I applied in-person. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at DSW
Interview
I applied in person. When I turned in my application a sales associate tossed it into a drawer which was fairly disheartening but a couple months later I got a call for an interview. I agreed to a time and date for the interview and dressed in business clothes (slacks, blouse, and heels). I suggest wearing some cute/ smart looking shoes because you are applying to work in a shoe warehouse so showing some interest in the product they sell won't hurt.
The interview was very generic and it was the only interview I had to go to. It was in a group setting in the back of the store, there were about ten of us. We sat in a semi-circle facing the number one and two managers who were both very nice and polite. Once they started asking questions there was no order for who had to answer first, it was all fairly casual.
Everyone in my group ended up getting hired. After that there was some paperwork and training. The training period is very short and then you are out on the floor with everyone else. It’s a learn on the job type of position.
Some questions they asked:
“What is one strength and one weakness you have”
“What is your definition of humility”
“What are your favorite types of shoes”
“Tell us a time when you had to deal with a particularly difficult person and what steps you took to resolve the issue(s) there were with them”
What you’d expect for a PT sales associate position — 15-30 minutes long, one-on-one with the manager, and questions that you’d expect to answer for a retail sales associate job.
I applied through other source. I interviewed at DSW in Jun 2026
Interview
Easy! The manager listed times when she was available, and I was able to choose when to come in. The questions were really straightforward and conversational. I was also able to ask a lot of questions to see if it was a right fit for me!
I applied online. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at DSW (Maple Grove, MN)
Interview
Easy. Waited for a manager in the front took me to the back on for store and had the interview in a little room off to the side. Quick process called when I got the job.
DSW interviews FAQs
Sales Associate applicants have rated the interview process at DSW with 2 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 75% positive. To compare, the company-average is 74.1% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Sales Associate roles take an average of 10 days to get hired, when considering 423 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at DSW overall takes an average of 12 days.
Common stages of the interview process at DSW as a Sales Associate according to 423 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 33%
Background check: 15%
Group panel interview: 10%
Personality test: 10%
Drug test: 9%
Skills test: 8%
Presentation: 5%
IQ intelligence test: 5%
Phone interview: 5%
Other: 0%
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