Crate & Barrel Interview Questions & Reviews

Interviewed Mar 2007 in Northbrook, IL (took 2 days)

I got an interview via an employee referral. This interview was for a position at their corporate office in Northbrook IL. The first step of the interview process consisted of me going to their office and taking a position related quiz and submitting a writing/composition sample. I then met with the manager of the department along with a couple of potential co-workers. It was a very casual interview experience, and everyone was extremely pleasant.
About a week later I got a call to come back for a 2nd interview with upper management. Apparently almost everyone that interviews for a position at corporate, are interviewed by upper management. In my case it was with the CIO and a senior director. This phase of the interview process was 1:1 (about an hour with each person), and started out with a grand tour of their headquarters.
I have to say that out of all my interview experiences, the one at C&B was my most memorable thus far. I wasn't vying for a management position, yet here the CIO was giving me a tour of their facility. I was very impressed to say the least that someone at that level would take the time to interview someone at my level. If you think their stores are gorgeous, the corporate HQ is no exception. The "cubicles" were all large and entirely made of glass and maple wood. The office space had high loft ceilings and very large windows. They even have a visual merchandise staff that changes colored wall panels with the seasons. The corporate office was something out of a catalog, beautiful!