I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Panera Bread (Seal Beach, CA) in Jul 2014
Interview
Applied online, got called by a recruiter for a group interview. Went to the group interview, they asked generic questions mainly wanting to get to know: likeability, energy level, and how I got along in a group. Interviewer, you could tell, does this all the time and sees so many, many people. I think she is mainly looking for people who don't fit in or don't get along or don't have enough energy and in a group setting can easily weed them out which saves her time to interview us all on our own. I noticed varying age levels, but I think I was the oldest there. Some people went too in-depth about their personal lives and I found that annoying. The biggest thing I did was always commend what other people were saying with head nods and smiles.
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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