. With situational questions, you discuss how you’d navigate a hypothetical scenario.
When it comes to the structure of your answer, combine the STAR Method and the Tailoring Method. It ensures your answer is thorough and compelling while keeping it highly relevant.
Top 3 Walgreens Interview Questions
Walgreens is a massive company, and it hires a wide range of people. From cashiers to pharmacists to tech pros to accountants, there’s a little bit of everything in the Walgreens workforce.
However, many people looking for Walgreens jobs are after positions in the retail stores, so we’re going to focus there. Here’s a look at our top three Walgreens interview questions and answers.
1. If you saw a cashier was struggling with a long line but you weren’t authorized to open up another register, what would you do to help?
Any store can experience an unexpected rush, including Walgreens. With this question, the hiring manager is gauging your ability to assist team members on the fly.
In most cases, you’ll want to use a two-part answer: one part that involves a manager and one that doesn’t. That way, you cover multiple possibilities.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
“If I saw a cashier struggling, how I approached the situation would depend on whether a manager was immediately available. If so, and they weren’t aware of the problem, I’d let them know we were in the midst of an unexpected rush and ask if they’d like to set up another register for me to use until the line was handled.
In situations where a manager isn’t available or opening another register isn’t an option, I would find other ways to assist. For example, I could take over bagging, letting the cashier focus on ringing up orders. Not only will that speed things up, but it shows the customers that we are taking action to reduce their wait times, which can lead to a better overall experience for them.”
2. Tell me about a time when you had to be empathetic in the workplace.
Since Walgreens has a pharmacy – and some locations have quick clinics – not all customers are there just to shop. Some have unique medical needs, and some of those can be challenging.
Hiring managers ask this question to gauge how you act when a bit of empathy is necessary to ensure a positive customer experience. This question is more common for pharmacy-related jobs, but it can come up for other retail positions, as well.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
“In a past customer service job, I had a customer come in who was obviously distraught, looking for an exchange. They had ordered an item from our online store, and it arrived clearly damaged. It was meant to be a gift, and she didn’t have time to mail it back and wait for a replacement.
While we could typically handle the exchange, we didn’t have any of those products currently in stock. However, realizing how important it was to her, I spoke with my manager to see if we could contact other stores in the area and track one down for her. My goal was to reduce her stress, so doing some of the legwork could make that possible.
After several calls, we found one in a store less than an hour away. We arranged for the customer service counter to hold it for her, ensuring it would be there. We also confirmed they could handle the return part, allowing her to just walk in and get it done quickly.
Ultimately, I was able to brighten her day, all because I took the compassionate approach to solving her problem.”
3. What would you do if a manager asked you to complete a task a specific way, but you thought another approach was better?
This interview question gauges your ability to navigate potential conflicts with a manager. It gives the hiring manager insights into how you approach interpersonal problems, as well as your capacity to work effectively with a supervisor.
Ideally, you want to outline how you’d present your idea and then adjust based on the hiring manager’s response. That shows a willingness to speak up to potentially improve efficiency while remaining a team player.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
“If that situation arose, my first step would be to acknowledge the merits of their strategy. Then, I would ask if the manager was open to other options. If so, I would outline my idea, explaining the potential benefits.
In cases where they agreed, I would assess the success of my recommendation, making it easier to determine if it’s a solid choice long-term. If they disagreed – or stated that they weren’t interested in alternatives – I would accept that and use their preferred approach.
That way, the work gets done in a timely manner, and if they weren’t open to my idea at that time, I could always present it later to get their thoughts.”
17 More Walgreens Interview Questions
Here are 17 more Walgreens interview questions you might face off against:
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- Why do you want to work at Walgreens?
- What can you tell me about Walgreens as a company?
- How do you think Walgreens compares to competitors?
- What’s your availability? Is it flexible?
- How would you handle an upset customer?
- Describe a time you faced a different situation at work.
- If a customer came in looking for a sale item that was sold out, what would you do?
- What would you bring to this team?
- Can you describe your past customer service or retail experience?
- Have you ever had to step up as a leader at work? If so, what happened, and what was the result?
- How long do you envision working for Walgreens?
- Do you consider yourself team-oriented?
- When given two high-priority tasks, how do you decide where to begin?
- How do you keep yourself motivated when handling the more repetitive tasks associated with the role?
- If there was a language barrier between you and a customer, what would you do to ensure their needs were met?
- Describe your most challenging work experience. Why was it difficult, and what did you do?
- Give me an example of excellent customer service.
5 Good Questions to Ask at the End of a Walgreens Interview
Once you’re done answering Walgreens interview questions, you’ll usually get a chance to ask the hiring manager a few of your own. This is a critical moment. By asking intelligent questions, you’ll come across as enthusiastic and engaged. Plus, you can get more details about the position, store culture, company culture, and more.
During your interview, a few questions may come to mind that you’ll want to ask, and it’s fine to use those. However, if that doesn’t happen, it’s a good idea to have a couple of options tucked away in your back pocket, ensuring you have something to ask when this moment arrives.
If you don’t know where to begin, here are five good questions to ask at the end of a Walgreens interview:
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- Since starting in your role, has anything about working for Walgreens surprised you?
- What’s something the current team is lacking that you hope a new hire can provide?
- How would you define success in this role? Is it more oriented to tasks, or is customer satisfaction the more important part of the equation?
- If an employee’s relief is late or calls out, how does Walgreens usually handle the situation?
- Is there anything new on the horizon for Walgreens that may impact this position?
Putting It All Together
At this point, you should have a solid idea of how to answer Walgreens interview questions. Use every tip to your advantage! Also, practice your answers so that they become second nature. That way, your odds of making a great impression are high, increasing your chances of landing the job.
Good luck!
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Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.
His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan, Penn State, Northeastern and others.
Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page.