I applied through an employee referral. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Trader Joe's (Boston, MA) in Mar 2011
Interview
Casual one-on-one interview. Simple Question and Answer. I met the captain of the store and he asked me standard interview questions such as: "Tell me about yourself?", "Tell me what you already know about Trader Joe's?" "How did you hear about Trader Joe's?", and "What is it about Trader Joe's that made you want to apply?"
Applied online and had one in person interview with the captain. It lasted maybe 10 minutes. Got a call a week or so later that I got the job. Very fast process.
It's two to three interviews, the final with the Captain (or highest manager) of the store. The interviews are largely to get to know your personality and how well you would do at customer service.
The interview process was absolutely wonderful! I didn't feel stressed or nervous and it felt like I was just chatting with a friend! Trader Joes is a great company and the interview was great.