Interview Insider: How to Get Hired at Whole Foods

Interview Insider: How to Get Hired at Whole Foods

11/11/2014 11:00:00 pm

The interview process is tough, but you can get a senior-level role without a college degree.

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Whole Foods Market is largely responsible for mainstreaming healthy eating. Its stores are not only stocked with locally sourced, organic produce, but they emit a cool vibe — from their modern, hip interiors to their charismatic employees. The company has grown from a single market in 1980 with 19 employees to a global grocery chain with 87,000 employees in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company now has 381 stores in the U.S. alone, with two more slated to open in November.
Global talent recruiter Andres Traslavina shares what it takes to become a member of the team.
What qualities do you look for in every candidate?
We look for people we can trust. We want people who are caring, empowered, entrepreneurial, and self-aware. The best candidates are aware of what they do better than anyone, and they know what their weaknesses are.
How often do you hire new people?
There are openings every day. We have on average between 1,500 to 2,000 openings nationwide, including our international jobs that are in the U.K. and Canada. We're growing rapidly, and our goal is to have 1,200 stores in the U.S alone.
What makes your interview process unique?
It's probably longer than the industry average. It takes about 60 days. Candidates apply for a position, and then there is a phone screening, one-on-one interviews with a recruiter and a hiring manager, and group interviews with different employees. We also have what we call "speed meetings." It's like speed dating where we bring in several candidates at the same time, and they answer questions from a group of managers, recruiters, and employees. At the end of the process, there is always a panel interview. Each candidate sits in front of a manager, a recruiter, and select employees, and answers questions.
Do all candidates undergo this rigorous interview process?
Every candidate for every role goes through this process. We do all of this because finding the right fit is the most important aspect of hiring a new employee. We want to ensure that they will be happy and we will be happy as well. After the candidate is hired, there is a team vote at the end of 30 or 60 days, depending on the role. It's a way to have team members assess the performance of their coworkers.
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Has anyone ever been voted out?
Our hope is to vote every new employee in, but if they are voted out, it's because there has been a series of warnings and/or complaints already logged against this person.
What do you expect candidates to know about the company before an interview?
There are so many resources for candidates to learn about Whole Foods. We have a comprehensive careers website. We have a staff blog. Our co-CEOs have their own blog as well, and there are countless YouTube videos out there. There's no excuse to come to an interview and not understand our core values and the company's mission. It's blasted everywhere. Some people can memorize what's on a website and recite it, but recruiters always know. We're looking for you to be able to unveil who you really are. What are your passions? How do your values fit in with ours?
What types of jobs are available for recent graduates?
At the store level, there are tremendous opportunities to join with teams in produce, in specialty sections, as customer service, concierge service, cashiers. There are opportunities to lead departments as well. Some examples of roles include barista, store graphic artist, data specialist, holiday order specialist, and store manager.
Is there a degree requirement?
We don't require degrees for anyone who comes to work at Whole Foods, whether you're applying for a senior-level role or an entry-level one. John Mackey, our co-founder and co-CEO, is a perfect example of someone with a lot of responsibility without a degree. He went to the University of Texas at Austin but didn't get a degree. Another example is Suzanne Britt, one of our IT directors, who has a degree in health care management, which is completely unrelated to her current job. We want to offer candidates opportunities based on some of the experiences they have had and the skill set they have developed, either from education or from life.
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Where do you recruit candidates?
In addition to our careers website, we are actively recruiting through social media channels — LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. We have dedicated pages to employment opportunities on each of these networks. Before we open any new store, we host local hiring events and also reach recruit through these social media channels with dedicated job postings and articles about the company.
Do you attend trade shows or job fairs to recruit talent?
We partner with many universities, such as Stanford, University of Texas at Austin, and IESE Business School, as well as attend trade shows regularly, such as SXSW Tech Career Expo, Work! Chicago (which is a career fair for LGBTQ youth), and the National Association of Colleges and Employers conference.
Are referrals a big part of recruiting?
The reason why they are so important is that everyone that gets hired at Whole Foods has the DNA that matches with our culture. We want to replicate that DNA. If an employee tells us that she has a friend that she thinks will be a great fit for the company, that's very important to us.
How can I interact with you on social media to stand out as a candidate?
If you Google my name, you will find my email and my phone number. We are accessible. I love when people interact with me to ask questions or share a story. And we have established lines of communication on all of the social networks. But it is important to connect with purpose. Random invites and email blasts don't tell me you are savvy.
What types of questions do you typically ask in an interview?
"Which of our core values do you identify yourself with the most and why?" That question first tests if the candidate has done his or her homework and knows our core values, and then it allows them to tell us why they feel connected to the company. We ask behavioral questions such as, "Tell me about a time when you wowed a customer."
What questions should candidates always ask in an interview?
Ask specific questions about everyday life as a team member, such as "Tell me what brought you to Whole Foods." "What am I expected to do in the next 30 to 90 days?" "How will my success be measured?" You can throw back the values question at me and ask what core value I identify with most.
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What questions should they never ask?
You can save time by not asking questions that are really obvious. Read more and be prepared so you don't ask what our mission is. That is probably a bad question.
Is it OK to bring up salary?
Absolutely. We are very transparent when it comes to compensation. I usually have that conversation before an interview as a screening question. I want to make sure we respect our candidates' time.
What's a mistake people make in interviews all the time and don't know it?
When people come in and bad-mouth another company or a previous employer, those are red flags. We respect our competitors and the industry as a whole.
What's the most memorable thing anyone has done in an interview that landed him or her the job?
There was a man who wanted to join our Whole Planet Foundation, which supports entrepreneurships to alleviate poverty in 61 different countries. He came to our global headquarters in Austin with a FedEx envelope filled with his résumé and references for the executive director. He said, "I'm not leaving here until I get to speak to him for five minutes." He wasn't pushy but passionate. He had just come from the Peace Corps, and he wanted to showcase why he felt he belonged here. That man was Steve Wanta, who is now our global programming director of the Whole Planet Foundation, and one of the company's rock stars.
What's the interview dress code?
If you come in a suit and tie, it's going to be a little uncomfortable. We are very casual. Our senior leaders are also casual. We don't want to spend time in the morning putting suits together. By doing a little bit of research, you will find out some of the cultural things that make Whole Foods unique and you can adjust your interview style to who we are.
Do thank-you cards or emails matter to you?
If they are sending a thank-you email just because they feel that they need to as part of the process, it's not going to have the same effect as something that is personal. When we know it's coming from the heart, it's appreciated.
Interview Insider is weekly series offering tips for getting a job at some of your favorite companies. Check back every Thursday for the latest interview.
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