My 6 Stages Selection Process (UNIQLO MANAGER CANDIDATE)

Today's post will be longer than any other post I have written. Please proceed to it with your utmost patience. Tried my best to make it short but as experience is rare, full-writing remain to let readers follow my story easier. I applied for Uniqlo Manager Candidates (UMC) and selection process began with application on March 2nd, at Jobstreet Mid Valley Career Fair 2019.

Uniqlo store at KLIA2. (Source: Klia2)

March 23rd - Uniqlo Malaysia Company Information Session

Attending Uniqlo Malaysia Company Information Session will be the 2nd stage and compulsory for future candidates if you want to secure this position. Invitation email received on March 8th, spared me a week to decide whether I am going. I was required to register via the link attached in the email. Once registered, a 4-digit ID is given that confirmed my registration.

  23rd March I went to the Nexus Bangsar South with my best friend. Everything said during the talk is significant for you to understand more about the company, hence the talk title. It covered more than just introducing Uniqlo as a retail company. I'd find it useful. Well, if you were to seek an opportunity with a company, don't you want to learn better than from the internet? There's a quick case study that was done in a group of 5. Attendees then presented their answers to everyone, but casually (from our seat).

  Towards the end, I was asked to fill a feedback form, written together with my registration ID. They simply ask how the talk for you was. However, this feedback form is important. Before leaving the hall, I had to drop it in a box near the exit. A staff prepared 2 boxes of a 'Yes' and 'No'. For attendees that are still interested with UMC may put their form inside 'Yes' box and vice versa. Me? A 'Yes'.

March 24th - Online Test

Next stage brought me to a logical and numerical reasoning test, best known as LRT and NRT, respectively. Uniqlo continued email me for the next required stage. Didn't know the existence of such test until this very moment. Both tests had 6/7 questions only, but it's hard at how we called it. LRT test your brain cognitive ability in making decision, through a series of pattern and sequence. Meanwhile NRT, as numerical test, require basic mathematics for you to solve. Their questions are heavy to percentage and probability. I managed to pass both tests. Only after passing this test that we can proceed to next scary stage (or so I've heard); interview.

March 27th - 1st Interview at Uniqlo HQ

Was notified of my 1st interview through email and phone call a day prior. Thankfully, I passed this stage as well. I made it short to just a list of questions I got because the next stage is lengthy for me to write. Please note that the pattern is almost the same as any other interview most companies used. Question number 11th is more on personal experience because I told interviewer my past leadership position as President of Nuclear Science Club. The Director of HR particularly asked me these questions.

1. Tell us about yourself.

2. Reason you choose Uniqlo. 

3. Type of store manager you would like to become in 5 years.

4. As store manager, what is your duty? 

5. Assuming sale is declining, what will you do as a store manager to improve your sale?

6. Which Uniqlo program you interest with?

7. What makes that program different than other companies?

8. What is your dream of career path in Uniqlo?

9. What is leadership to you?

10. Have you ever face major conflicts? How did you handle it?

 11. (As former president)

a) Please tell what have you contributed to your club?

b) What did you learn from managing the club?

c) What is your most prominent work you had done through your club?

April 11th & 12th - Uniqlo In-Store Experience

Waited a week for the next call. Uniqlo again contacted me through email and phone calls on the same day, 4th April. Props to them for keeping a consistent work on this. This stage is compulsory. Needed for us to better learn in-depth about how manager work in retail store. Honestly, I keep forgetting I'm applying for manager until today came. If you are one of those considering UMC, please keep in mind of the title position. So that you can brace better for the in-store experience.

190411 Thursday

First day made me anxious than I ever felt before. Candidates need to be at a 1U's Uniqlo store promptly at 8 AM, so anyone want to guess at what time I drove from home? Six. Solid 6 o'clock. Can't complain isn't. I literally signed up for this. Arrived at 7.45 AM, I made myself walk through empty mall, mesmerizing the fact this is my first time here and my first footprint was made before stores are open.

  Met with other candidates in the store's staff room, the Person-In-Charge (PIC), quickly gave us bum beg with a handbook in it and UMC name tag, requested all to keep our belonging inside locker provided. Although this is our first meet, energy filled in the room was bright thanks to staffs greeting each other. Have you ever seen Japanese's greeting? They've made it a part of their work culture in Uniqlo as well. We had our short orientation (like actually short- nickname & hometown) and a briefing. PIC introduced us to target sales, weekly layout, daily staff schedule and overall goals for 1U's branch. Honesty, too much information to be learned in little times.

  Store opening at 10 AM. Candidates joined the official staff to stand in line at the entrance, while holding a basket, shouting "Hello, welcome to Uniqlo!" and "Good morning welcome to Uniqlo!". It was cute and quite embarrassing to do for a newbie. However, staff seem fine doing it and kept exchanging smiles with each other. Maybe it's pinned to them already or maybe these greetings really do help lifting each other's energy. I then attended Ground Floor (Women 2) with the little knowledge from briefing and handbook. Only worked for an hour but I'm telling you, ensuring cleanliness (call '6 points') and doing replenishment (folding/product packaging) were enough to drain your energy. Luckily, an hour break exists so yes, finally, food.

  Resumed our work with same duties, but this time I've helped attending customers at the 1st floor (Men’s denim). Another meet with PIC was done at 3.45 PM. PIC told candidates to create goals to achieve, as to improve our customer services. My clear mistakes were that I didn't make eye contact when greeting the customer and I didn't have a basket on hands when offering one to a customer. Candidates continued working in the same area we were assigned to until 5.15 PM. Then we had group evaluation, discussion and casual presentation. Lastly, we returned our bum bag and UMC name tag before heading out. PIC also checked our personal begs for Loss & Prevention command they need to do.

Finally, home.

190412 Friday

We begin our work 2 hours later than previous day, mainly, because we no longer have orientation session. Promptly at 10 AM, candidates were tasked to become a customer instead and observe the overall sales floor condition. 15 mins later we gathered back in the staff room to discuss our findings and presented it to PIC.

  The next session is my favourite. We followed 1U Store Manager during her 'Store Check' on errors, missing SKU and sales floor schedule. She quickly described what she needs rectify and what type of actions taken to correct those errors. We also exchanged conversation to learn pointing out errors with her and she helped to provide solutions for that as well. It was only during this session; it painted a better picture for me what a Manager do for their store. I spend an hour from 11.30 AM with another candidate to rectify errors at the Ground Floor entrance. Both of us rearranged clothing according to their sizes in ascending order. Helped to maximize spaces in crowded clothing rack and relocated few misplaced products.

  Another observation was done after the afternoon break for what they called it as 'Sales Floor Command'. After operating for 4 hours, there would be a best-selling item on sales floor, hence, Store Manager will ensure those items are being restocked immediately. Changes in staff schedule will happen as well, so it's a part of her duty to check on staff availability too. We then continued to work on the sales floor; this time I worked alone at Women's Denim.

  At 4 PM, we met at the staff room for the final time- sharing session with Store Manager and Assistant Store Manager. It was an eye-opening for us to truly look deeper beyond just working to manage a retail store. There are stories, sacrifices, tears and sweats in their journey. I genuinely feel respect for both of them for staying with Uniqlo for 3 years. That's going to take a lot of thought and strength to stay loyal, isn't? The session ended and we returned home earlier, at 5.30 PM.

 On 18th April, Uniqlo invited me to their final interview.

April 23rd – Final Interview

I met Ammar, another candidate trained during In-Store, 10 mins before we get called to the interview. I thought this time we will be interviewed one on one. Ammar thought differently and he was correct. We had duo interview together and surprisingly, the final interview lasted earlier than that of first interview. But this time the questions were more interesting.

1. Introduce yourself.

2. Why you choose Uniqlo?

3. Do you have personal reasons on choosing this position?

4. What did you think on your previous leadership skill?

5. What is your aspiration in life?

6. Lastly, why should we hire you?

  I’m down for question number 5. Didn’t expect it but I feel delighted to see this question arise from interviewer. It’s simple but heavy. Not to be that person but, we all know how much we can learn from a person’s answer to this question. You get to dig them better. 

Well, I guess that’s serve its purpose alone in an interview. By the way did I tell you the interviewers were CEO of Uniqlo Malaysia and Director of HR? Peed? A little. Not literal.

  Fast forward to 2nd of May, I received a job offer from Uniqlo. Happy and just happy to the core that I managed to secure a position that is out of my education background, after 6 stages, after 2 months of selection process. To be frank, it's a shock to me having to endure such long process for my very first job I applied to. Anyway, you did well, Izyan.

Here’s to more challenges for myself in a newly start career. Let’s get it!