Bath and Body Works Interview

Congratulations on getting a Bath and Body Works Interview.

We all know interviews are stressful and competition is intense.

However, with a small amount of preparation you can ace the Bath and Body Works Interview.

Here we will discuss how to successfully answer Bath and Body Works Interview Questions.



Bath and Body Works Interview Questions

1. What can you tell us about Bath and Body Works?

About Bath and Body Works
  • Bath and Body Works is an American retailer.
  • The parent company is L Brands (which also owns Victoria’s Secret).
  • Les Wexner founded Bath and Body Works in 1990 in New Albany, Ohio, and they are now the largest bath shop chain in the United States. 
  • Bath and Body Works is known for shower gels, lotions, fragrance mists, perfumes, candles, and home fragrances.
  • Sales at Bath & Body Works are as follows: ~40% Body Care & Fragrance, ~40% Home Fragrance, ~15%, and Soaps and Sanitizers (1).
  • Finally, the company has grown internationally and is on several continents.

Bath and Body Works Guarantee

Bath and Body Works Guarantee

2. Tell us about yourself?

  • It’s okay to talk about 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.

3. Why do you want to work for Bath and Body Works?

  • State that you love the product and the service you get and, because of this, you would be proud to represent them.
  • Say that you feel you are a good communicator and will enjoy working with customers.

4. What hours can you work?

Employers ask this question to see how flexible you are. So be flexible! Alison Doyle at thebalancecareers.com states the way you answer this question varies slightly whether you are applying for a full-time or a part-time job.

 

  • If you are applying for a full-time job, the employer might want to know if you are willing to work hours and days outside of a typical workweek.
  • If you are applying for a shift job, or a part-time job, an employer might ask this question because they want to see if you would be willing to work less popular days and hours (like nights and weekends).

5. How do you feel about standing for long periods of time?

  • Most jobs in retail will require you to work on your feet for long periods of time. If possible tell the interviewer you do not have a problem with this. Try to wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes with a low heel, maintain good posture, and stay hydrated.

6. Why should I hire you?

Have a look at the job description to find the skills and experience required to do the job. Then reassure the interviewer that you have the skills and experience required to do the job.

For example, suppose you were in a sales associate interview.  The job description states they are looking for someone with:

  • Sales experience.
  • Inventory management (assist with floor sets, window changes, visual presentations, signage placement, etc., as directed).
  • Customer service experience.
  • Abide by policies and procedures as directed (attention to detail).
  • Demonstrated sales results.

So when asked why should I hire you, state if you have sales experience, inventory management in terms of visual presentation, attention to detail and customer service experience.

7. What is your greatest weakness?

Don’t Say

  • You don’t have a weakness.
  • You can’t think of a weakness.
  • Something unrelated to the job
  • State a weakness that is critical for the job.

Do Say

  • Something related to the job
  • Steps to improve your weakness
Example

“My greatest weakness is that I don’t take criticism well.  However, I have learned not to overreact and think about what was said.  I have found that I have become a better employee when I learn from feedback.” 

8. What is your greatest strength?

  • The best way to respond to this question is to describe the skills and experience that you have which directly correlate with the job you are applying for. Therefore review the job description and reassure the interviewer that you have the experience and skills to do the job.

9. How would you define excellent customer service?

  • The staff is friendly and always willing to help the customer find what she needs.
  • The customer is not waiting in line for long periods of time at checkout.
  • The store has adequate inventory.
DID YOU KNOW..
  • Bath and Body Works is the #1 specialty home fragrance retailer in America. Bath and Body Works is also the #1 Brand in America for body moisturizer, hand soap, and sanitizer in 2019 by sales. (3)

10. How would you deal with a difficult customer?

  • The staff is friendly and always willing to help the customer find what she needs.
  • The customer is not waiting in line for long periods of time at checkout.
  • The store has adequate inventory.

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

  • The prepary.com suggests that you should emphasize that you often go above and beyond for the customer and it’s how you approach your job on a day-to-day basis. 
  • The site also suggests you should prepare at least two examples.

12. What Motivates you?

Do Say

  • Meeting deadlines, targets, or goals
  • Mentoring and coaching others
  • Learning new things
  • Coming up with creative ideas to improve something, or make something new
  • Working well as part of a team
  • Leading a team to success

Don’t Say

  • Money 
  • Employee Discounts

13. Who are our competitors?

14. 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 gladly underpay you.
  • Be sure to research salary expectations for your role before you go into the interview. There are plenty of sites that will discuss salary ranges.
  • If you don’t know what to say, ask what the salary range is?  You can then counter with the high end of the range.

15. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

  • To answer this question correctly you want to show how your long term goals align with Bath and Body Works business objectives – retail 
  • If you don’t know what to say have a look at other jobs at LBrands and find a career that you can achieve within 5 years. 
Example

“I would like to find a career in retail management.  Currently, I am studying marketing at my local university and I would like to apply what I have studied.  I also feel I have strong communication skills which will work well when managing a team or working with customers.”

16. How was your attendance in your last job?

  • Honesty is your best approach when answering this question as the interviewer may check your references.
  • Emphasize that you understand the importance of starting your shift on time.

17. Do you have any questions for us?

  • What do you like best about working here? 
  • How would you describe your ideal candidate for this position? 
  • If I were to start tomorrow what would be my top priority be? 
  • What is the history of 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?

Bath and Body Works Interview Attire

Entry-Level Position

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

Management

  • 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.  

Colors

  • 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.

Group Interview

  • Don’t be nervous if you find yourself in a Bath and Body Works Group Interview.
  • Study the questions above and you will do fine. Just make sure you speak up when it is your turn to answer a question.
  • Sometimes group interviews may do role play such as help a customer find a particular product in the store or sell an item to a customer.

Does Bath and Body Works give drug tests?

%

% of employees who responded they were not drug tested

  • The parent company of Bath & Body Works is L Brands. L Brands states for certain positions may also require education verification, a skills test and/or a background check and a drug screening prior to employment.
  • The question, “Does Bath & Body Works Drug Test” was posted on yahoo answers,  indeed.com, and glassdoor.com. Out of 11 employee responses, 9 answered no, they were not drug tested, while 2 said yes, they were drug tested.

References

 

  1. See Section Digital Strengths and Categories section – L Brands Investor Presentation June 2020 (pg. 15).
  2. See Section Strong Portfolio of Highly Recognized and Global Brand section – (pg. 10).

See Also

*Please note that we cannot guarantee specific questions asked on the interview. Also, note that we are not affiliated with the company mentioned in this post.