A store manager needs to have strong business management skills if you want your store to succeed, and this question makes sure they know the essentials. Getting them to describe their preferred inventory and sales management systems is useful because you can get a more detailed look at the candidate's management style. This question helps you make sure the person is responsible enough to manage an entire store. What to look for in an answer:

• Interest in using modern techniques and technology
• Explanation for why they prefer a specific method
• Knowledge of basic business management

This interview question helps you to test the candidate's judgment. You can learn if they would focus on removing a problematic employee or getting work finished quickly. This question is also useful because it lets you see how well the manager would comply with company policies about harassment and employee termination. Asking this interview question ensures the manager's actions wouldn't cause problems in the store. What to look for in an answer:

• Focus on protecting others from a harasser
• Willingness to do a little extra work
• Desire to accommodate company policies

This interview question gives the candidate the opportunity to share their general management outlook with you. This question also helps you see if the store manager applicant has the education and experience needed to help your store grow. Their answer can tell you a lot about how much they would focus on boosting sales. What to look for in an answer:

• Passionate about improving sales
• Describes a detailed strategy for better sales
• Prioritizes customer service and employee relations

Ask this question to learn a little about the candidate's ability to provide customer service and handle complaints in a gracious manner. It also tells you a lot about how the applicant would handle employee discipline. You can see if they would fire an innocent employee to satisfy the customer or avoid disciplining a misbehaving employee just because the customer was annoying. What to look for in an answer:

• Prioritizes customer care first
• Demonstrates a desire to discover truth behind an issue
• Shows a willingness to properly discipline employees if they were wrong

Test the candidate's leadership skills by asking them this question. Using this interview question shows you what sort of leader the applicant would be. You can discover if they motivate through incentives or punishments, so you can see if they'd be a good fit for your store's environment. Their answer also tells you whether they are a thoughtful manager who has taken the time to consider morale boosters. What to look for in an answer:

• Well-thought-out strategies for making employees work harder
• Interest in finding ways to motivate workers
• Creative and flexible solutions