I applied in-person. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Trader Joe's (Chicago, IL) in Feb 2012
Interview
The hiring process is like jumping through hoops. You have to turn in your application in store, and at the right time of day, to the right manager working. If you don't already work at the store or have friends working there, this can be very hard to manage. If you don't work this step just right you have a good chance your application will end up in the recycling. After this you have to be persistent with following up, but not overly so, this means both calling and going into the store, again timing is everything. If you don't have full availability (especially nights and weekends) then good luck.
The actual interview varies. It may be one, two, or even three managers in the interview, and there can be up to three interviews before you might get the job. Sometimes there will only be one interview. This all seems to vary on the need for employees and the managers involved with hiring. It's generally a fairly "relaxed" interview, though if you care much you probably won't feel relaxed.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Good/ Bad customer experience examples, how you work with teams and difficult customer experiences. Thoughts on food. Why do you want to work for Trader Joe's. Can you work nights or early mornings (They say 5am-Midnight, but shifts start as early as 3am at some stores and some go till 2am, so be prepared for that)
I had 3 separate interviews. 1 was over the phone. 2 were in person. I never heard anything after the third interview. I called the store about a week later and they let me know they didn’t actually have any available positions. Really felt like they wasted my time.
I applied in-person. I interviewed at Trader Joe's (West Hollywood, CA)
Interview
Casual, took place outside of the store. First I had a phone call interview. Then another which was in-person with 2 of the mates in the store, and finally a third in-person with the captain of the store.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What was something I did for a friend that was above and beyond?
Different questions than I have experienced in past job interviews, but seem to be their traditional hiring questions. They want to make sure they are hiring sociable people more so than just someone that can do the job.