By Mike Simpson
With over 570 stores worldwide, Lululemon is a force in the world of athletic apparel. It isn’t uncommon for fans of the brand to seek out job opportunities at the company’s retail stores, allowing them to be a part of something they love. However, since Lululemon has a reputation for being an employer of choice, competition can be fierce, so you’ll need to make sure you can really shine when answering the Lululemon interview questions.
Luckily, a bit of preparation can usually get you headed in the right direction. If you want to make sure you are set to impress while answering the Lululemon interview questions, here’s what you need to know.
How to Answer Lululemon Interview Questions
Before we take a look at the Lululemon interview questions, let’s take a second to discuss strategy. While many of the questions you’ll encounter are common, there’s always a chance the hiring manager will toss in an unexpected one or two. By having a few tried-and-true techniques by your side, you’ll be able to answer those with ease.
So, how do you get ready to answer the Lululemon interview questions? Well, first, you want to tackle some research. By gathering the right information, you can learn more about what the hiring manager wants to find. That makes it easier to incorporate the correct points into your responses, increasing the odds that you’ll impress.
In most cases, your best place to begin is with the job description. There, you’ll find an overview of the skills and experience the hiring manager wants to track down. Plus, the tone of the job ad and many of the details also give you insights into the company’s culture.
After that, it’s smart to check out the Lululemon mission and values statements for more insights into the company’s culture and priorities. You can also find out a lot on the careers page, as it explains what working for Lululemon is like and what the company does to support its employees.
Finally, make sure you explore the Lululemon social media pages. There, look for posts that discuss the employee experience, as well as any recent news about the company. The latter can give you some interesting tidbits to work into your answers, allowing you to show that you’re up-to-date on company happenings.
After you tackle the research, you want to learn how to handle certain kinds of Lululemon interview questions. For traditional ones, the focus is usually on your knowledge and skills, so they’re pretty straightforward. If you have a capability, let the hiring manager know and give an example of when you put it to work. If you don’t, be honest about that, then discuss your interest in learning the skill.
With behavioral and situational questions, you’ll need a different approach. You’ll need to either share an example from your past or describe how you’d navigate a presented hypothetical situation.
Usually, turning your answers into compelling, relevant stories is your best bet. If you want to make that easier to manage, combining the STAR Method and the Tailoring Method will do the trick.
Top 3 Lululemon Interview Questions
As a large, international retailer, Lululemon actually hires for a wide range of positions. Since that’s the case, not every candidate will encounter the same interview questions. Instead, some of them will be targeted to the job.
However, since most of the Lululemon jobs are classic retail roles, we’re going to focus our attention there. With that in mind, here’s a look at our top three Lululemon interview questions.
1. Imaging a customer has walked into the store; how would you greet them?
With retail companies, first impressions are often a priority. When employees greet potential customers the right way, it sets a positive tone for the rest of the visit. Along with improving the customer experience, it could increase the odds of a sale.
Hiring managers want to know how you’d approach this common part of the job. You’ll want to give an example greeting you’d use, as well as express your willingness to adjust your approach to the company’s needs.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
“When a customer walks into the store, the first thing I’d do is smile and make eye contact. Then, I’d typically offer a warm, welcoming greeting that incorporates the store name, followed by an offer of assistance. For example, I might use, ‘Hi, welcome to Lululemon. Is there anything I can assist you with today?’
However, based on my past retail jobs, I know that companies often want employees to discuss promotions when they greet customers. If that’s something needed for this position, I’m certainly comfortable working any required script into the greeting.”
2. What is the main difference between working as an Educator at Lululemon and being a sales associate in a typical retail store?
Lululemon uses a different approach in stores. Instead of treating their retail employees as sales-oriented professionals, they give them the title of Educator. The reason is that they want their teams to have a different mentality. Plus, Lululemon’s expectations differ because it values how this approach sets its retail experience apart.
In most cases, you can suss out the difference after reading the Educator job description. Then, you can use those details to create an outstanding answer, like the one below.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
“The main difference between sales associated and Lululemon Educators is that Educators are there to be a source of information. The goal of the position isn’t to steer customers into a purchase. Instead, it’s to ensure they understand what their options are, the benefits of various fabrics, cuts, or fits, and how the products function.
The Lululemon approach is all about customer empowerment. By giving them the right information, customers can make the best decision for them. Along with better outcomes, that improves the customer experience. The customer feels valued and respected, often to the degree that they ultimately choose to make a purchase.”
3. Which of your traits do you think makes you particularly well-suited for retail?
Retail work comes with unique challenges. The environments can be incredibly fast-paced, and the duties are often surprisingly varied. Plus, there’s the customer factor, which can introduce a lot of the unexpected.
With this question, you want to discuss a few capabilities that will help you succeed in a retail environment. Go beyond a simple list, and include a short explanation regarding why you think that trait is valuable, ensuring your response is reasonably detailed and compelling.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
“I believe a few of my traits make me particularly well-suited to retail. First, I’m incredibly patient and calm under pressure. This makes me adept at handling upset customers while remaining professional, as well as working with customers who may need more support or guidance.
Additionally, I am adaptable. Things can shift quickly in a retail store, so priorities and needs may change with little notice. I’m more than comfortable with transitioning between various roles or duties as the situation demands, as well as juggling multiple priorities effectively.
Finally, I’m always looking to learn and grow, ensuring I can become the best employee I can be. Together, I believe that sets me up for success in a retail position.”
22 More Lululemon Interview Questions
Here are 22 more Lululemon interview questions the hiring manager might ask:
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- Why do you want to work for Lululemon?
- What do you know about our company?
- Can you tell me about your availability? Do you expect that to change in the near future?
- Do you have previous retail experience?
- Tell me about a time when you went the extra mile for a customer.
- Can you tell me about a time when you had to deal with a particularly difficult customer? What happened, and how did you handle it?
- Why do you think retail is a good fit for you?
- Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond to help a coworker.
- Can you tell me about a time when you had to work with very little supervision? How did you make sure that you performed to the needed standard?
- Have you ever had a disagreement with a manager? If so, how did you handle it?
- If a customer wanted to return an item that wasn’t eligible, how would you handle it?
- What’s your favorite Lululemon product, and why?
- What is “Sweatlife” at Lululemon?
- Tell me about a time when you received negative feedback from a customer. How did you handle it?
- What separates a good guest experience from a bad one?
- Can you tell me about a time when you set a challenging target for yourself at work?
- If you encountered a technical issue while handling a customer transaction at a register, what would you do?
- What’s your favorite form of exercise?
- Why do you think diversity and inclusion are important in the workplace?
- How would you support and improve Lululemon’s culture?
- If you saw a customer casually browsing without seeming to be looking for anything in particular, how would you approach them?
- How long do you envision working for Lululemon?
5 Good Questions to Ask at the End of a Lululemon Interview
As your interview comes to a close, you’ll typically get a chance to ask the hiring manager a few questions. Make sure you seize this opportunity. By asking questions, you come across as engaged and enthusiastic, ensuring one of your final impressions before the meeting ends is a positive one.
During your interview, some questions may come to mind based on what you’re asked. If that happens, by all means, use those questions. However, you also want to have a few backups ready to go, just in case that doesn’t happen.
Here’s a look at five good questions to ask at the end of a Lululemon interview:
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- What attracted you to Lululemon, and do you feel the company met those expectations?
- Are there opportunities to grow and advance in this role?
- Can you describe a typical day in this job? What about a particularly challenging one?
- What defines success for this position?
- What do your best Educators have in common?
Putting It All Together
At this point, you should have a solid idea of how to answer Lululemon interview questions. Make sure you use the information above to your advantage and practice your responses until they feel natural. By doing that, your odds of making a great impression go way up, increasing your chances of receiving that coveted job offer.
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.