I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Panera Bread in Apr 2014
Interview
Applied online at least a month before getting a call. At first, I wasn't even sure which store I had applied for or which job they were calling for. Anyway, they asked me to come in for an interview the following week. When I arrived, I talked to one of the cashiers and told her I was there for an interview, she went to the back and told the supervisor. Came back, offered me a drink and told me to sit where I pleased and someone would be out shortly. I sat down and waited for a bit, I don't like looking at my phone before an interview so I'm not sure how much time had passed. Not more than fifteen minutes, at most. The supervisor came out and just asked a few questions. Mainly wanted to know if I had reliable transportation and if I had flexible hours. Nothing too deep, he said that the general manager needs to interview everyone before they can be offered employment. Asked me to come back same time next week. I did and the second interview went a lot like the first, except for the fact that it lasted like 3 minutes. I walked in at three and left before 3:05. Basically just reiterated that I had transportation and had flexible hours. Also reminded me that it was a part time job. She then asked me to come back the next day to do some paperwork and computer work. That's basically it.
The paperwork is all standard stuff, nothing too complicated. The computer work was tedious, a lot of e-learnings but nothing unbearable. Was given a training schedule and off I went.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Truthfully, there wasn't even a tough question in there.
Overall, the process was very easy, and the interview was no more than 20 minutes. Met with one of the managers, and it was mostly conversational. I was hired immediately,
They just gave me a tour of back of house, told me how it is for employees, and asked about my availability to get me scheduled. Very easy, but maybe easier than normal as I was a high schooler at the time.
You may get a phone call from a hiring manager or recruiter to confirm basic details like availability and interest.
Some stores skip the phone call and go straight to an in-person chat.
This step is usually short and casual.
In-Person Interview
This is the core part of the process for an associate role:
What to expect:
A one-on-one interview with a manager or shift leader at the café.
It’s often informal and brief—many candidates report it lasting about 10–20 minutes or less.
In some cases, a group interview might be used first, especially if hiring multiple people.
Typical interview topics:
Your availability and schedule.
Customer service and teamwork experience.
Why you want to work at Panera.
How you handle busy situations or customer issues.
Which part of the job appeals to you most.
Typical vibe: relaxed, conversational, and focused on personality and fit more than technical skills.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How you handle busy situations or customer issues.
Associate applicants have rated the interview process at Panera Bread with 1.8 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 73% positive. To compare, the company-average is 70.3% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Associate roles take an average of 8 days to get hired, when considering 595 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Panera Bread overall takes an average of 9 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Panera Bread as a Associate according to 595 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 50%
Personality test: 11%
Background check: 10%
Skills test: 7%
Presentation: 6%
Group panel interview: 4%
Phone interview: 4%
IQ intelligence test: 4%
Drug test: 3%
Other: 2%
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