Company Information
Based out of Cincinnati, OH, The Kroger Company operates the largest grocery store chain in the United States. Present in nearly 30 states across the country, Kroger supermarkets carry thousands of major grocery items and exclusive products and services. In addition to flagship stores, the impressive company maintains a variety of other supermarket banners in multiple regions of the country. The grocery chain currently employs upwards of 300,000 associates across America, with more job seekers joining the ranks on a regular basis.
How to Get a Job at Kroger
Various interview formats
Kroger grocery stores conduct job interviews every day for new team members. The company conducts interviews for both part-time and full-time jobs alike. However, interview formats may differ accordingly. Entry-level applicants undergo an orientation process that involves group exercises, one-on-one discussions, and other formats deemed necessary.
Common Kroger Interview Questions
Kroger interview questions touch on several unique subjects. Most questions are related to the job and company information. Applicants must use this time to show enthusiasm and ability to perform tasks demanded of the position.
- What do you do in your spare time?
- Can you lift 50 lbs?
- Why are you qualified for the job?
- Why do you want to work here?
Other interview topics include availability, job skills, personal interests, and qualities that match company philosophy of excellent customer service.
Make Yourself Stand Out
With thousands of job seekers applying to Kroger, individuals must set themselves apart from the competition. Candidates with an engaging personality, excellent communication skills, and confidence often receive the highest consideration from Kroger hiring managers. Several internal and external strategies may help applicants in interviewing with the chain. Dressing properly will help establish professionalism.
How to Dress
Deciding what to wear to a Kroger interview could be difficult for some. Most applicants dress in business casual attire, such as a pair of khaki pants and a buttoned shirt or blouse. A suit and tie may not be necessary, but prospective workers should look nice. Wearing the right outfit can impress the hiring manager and increase the chances of employment.
Tips for Practicing
Good nonverbal communication skills will further establish confidence and include maintaining eye contact, keeping good posture, and avoiding any twitching or nervous ticks. Clear and concise communication should be evident in all stages of the Kroger interview process. Clearly display customer service capabilities and schedule flexibility, and maintain communication with Kroger grocery stores consistently for the duration of the hiring process.
Insider Tips
Videos: We sit down and talk to former Kroger employees about their jobs.
Kroger Cashier Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Kroger Cashier: Now Kroger’s, that was my favorite job. I miss that job. I was in Columbus at the time. I worked at Kroger’s in Columbus. I started as a cashier. I got promoted to customer service, working in the offices, doing bill payment, lottery, Western Union. Basically, a lot of money handling I had to do there; basically a lot of money handling. But that’s my favorite job. I really enjoyed my job.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Kroger Cashier: I’ve worked on campus at [LSU 00:00:00:45], in the middle of campus, so I got got to meet a lot of people, professors, different ethnicities that people raise; I got to learn more people. Everybody’s just … I like the diversity there. Everybody’s always happy, the atmosphere is bubbly, the employees there is great. It’s just a great job.
Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Kroger Cashier: I don’t know. I like all the parts. One thing I love about Kroger’s, they treat their employees with a lot of respect, like we have different parties, events. They always got something to do for us. They always doing stuff for us. And one thing I love about it, that you have a union, so it’s a lot of benefits. And working at Kroger’s, you got a 401(k), I got the medical, dental, union. So anything happen, you can always come back. You know about a union, people don’t know about a union, but they got credit line, so it put your credit up. There’s a lot of benefits and stuff there.
Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.
Kroger Cashier: Well, when I got there, they had a open interview day when I first started there. And they open interview, and I went up there and interviewed, talked to the people, and I filled out paperwork, and I had an interview the same time. And I got hired that same day, came back about a week. It happened that weekend, so I started that Monday, got fitted for my uniform, and they was hiring on the spot at the time.
Interviewer: What questions did the
Interviewer ask during the job interview?
Kroger Cashier: They asked you your last employment; basic questions: your last employment, how you is working with customers, are you good on time, and your skill sets, and [inaudible] skill sets, so they go by how your your previous employees is, and they go by how much experience you have. So that help with your pay rate. So the more you had, the more money you get.
Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Kroger Cashier: Personality. Personality. I love my personality. Everybody loves [inaudible 00:03:08]. It just sets me apart. I’m just very hot. I’ll go in verbally, work on time. I’m ready to work. I’m never sad. And if I do have something going on, nobody never noticed.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Kroger Cashier: You’re looking for a job, this is a great first job to ever start. There’s people have been working there for years, and the age rate has started 13. So if you’re 13 years old, you can get a job there. You could be a bag person or a cart pusher, and still get good benefits.
Kroger Store Associate Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties with Kroger.
Kroger Employee: I was a bagger, which basically means I would bag the groceries at the end of the register, then I would offer to help the customers out to their car. And if they accepted, you would go out and load up their cars and you would grab the carts that are out there and push them back into the store. That’s basically what you would do all day. Occasionally, you would clean the restrooms, but other than that, that was about it.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like at Kroger?
Kroger Employee: It was pretty relaxed. Everyone was equal there. It’s unionized, so everyone is pretty level as far as seniority and authority goes. There’s just store managers, then supervisors, and everyone else underneath them. So, it’s pretty relaxed and equal.
Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working for Kroger?
Kroger Employee: My favorite part about working for Kroger was probably the people I worked with. Like I said, they were laid back and there wasn’t a whole lot of drama going on, and we had a lot of fun doing our job. I think that environment made it easier to shop with because there weren’t so many tense attitudes, and that made it a better store environment.
Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as a Kroger store associate.
Kroger Employee: Well, if you were the closing bagger, you would go in at night. Your shift would start around six to ten or midnight. You would push in the carts off the lot and you put them on the side of the store. Then, you would change all the trash bags and clean the restrooms at night. If you opened, your shift would start at six or seven, and end around eleven or three. Then, you would come in and clean all four of the restrooms, for employees and customers. Then, you would fill all the bag racks for the day. Around nine, your first help would get there. After that, you’re pretty much just bagging groceries for the rest of the day.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process with Kroger?
Kroger Employee: You apply online. They have things set in the application where if it conflicts with their policy, you get a red flag on your application and they won’t consider it. The first thing you have to do is get your application to meet what they are looking for. After that, they call you in for a store interview. Then, after they call you in for the store interview you meet with the person in charge of hiring. They just ask you questions. It’s a pretty casual interview. There isn’t a lot of pressure into it.
Interviewer: What should an applicant wear to the Kroger job interview?
Kroger Employee: Good attire for the interview would just be casual clothes. Nice, but you don’t need a suit and tie by any means. Nice pants, a nice button-up shirt or a polo shirt.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Kroger Employee: They asked me about what I do in my spare time, or personal stuff about the kind of person you are, if you’re good with people. If you work in the front of the store, you have to deal with customers, and your whole job is basically customer service. So, it was more about your personality and how well you handled things. Education wasn’t huge because a lot of times at the front of the store you don’t need a higher education for it. For the back of the store, it’s all about your physical ability and what you can do as far as lifting and packing and if you can keep things in order. So, that was all about labor-oriented. After the interview process, they decide if they’re going to keep you, if they’re going to put you in the front, where your people skills are better, or put you in the back, where you’re better at labor.
Interviewer: What do you think was the deciding factor that got you the job at Kroger?
Kroger Employee: Like I said, it was about my personality and about being able to engage in customer interaction and service. After that, they decide where they want to put you, so I think it was my personality that got me a job in the front instead of the job in the back.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment with Kroger?
Kroger Employee: When you go into the interview process, be yourself and be the person that you want to be. Because when you go in and pretend that you are good with people and customer service, then it’s not going to be a very enjoyable job for you because it’s something you deal with day in and day out. I saw a lot of people that weren’t good with customers up front, and they didn’t really enjoy their job. So in order to enjoy your job there, you have to be truly involved with people. Just be able to be involved with people.
Kroger Courtesy Clerk Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Kroger Courtesy Clerk: I was a courtesy clerk. I basically just bagged groceries, get carts, change the bottle machines, and clean bathrooms. Keep the staff room cleaned.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Kroger Courtesy Clerk: Clock in. Start bagging groceries. Then we have to switch and rotate on taking carts, cleaning the bottle machines, cleaning the bathrooms. We all had to rotate between all the courtesy clerks.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Kroger Courtesy Clerk: The application had about a good 100 questions. Then when you got your interview, after that, after you got your interview and you got the job, you had to fill out a long survey, like a long training. Long training on computers.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Kroger Courtesy Clerk: What made me want to work for Kroger? How did I find out about the job? What do I intend to bring to the table for Kroger?
Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Kroger Courtesy Clerk: It took about a week. I called her back after my interview, and I sent a thank-you note, and then she called me and said that I had a job, to come in for this orientation at another Kroger. From that point on, she just told me what to do next.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Kroger Courtesy Clerk: When you fill out your application, you make sure you call them. Just keep checking on your application, because they big on that. If you don’t call and contact them, they won’t contact you.
Kroger Fuel Attendant Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Kroger Fuel Attendant: Okay, when I work at the gas station, I’m the teller, I clean up, I clean the pumps, I take gas and I sweep the parking lot.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Kroger Fuel Attendant: The work environment was cool. When you work at a gas station, you’re like in a small box by yourself. You’re just chilling until it’s time to pump gas for somebody or when it’s slow you just clean up. The work environment is pretty cool.
Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Kroger Fuel Attendant: I was by myself. I could listen to music, I could just like hang out until it got busy. I basically could just sit there and relax. It wasn’t too hard.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Kroger Fuel Attendant: The application process is online, but you can actually go in the store and apply too at a computer, so if you need help they can help you right then and there. It is like a lot of questionnaires, just basic math questions, questions about your background history. The application process is like a hour long. It takes a hour to fill out the whole thing, but I would take my time, fill it out right. Yeah, it’s online.
Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Kroger Fuel Attendant: My attitude. I always had a good attitude, no matter what kind of day I had. I would never let it show when I got to the workplace. I made sure I greeted the customers and made sure the customers were always satisfied.
Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Kroger Fuel Attendant: It actually didn’t take that long. I would say like a week or two. They called me and they wanted me to come in and do my drug test, so at that point, I knew I had the job. I started right after my drug test came back. I started like right after that and that probably was like three days after. The hiring process, they hired me pretty quick. They hired me quick.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Kroger Fuel Attendant: I feel like it’s a good experience. It’s good for a first job or like while you’re in college. It’s good experience indoors and outdoors. I don’t just work at the gas station, I work inside too. It helps you learn how to talk to people. Customer service is always like the number one thing they’re pushing at Kroger’s.
De'Shauntay says:
i think that when you go to a interview you need to dress to impress
and good attitude and you should dress casual
tionna says:
when you go to the interview give very good eye contact,and let the person that is interviewing you that you really want the job
viola says:
Always be pleasant, respectful, clean attire, no sagging pants . Tennis shoes are o.k., hair is well groomed. Eye contact .Sit properly, shake on greeting and on exiting, with thanking the interviewer for their time.
If you are ask (what would you do if an employee gets hurt) alway answer (that you would not try to solve the medical need yourself, but that you would call a manager on duty. ASAP.
dansby says:
I would recommend covering any tattoos. also don’t chew gum or anything
hanley r says:
Cover up tattoos and speak up/clearly. Things that are not hard but if u knew to do them before, u are a lot better off.
August K. says:
Be nice, answer all the questions clearly, dress up properly, show that you are a hard worker, and the job will be yours for sure.
Tommy says:
So, after I send them my application, how long does it take until the contact me to schedule my interview? I need a job as soon as possible.
joe says:
If they dont contact you than u should contact them plus it shows them that you really do want the job.
chelsea brooks says:
Show that u really need the job eye contact,dressed properly,well groomed,speak clearly,call them if they dont call you.that show that you really need/or wont the job because your checking on it.and i really need a job……… last year in school.i really wanna go to college.
Kaitlyn says:
I just filled out an app this morning, I was just curious to how long I will be waiting if at all.
also, what is the policy on pericings? if they are not a problem, how many is one allowed to have in while at work. of course probablly depending on what area the employee.
Princessz says:
i wanna work at kroger! cuz its the closest job to where i live, and i panic on interviews! im scared.
Ryan says:
I went to an interview at a kroger in my town and i dressed nice and answered all the questions clearly, I smiled the whole time i showed up 5 minutes early with a notebook and pencil in my hand hair combed nice shoes i did everything right but during the interview at no time did she drug test me. Could she have forgotten? she said that she had 2 more interviews and would call me tomorrow. Does this mean i didn’t get the job because she didn’t drug test me and that worries me.
Harold Ivey says:
What number do you call to see if your application was reviewed. It has been two weeks since i did the online application and i havent heard anything. The job i applied for at a kroger warehouse in Cincinnati the number i call i never get an answer.
dominic says:
how old do you have too be im 14 and trying too look for a job badly????? please leave feedback when possible thank you.
Mauy says:
If Kroger hiring manager told me to took the drug test, background check (well, they do this) and told me to go for the computer training (she just told me that we would do this next week, no specific time yet). How high is my chance for getting the job offer??
BTW, i am going for Pharm Tech position with 2 years ex and a lot of volunteer in hospital.
jake says:
how old do you have to be to work there?
Warren says:
Who do I contact to check on my application?
Samantha says:
When I called to check on my application, I found the number for my local store online, went through the automated system by pressing the number for store information, then to speak with a representative, I called about two weeks after I filled it out but the hiring manager wasn’t in, they said they’d have her call me but never did, so I called the next day and spoke with her, she actually told me they weren’t hiring but then she called me back about 5 minutes later and she asked to do an interview. It’s tomorow and I’m pretty nervous, this is only my second interview ever. Any advice to calm my nerves?