Einstein Bros. Bagels Interview Questions
& Process

It was a friendly, straightforward chat with the district manager. They asked relevant questions, not too easy, but it was noisy with customers eating! I wish I had a chance to talk without distractions. I love bagels and was so disappointed.

It's behavioral interviewing. You'll have a phone interview and then a face-to-face. It's hard to explain the whole process in 30 words. It varies by region too. The Director decides how they want to do it. There are some guidelines, but franchise owners have a lot of say. So, good luck.

It was pretty simple and a bit rushed. We talked a bit about my work ethics and some basic info about myself. They asked me a lot about how reliable I was and how long I planned to stay if hired, because they mentioned that most students leave when school lets out, making it hard to hire just anyone. The whole process was really easy. I was able to talk my way into the job and was hired right then and there, but I later found out there was testing for my actual esthetics career. Still, I was asked to come in the next day to sign off on my papers. The whole experience was fast and easy.

The whole interview process was pretty chaotic. It started with a recruiter phone call, but she missed the scheduled time because she forgot about the time difference and called an hour late. I couldn't talk then since I was at work. After two weeks of silence, the Sr. HR Mgr. sent a mass email asking for availability for a phone interview. She said that after that, successful candidates would interview in person with the Sr. Director of the plant. I got to speak with the Sr. Director right after my phone interview. Then I was supposed to interview with the EVP of HR, but he cancelled, saying he trusted the assessments from the Sr HR Mgr. and Sr. Director. I got their benefits package, which mentioned PTO and paid holidays, and thought an offer was coming. But then the Sr. HR Mgr. asked for one more meeting with the Sr. Director because she still had some doubts. She wanted my feedback from the final interview and my impression of the Sr. Director. I told her the Sr. Director asked a lot about my preferred work environment and that the vibe was professional and friendly. During that final interview, the Sr. Director kept stressing that she needed someone who would be okay with telling her "no" sometimes about labor laws or HR stuff at the plant. I said I was totally fine with that and even corrected my own VP of HR at my current job. The Sr. Director looked like she didn't want that kind of working relationship, which made sense since her managers had hinted at her management style during the first interview. I repeated that I'm a team player but HR needs to own projects and employee relations to build trust and be objective. She agreed, but without much enthusiasm. She thanked me and said they'd decide in a few days. Three days later, the Sr HR Mgr. emailed saying they weren't offering me the job and would keep interviewing. They said it wasn't about my accomplishments but about their knowledge of the job requirements at the plant, which I took as a sign that the Sr. Director likes to micromanage and I didn't fit her mold. I guess it's a good thing because I wouldn't leave my current job for a bad fit. This culture seems far from ideal. I'd caution other HR professionals to be careful about the culture here. While it seems collaborative, the Sr. Director wants the final say in everything. This role offers no growth for HR pros wanting to expand their knowledge. If you just want to go with the flow and keep your opinions to yourself, this is your place. Otherwise, look elsewhere for a place where you can objectively manage the HR department with autonomy.