I applied online. I interviewed at Publix (Tampa, FL) in Feb 2009
Interview
I applied at the in store kiosk and received a response within a week. Make sure you arrive at least 10 minutes early and dress nicely. Image is important especially when they hire cashiers. The interview was simple and laid back. They usually already know they're going to hire you when you go in for the interview, but if you don't dress the part or fail the interview process they won't bother with you.
The manager will ask you why do you want to work at Publix? How do you handle particular situations. They will confirm what days/hours you're available for. Then the rest of the interview will be casual to try and gauge your personality. He asked about what is my most proud accomplishment, what I plan on doing with my major and where I'd like to go to college. After bantering he told me my hourly pay and asked if I'd be willing to take a drug test. Once they ask about the drug test you are hired if they don't ask you that it's safe to assume you will not be working with them.
When interviewing you have to give answers they want to hear so don't try to be aggressive during the interview process. I've heard about interviews where kids have been too honest or nonchalant. For example when they ask what would you do if a customer doesn't want help don't respond and say that you wouldn't bother with them because they said they don't want help. You respond by showing how you'd implement your customer service skills to let the customer know that you're available and if they do have any questions you can help and just be courteous. As long as you focus on customer service and wanting to be apart of the Publix team you will get the job. It's an easy interview.
Working with Publix can be fun, it's important to get to know your co-workers and be on everyone's good side. It's a tight-knit family and the benefits and flexibility are superb. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion to managers once hired because they like assertiveness. So if you feel overworked and not appreciated tell them, but be careful how you tell them. Opening the doors to those conversations are key to being able to move up and assure your raises.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What would you do if a customer did not want help?
Very easy interview just walk in and talk about your experience and retail then they do a drug test. Don’t sweat it, if you walk in confident you should be fine
Relaxed one on one interview process. They want to know why want to work at Publix, how you will handle angry customers, and what your weekly shift availbility is. They prioritize candidates who can work busy retail hours, such as weekends, late evenings, and early mornings.
Get asked about yourself, your goals, how you approach providing premiere customer service. They also ask what you availability is like. I thought it would be more nerve racking than it was.
Publix interviews FAQs
Cashier applicants have rated the interview process at Publix with 1.9 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 82% positive. To compare, the company-average is 78.1% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Cashier roles take an average of 12 days to get hired, when considering 377 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Publix overall takes an average of 14 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Publix as a Cashier according to 377 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 29%
Drug test: 21%
Skills test: 15%
Background check: 13%
Personality test: 6%
Presentation: 5%
IQ intelligence test: 4%
Group panel interview: 3%
Phone interview: 3%
Other: 2%
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