Ayesha Muhammad 

Professor: Megan J. Skelly 

Writing Social Sciences

Spring 2020

Transcultural Interview 

 “Oh my god!! I am so late,” Courtney said as she entered the cafe called a toast. I chose a seat next to the window, where there were sun rays. I got to the place 20 mins before she got there. Courtney is HR for the retail company called Uniqlo. She has been with the company for more than seven years. I knew little of Courtney by working with her for more than a year. When she arrived, she was wearing light blue jeans with a grey blouse and short black booties with a coat that goes up to her ankle and a big scarf around her neck to protect herself from a big gust of cold wind. We settle down and order hot drinks to sip on during our conversations.

I started by asking how she is, and she said: “I am freezing.” But then she proceeded with I am good, and how about you? I answered with I am great as well thank you. She said she was “nervous” because she doesn’t know what I was going to ask her about. 

I proceeded with my first question, and she answered by saying, “working as HR can sometimes be hard, but it is gratifying as well.” She said that she has been with so many companies and worked with a whole bunch of HR teams, but Uniqlo is very calming. She learns a lot from fellow employees as well as “creating lasting relationships” and seeks ways to solve problems. She answered me with full confidence and with a smile on her face. I felt very appreciative since I also work with her, and I saw how passionate she was with her answer. How has your position changed over time? “When I started my job, I was working under the higher up my job only included going through the work that she already had done. Now I have grown exponentially in my job. I went from working under someone to having them work for me over the years of hard work.” How does your job role contribute to Uniqlo’s goals? “Our company has a unique vision, and with a high-quality corporate team, they help me achieve the vision. My role has a big impact on employees. I make sure nobody is getting assaulted; there are no types of violations; I have zero tolerance for bullying”. She said all of that without any hesitation. My next question took her by surprise when I asked her how she measures her success, and she stated: “I pay attention to people around me and notice how many employees pay attention to me.” After a couple of questions, she got distracted by the phone call and asked me if she can get excused. After a couple of minutes, I proceeded with my next question about the challenges, she said. In essence, there are a lot of problems when you work as HR, especially with a company with a lot of employees and other corporations, primarily when they all depend on you during their hardships and other personal issues. “I did not choose Uniqlo as my workplace. however, I am very grateful that I get to work with the amazing fast retail company, which is environmentally friendly and has great customer service reviews and amazing staff that work together to make this place better every other day.” That was her answer to my question, which was about her choosing Uniqlo. My next question was similar to the last one, which was how she stays motivated, and she repeated and said that the team keeps me motivated. The eagerness of helping others through my work keeps me motivated, trying to solve someone’s problems, and having people believe in me keeps me motivated. Every answer was full of enthusiasm, and she answered with a smile and complete respect and honesty. What behaviors do the most successful members of the team exhibit? “I like my team to be full of great energy, positive mindset, willing to help on the sales floor and when they are not on the sales floor, smile, provide great customer service, know the rules and regulations of their jobs, and respect others.” As I was approaching the end of the interview, I asked how she delivers negative feedback, she said. In essence, it is always a key to call the person to the office where no other person is present and focus on the behavior, not the person and be specific do not “run around the bush” and at the end let the person talk and listen to his or her point of view. With that last question, we were done, and it was dark outside. She said that it was delightful, and she gave me her consent to use her name and the company’s name in my interview. I also asked for her permission to record her answers on the audio so that I won’t forget any details. 

 

Interview questions

• What do you like most working here at uniqlo?\
• How has your position changed overtime?
• How does your job role contribute to Uniqlo’s goals?
• Since you are a successful woman, what metrics would you use to measure success in HR roles?
• What are the hardest challagings you came across through your journey?
• Why did you choose Uniqlo as your workplace?
• You’ve been with this company for a while. What keeps you so motivated?
• What behaviors do the most successful members of the team exhibit?
• How do you deliver negative feedback?

Relection:

  The hardest part about this interview was getting a person to agree on making a conversation with you. There were a lot of doubts in my head, such as, what if the person is not free on the day I am free to do an interview. However, on the day of the meeting, I was nervous about having HR sit next to me to answer some of the questions I have for her. I was surprised to see how nervous she was to answer my questions; however, she answered all of them with a big smile. I was able to write some answers down even though I was recording her voice as well. When she got a phone call, I thought maybe she is going to cut it short and will have me come back. Thus I was ready to pack up and head home disappointed. When I was typing the interview, I did not know which style to do, so I decided to do a question and answered the form with more details. It was annoying going back and forth between the recordings and the notes, but somehow I managed. She was older than me so I have to address her with respect , however she said to call her by her name and think of her as her friend who her just chatting with each other.  I really liked this assignment in a way because it helped me to get my HR better as a person and how she motivated she is by her work.