Began with a phone screening (30 minutes): basic culture-fit questions (who are you; why do you want to work here), some operational questions (how do you delegate tasks), and some leadership questions (how do you coach an under-performing team member; how do you course-correct in the moment). They asked me about my compensation expectations. Second interview (20 minutes) was with the District Manager. It was more of the same questions from the phone screening, but a little more specific: how do you manage multiple tasks; how do you ensure floor coverage to meet customer needs; how do you coach under-performance; how do you manage your time. The DM also asked about my compensation expectations. While the initial phone screening gave a positive impression of the company, the interview with the DM was a poorer experience. I was shocked that the DM made some comments about one of their teams in Alberta to me, an external candidate, that were negative and catty. They mentioned that one of the stores was "taking a long time to learn things; over 6 months" and that they "prefer people who have common sense; it's lacking". I thought those comments were highly unprofessional, and it leads me to think about what kind of comments would be said behind my back if I took their offer. Furthermore, the DM did not seem confident in their knowledge of Lovisa's pay/salary bands. In fact, they actually did not state what their compensation or salary range was in the job posting or during the interview. They simply said up front, "I'll have to see if we can afford you," which gave me pause and made me reconsider my excitement for working for this brand. The entire process from phone screen to second interview took about a week. The conversation left off with the DM stating they would follow up by next week, but given the unprofessional comments regarding the current staff and the lack of transparency around compensation, I decided not to pursue the role further.