Panera Bread Interview Tips

How to Get a Job at Panera Bread

A popular bakery chain with a casual environment, Panera Bread maintains more than 1,700 locations across the United States. A leader in the cafe industry, offers fresh, made-from-scratch meals prepared by expert cooks and served by attentive associates. To ensure the highest-level of customer satisfaction, the restaurant hires dedicated team members on a regular basis. The eatery predominantly hires workers at the store level, but the coffee shop chain also offers careers in support centers and manufacturing. To find the right employees, the company utilizes a fairly standardized interview process.

Interview Questions and Topics to Expect

Typically, job seekers vying for entry-level jobs with Panera Bread undergo a brief one-on-one interview session. Often, interviews are conducted at open house or hiring events. Managers or shift leaders generally conduct interviews and keep the hiring process casual and friendly. Recruiting personnel tend to ask standard questions that cover availability, transportation, education, and strengths. Some interviews may include situational questions that address customer service scenarios. With no tricky or intimidating questions, hiring officials keep interviews simple and straightforward. As a company committed to employee satisfaction, recruiters also ask interview questions covering satisfaction with pay, interest in growth, and preferred hours.

Managerial Interviews

Candidates hoping for higher positions, such as management jobs, undertake several stages of interviews. Managerial candidates typically need to answer questions about supervisory and restaurant experience. Some specific interview questions aspiring managers face include:

• "What can you offer to this team if Panera Bread chooses you as a manager?"
• "How do you satisfy an upset customer?"

Management interviews may also include panel reviews, personality tests, drug screening, and background checks.

How to Stand Out

Panera Bread needs dedicated, hardworking employees able to adapt to fast-paced and constantly evolving atmospheres. Job hopefuls should attend interviews on time and dressed in business-casual clothing or professional attire. Previous customer service experience may benefit applicants during the interview process, as candidates should use past examples from previous jobs to illustrate ability to perform expected responsibilities. During the interview, applicants should express motivation to work for the eatery and passion for providing quality food.

Panera Bread Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Panera Bread Associate: When I started at Panera Bread I was an associate, so I started by cleaning the dining room, bringing food to customers. At the time, the store I was at, we ran food to tables, so I started doing that.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Panera Bread Associate: It was fun. It was upbeat, fairly casual but fast-paced.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Panera Bread Associate: When I started, I think they still had paper applications that you get from the store. I actually picked up an application and I lost it. I had it in the glove box of my car and I couldn’t find a job and I found it, and brought it in. Panera Bread’s very big on meeting applicants, so it’s very good if you can give it to the manager on duty, preferably not at a time when there’s a line out the door. I had an initial interview with an assistant manager and it was pretty quick, 10 minutes, pretty casual, basic interview questions and then about a week later I got a call from the general manager and had an interview with him, as well.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Panera Bread Associate: I think when I came in, the manager was at a table writing a schedule, so she wasn’t quite accessible, but the employee told me where she was and I walked right over, introduced myself, made eye contact, shook her hand, gave her my application, told her why I was excited to work there, potentially, and things like that. I think if you take that extra step and be personable with the managers on duty that you’re turning your application into, it’ll really set you apart.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Panera Bread Associate: I was actually told right then on the spot. They told me just come in on, I believe, it was a Friday I had my second interview with the general manager and then he told me to come in on Monday and we’ll send you to a training class and we’ll do the rest of your paperwork and things like that.

Panera Bread Sandwich Line Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.

Panera Bread Employee: At Panera, I worked in the sandwich line. Our primary focus was you create the sandwiches, put the soups in bowls or to-go containers, just make sure the food got along the line as quick as possible.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?

Panera Bread Employee: They place generally a lot of teenagers – the managers were in their twenties, so it was a really young environment. Everybody related really good to each other, so we got along for the most part.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?

Panera Bread Employee: My favorite part was probably the coworkers. The coworkers really helped support each others; if we saw the others lacking, they’re usually big about helping your coworkers. I liked how they put that into the work environment.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.

Panera Bread Employee: Clock in, inquire from a manager which part of the sandwich line you’re working in – the sandwich, the soup, or the salad side – and from there, you stock your materials you use to make the sandwiches – the bread, meat – just make sure everything is fresh. From there, you just make sandwiches until close and help put away and seal all the containers.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?

Panera Bread Employee: I applied in person. They had a paper application still. I applied, and about a week later, I got a call that said they wanted me to come in and interview. They just asked a couple of questions. Not so many about work, but more about my personal life, school, what kind of friends did I hang out with, just in general what kind of things I enjoy. I think they’re trying to get a feel of you as a person and not just a worker, which I kind of appreciated.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?

Panera Bread Employee: They wanted to know what kind of worker you were going to be, but at the same time what you were like outside of work. So, they asked questions, like: “What do you enjoy to do in your free time?”, “What are you going to school for?”, “What kind of friends do you hang out with?” It really seemed like they were trying to get the whole picture, not just, “Is this person going to be a good worker here?” They’re trying to do what’s best as far as you as a worker and them as an employer.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?

Panera Bread Employee: Just go in, be yourself, be honest. They want to know you as a person. They want to know where they can put you in their store and benefit them as much as you. So, just be yourself and know it’s a good place to work at and just go in with open arms.

More Panera Bread Interview Videos:

Related Links:
Panera Bread Application
Panera Bread Team Member