The Walgreens pharmacy and drug store is a great place to look for a new job if you’re in the neighborhood. Plus, with over 225,000 employees, the company is a major employer. Still, you want to make sure you can answer the Walgreens interview questions aces so you can stand out from the other people who apply.
Fortunately, that isn’t as challenging as you’d expect. If you get ready and follow these tips, you’ll be ready for anything the hiring manager throws at you. Here’s what you need to know.
Getting hired at Walgreens is an exciting opportunity for many job seekers. With over 9,000 locations across all 50 states, Walgreens is the second largest pharmacy store chain in the United States. The company prides itself on providing exceptional customer service and being a neighborhood health destination.
To join the Walgreens team, candidates must go through the interview process While interviews are tailored to specific jobs, certain questions get asked frequently across all Walgreens interviews I’ve compiled the top 25 most common Walgreens interview questions and provided example answers to help prepare you for the big day.
1. Tell Me About Yourself
Nearly every interview kicks off with the open-ended “tell me about yourself” icebreaker question. Interviewers ask this to put candidates at ease and learn brief highlights of their background. Keep your answer to 1-2 minutes focusing only on relevant work experience and skills End with an interesting personal fact to build rapport
Example: “I’m a pharmacy technician with over 5 years of experience filling prescriptions in retail pharmacy settings. I’m detail-oriented, comfortable multitasking, and committed to providing excellent patient care. In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing and taking road trips across the country.”
2. Why Do You Want to Work at Walgreens?
Hiring managers want to gauge your interest in Walgreens. Convey passion and enthusiasm for the company. Mention specific things that appeal to you like their focus on preventative care and accessible health services. Show you’ve done your research.
Example: “I’m excited to work for a company focused on community health and wellbeing. Walgreens’ commitment to preventative care and accessible services really resonates with me. I also love that employees rave about the supportive work culture and opportunities for advancement.”
3. What Experience Do You Have in Retail or Customer Service?
Retail and customer service experience are preferred for most Walgreens jobs. Even if you don’t have direct pharmacy experience, highlight any skills from past jobs that relate. Emphasize skills like product knowledge, cash handling, multitasking, and resolving issues.
Example: “While I don’t have pharmacy experience yet, my 3 years working at a department store sharpened my customer service skills significantly. I assisted customers with purchases, educated them on products, handled cash registers, resolved issues, and juggled multiple tasks at once. This experience makes me confident I can provide exceptional service at Walgreens.”
4. How Do You Handle Angry or Difficult Customers?
Dealing with the occasional upset customer is inevitable, so interviewers want to know you can handle it professionally. Describe your strategy for de-escalating conflicts and turning frustrated customers into happy ones. Emphasize patience, empathy and your commitment to resolving issues.
Example: “I start by listening closely to understand the root of their frustration. I empathize and apologize for the inconvenience. From there, I remain calm and focus on finding a resolution, whether that means making a return, contacting a manager, or offering coupons to compensate them. My goal is always to part on a positive note.”
5. Tell Me About a Time You Went Above and Beyond for a Customer.
Going above-and-beyond is key to Walgreens’ customer service philosophy. Share an example that highlights your dedication and ability to provide an exceptional experience. Describe the situation briefly, the actions you took, and the outcome.
Example: “One busy evening, an elderly customer was struggling to find cold medicine and seemed disoriented. I walked her to the aisle, recommended the best products for her symptoms, and helped her comparison shop to get the best value. I could tell she was very grateful for the assistance. Helping her ended up making my whole night.”
6. How Do You Handle a Rush or High-Pressure Situation?
Pharmacy jobs inevitably get hectic at times. Discuss strategies for staying cool under pressure like managing your emotions, focusing on one task at a time, and asking for help when needed. Convey that you thrive and enjoy the fast pace.
Example: “When it gets extremely busy, I take a deep breath to collect myself before jumping into the work. I focus solely on the current task in front of me, blocking out distractions. If I start to feel overwhelmed, I don’t hesitate to ask coworkers for assistance. I enjoy the energy of a rush – it makes the day go by quickly.”
7. Tell Me About a Time You Disagreed With a Policy or Process. How Did You Handle It?
The interviewer is assessing your critical thinking skills and ability to constructively question policies. Avoid framing past disagreements negatively. Explain your rationale objectively, and emphasize that you expressed concerns professionally through proper channels.
Example: “When a new checkout policy caused longer customer wait times, I worried it would hurt customer loyalty. I spoke to my manager candidly yet respectfully, outlining my concerns and suggestions for streamlining the process. While the policy stayed in place, I felt my manager appreciated me voicing my perspective, and it opened up a productive dialogue.”
8. A Customer Hands You a Coupon That Expired Yesterday. What Do You Do?
For customer-facing roles, interviewers want to see flexibility and judgment. In your response, explain that you’d make a one-time exception in this case as the coupon just recently expired. Highlight that you ultimately empower employees to use their best judgement to keep customers satisfied.
Example: “Given the coupon just expired, I would honor it this one time as long as it doesn’t violate any major policies. The most important goal is ensuring the customer has a positive experience and continues shopping with us. However, if it was expired for a long time, I would need to politely decline.”
9. How Do You Prioritize When Multitasking?
Pharmacy staff juggle many concurrent tasks and requests. Share an example of how you stay organized when multitasking. Convey that you recognize urgent safety matters, balance competing tasks efficiently, and ask for guidance when unsure.
Example: “When filling prescriptions, I’m careful to always complete any involving medications a patient needs to take immediately first. For routine prescriptions, I cluster tasks together that use similar tools to minimize rework. If I’m ever uncertain what should be highest priority, I consult my manager.”
10. You’re Working the Register and Notice Your Cash Drawer is $20 Short at the End of Your Shift. What Do You Do?
For cash handling positions, hiring managers want to see accountability and integrity. Explain that you would immediately notify the manager on duty of the discrepancy. Highlight that you double count cash drawers before and after shifts to prevent such issues.
Example: “I would let the manager on duty know about the shortage right away and apologize for the mistake. In the future, I would be even more diligent about counting my cash drawer before and after each shift to ensure no discrepancies. I take cash management procedures very seriously.”
11. How Do You Stay Up-To-Date on Pharmacy Trends and New Products?
For pharmacy roles, you’ll need to demonstrate curiosity and commitment to continuous learning. Discuss reading industry journals, taking continuing education courses, joining pharmacy associations, and networking with other pharmacists.
Example: “I read Pharmacy Times each month to learn about the latest treatment guidelines and drug approvals. I’m also a member of my state’s pharmacy association, which hosts annual conferences featuring industry experts. Networking with pharmacists at other chains allows us to trade insights and developments as well.”
12. Tell Me About a Time You Messed Up at Work. How Did You Handle It?
Everyone makes mistakes, so interviewers want to assess your accountability and maturity. Briefly explain the situation, but focus most of your answer on the actions you took post-mistake and the lessons you learned. Convey you take ownership of mistakes and see them as growth opportunities.
Example: “When I first started as a pharmacy tech, I mixed up a patient’s medication brands even though her doctor required a specific one. As soon as I realized my error, I apologized sincerely and let the pharmacist know so we could swiftly contact the patient. From that point on, I took extra care confirming brands matched the script exactly.”
13. Why Do You Want to Be a Pharmacy Technician?
For pharmacy tech candidates, share what interests you about the career. Convey your desire to help patients, passion for healthcare, and interest in science and medications. Back up your answer with personal experiences, classes you’ve taken, or exposure to the field.
Example: “I’ve always been fascinated by science and health topics. My biology and chemistry classes were my favorite, and my aunt is a pharmacist. I shadowed her and loved seeing the impact she had on patient lives. I want to get my start as a pharmacy tech and expand my healthcare knowledge.”
14. How Do You Stay Organized While Multitasking?
Organization is key when handling the demands of pharmacy work. Discuss systems like color-coding, spreadsheets, reminders,
Tell me about a time when you had to be empathetic in the workplace.
There are people who come to Walgreens for more than just shopping because it has a pharmacy and some locations have quick clinics. Some have unique medical needs, and some of those can be challenging.
This question is asked by hiring managers to see how you handle situations where you need to show empathy to make sure the customer has a good experience. This question comes up a lot in jobs that have to do with pharmacies, but it can also happen in other retail jobs.
EXAMPLE ANSWER:
How to Answer Walgreens Interview Questions
Alright, before we dig into the Walgreens interview questions and answers, let’s take a quick step back. You can’t just learn the questions; you need a reliable strategy by your side, too. That way, if the hiring manager tosses you a curveball, you’ll know how to approach it.
So, what do you need to do to get ready? First, you need to tackle some research.
If you’re going to impress with any interview answer, you need to create a sense of alignment. By learning more about the job, culture, and company, that’s far easier.
Walgreens is a giant in the pharmacy and drugstore space. They’ve also grown into more direct forms of health care, and some locations have small medical clinics inside their stores.
The job description is the best place to start your research because most stores have more than one job opening. You can learn a lot about what the hiring manager wants from the list of skills and experience that you must have. Plus, any descriptions of the environment give you clues about the culture and key traits they’re after.
If you then move onto the company website, you can find out more about the culture on the careers page. Also, check out the Walgreens mission and values statements for even more insights.
Finally, head over to social media and check out the company’s profiles. Again, it’s a great way to learn about the culture. On top of that, you might see news about changes or successes at the company that can help you improve your answers.
Okay, now that you know what to do, let’s talk about how to answer different kinds of interview questions. Usually, the traditional ones are the simplest to handle.
Most of those will ask you if you have specific knowledge or skills. If you do, you can say so, but make your answer more powerful by giving an example from your past that shows how you used it.
If you don’t have the knowledge or skill, don’t panic. Instead, be honest, and then either explain how you’ll learn it or stress that you’re willing to learn. Either way, you’ll look like a great candidate.
With behavioral and situational questions, you need to change things up a bit. Both typically require an example. With behavioral ones, you’ll rely on past experiences. With situational questions, you discuss how you’d navigate a hypothetical scenario.
When it comes to the structure of your answer, combine the STAR Method and the Tailoring Method. It ensures your answer is thorough and compelling while keeping it highly relevant.
