Ace Hardware Interview Preparation Guide
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66 Ace Hardware Questions and Answers:

1 :: In your last job what kinds of pressure did you encounter and how did you react At Ace Hardware?

Do not show your fear or uneasiness in handling pressure. Everyone likes to have a worker who can handle pressure calmly and with a clear train of thought. Show how you would logically come to a conclusion in a pressure filled situation.

2 :: What education or training have you had that makes you fit for this profession At Ace Hardware?

This would be the first question asked in any interview. Therefore, it is important that you give a proper reply to the question regarding your education. You should have all the documents and certificates pertaining to your education and/or training, although time may not allow the interviewer to review all of them.

3 :: Did you consider yourself a team player?

Of course you're a team player - who isn't. But a simple yes probably isn't the response the interviewer is looking for. Be ready to provide specific example of how you've worked as part of a cohesive team to get things accomplished and how you've focus on team performance rather than individual performance. Make sure not to brag as this will make it appear as that you're more concerned about your own performance and accomplishments than those of the team.

4 :: What has been your biggest professional disappointment?

When discussing a professional disappointment, make sure to discuss a scenario you could not control. Be positive about the experience and accept personal responsibility where applicable.

5 :: How do you think your colleagues at your last job would describe you?

While your CV will say a lot about your work history At Ace Hardware, the interviewer will most likely look for greater detail with questions such as this. Be positive about previous experience, highlighting your own strengths.

6 :: What role are you ready to take in a group?

Ideally, you want to take on the role you're interviewing for, but you want to be flexible with your responsibilities At Ace Hardware if there are any changes.

7 :: What did you like least about your last (or current) job At Ace Hardware?

Don't vent or focus on the negative with brutally honest answers such as "My boss was a jerk," or "The company culture was too politically correct," or "They just weren't giving me the opportunity to take my career to the next level." Instead, keep the emphasis on the positive, even though there are sure to be things you weren't happy about.

8 :: How did you handle meeting a tight deadline At Ace Hardware?

Review every deadline you need to meet. Prioritize your projects by deadline and factor in how important each project is. Record your deadlines on a digital calendar or spreadsheet.

9 :: Give me an example of how you handled pressure at work At Ace Hardware?

The company is looking to see if you can handle pressure well. Share with them an example where you were able to stay calm during a pressure filled situation (perhaps it was a deadline, or there was an emergency with a customer occurring). Discuss the situation, your reaction and steps you took to resolve it and the outcome.

10 :: Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed. How did you handle it At Ace Hardware? Why? Were you happy with the outcome?

In many scenarios, you will not have all the information needed. The key is to make the best possible decision based on what you deem to be a sufficient amount of information.

11 :: Why was there a gap in your employment At Ace Hardware?

If you were unemployed for a period of time, be direct and to the point about what you’ve been up to (and hopefully, that’s a litany of impressive volunteer and other mind-enriching activities, like blogging or taking classes). Then, steer the conversation toward how you will do the job and contribute to the organization: “I decided to take a break at the time, but today I’m ready to contribute to this organization in the following ways.”

12 :: Describe some problems you encountered in your most recent position At Ace Hardware and how you resolved them?

Discuss your work experiences. The key is to show you're calm under pressure and can handle sensitive situations with a clear train of thought.

13 :: What makes you right for this position?

This question can be tricky because you need to show your worth At Ace Hardware without sounding cocky or arrogant. Research the business ahead of time and become familiar with its mission and values. Take the time to figure out how your personal qualities fit the needs of the business and use that fit to provide your answer.

14 :: What kind of work interests you the most?

You can talk about what you're passionate about. What motivates you. What excites you.

15 :: What do you consider to be your greatest strength?

There isn't any right answer. Just make sure to make your response positive and true. A few good examples include: Your ability to solve complex problems, Your ability to work well on a team, Your ability to shine under pressure, Your ability to focus in chaotic situations, Your ability to prioritize and organize, Your ability to cut through the fluff to identify the real issues, Your ability to influence other positively. If your strength relates to the position in question that will be more beneficial - but again be honest, don't create a strength for yourself just because you think it will sound good.

16 :: Do you have any blind spots?

This question is often meant to trick candidates since acknowledgment of blind spots would indicate they were aware of them. Also, do not disclose bad habits or other personal concerns. Let the interviewer find out about your personal flaws through the course of the interview without directly stating these flaws.

17 :: Name five characteristics that describe you?

Here are a few you could choose from:
Hard working, strong willed, persistent, intelligent, adept, amicable, friendly, collaborative, eager, humble.

18 :: What are your weaknesses for Ace Hardware position?

Try not to be too critical when answering this question. Instead, pick one of your weaknesses and try to turn it into a positive.
For example, you could be a perfectionist, which means that you sometimes take longer on tasks, but you make sure that they are completed to a high quality. It is important to make a negative into a positive as it doesn’t make you appear overly critical and shows you can reflect on your own performance.

19 :: Describe what a "lot of work" looks like to you At Ace Hardware?

Ideally you'd like to state that you can take on a lot of work - this shows your work ethic, but at the same time it's okay to tell them that you value work and life balance.

20 :: How do you adapt to new working environments At Ace Hardware?

It's important that you demonstrate that you can adapt to changing environments quickly. You want to stress that you can manage change. The one thing in life that is constant after all, is change.

21 :: If you had enough money to retire would you?

Just be honest. If you would retire then say so. But since you can't retire, and the interviewer already knows this, simply answer that since you can't this is type of work you prefer doing. However, if you wouldn't retire if you had the money then explain why. Work is an important element of happiness for most people and many won't retire even when they can.

22 :: Tell me about a time when you successfully handled a situation?

For this question, the interviewer wants to know what you do in a situation that doesn’t have a clear answer. This will help the interviewer know how you respond to unforeseen challenges.

23 :: What does "collaboration with teammates" mean to you?

Drinking at the water cooler together is not the best example. Think of how you can collaborate with teammates to generate new ideas, to create initiatives to impact the business' success for the better (specifically in the department that you're applying for). For example, if you're applying to marketing, collaboration could mean discussing new ways of social media advertising to reach an audience of over a million people to strengthen the brand awareness of the company.

24 :: How do you inspire others to be better?

First, the key to inspiring others it to first understand what their goals and objectives are. Once you understand what people want, you can inspire them with a vision that aligns to what they care about. People generally care about having purpose, being successful (and being recognized for it), contributing in a meaningful way, and financial rewards (to a degree) and much more. Then once you understand what people set as goals, you can inspire them through 1:1 pep talks, a presentation to multiple people and so forth.

25 :: What role do you see technology playing in this role?

Technology is important to almost every job today but it's not meant to be abused. I believe it's important to increase productivity and not for personal use.

26 :: Why did you choose your major in college or tech school?

People usually choose their major based on their passions or the career path they want to head towards.

27 :: What do you know about this company?

Research the company on Google by searching recent news (to remain current on them) and their website. Make sure you understand their products / services, vision, competitive differentiators, and work culture.

28 :: What do you already know about our company?

Good reputation of a large home grown company that has various departments and product.

29 :: Describe a time where you've failed and bounced back?

Share a story to describe this. For example: "I accidentally made the mistake of telling a customer I could deliver on a solution set on a certain date and then later found out our business partner couldn’t do it on that time. I learned that I shouldn't rush into important decisions and promises like this and that I should always check with my counterparts first before committing to a statement of work."

30 :: How do you feel about giving back to the community?

Describe your charitable activities to showcase that community work is important to you. If you haven't done one yet, go to www.globalguideline.com - charitable work is a great way to learn about other people and it's an important part of society - GET INVOLVED!