PetSmart Manager Interview Questions
& Process

The manager seemed unprepared and unprofessional, stating the assistant manager is there to run the business for him and do whatever he doesn’t want to do, while he just shows up to look good and answer to the district manager. He wasn’t sure what I was interviewing for and tried to talk me down to a lower position, saying most external candidates don’t work out if they start higher. This makes it sound like they like to treat employees badly and get away with it because they’ve dealt with it already. He also mentioned being out of the business for 6 months this year already and planning another 2 months off. He said his assistant manager should handle all coaching and staff development, and he should only be involved if it requires firing someone. Overall, it seemed very unprofessional.

I applied online for a presentation manager position. A couple days later, I got a call to set up an interview. They offered me the pet products manager position, but for less pay than I asked for. The manager said he'd talk to the district manager about increasing my salary. The following week, I had another one-on-one meeting with the store manager from a different location, supposedly to confirm the hiring manager's feeling about me. After that interview, I was directed to see my hiring manager, who then offered me the job and sent me for a drug test the same day.

Applied online and got a call about 2 weeks later, around 7 pm, to set up an in-person interview for the next week. I was initially told I'd interview with the store manager. However, upon arrival, I found out I had to interview with each of the store's 4 other managers individually first. I interviewed with 4 managers that day, and they asked basic questions like why I wanted the job and if I was a good fit. I was also informed the position I applied for wasn't actually open, and one of the managers I interviewed with was in that role. They told me to come back the next day for an interview with a manager who wasn't working that day, as there were 7 managers in total. The second day, I arrived 15 minutes early. The manager I was supposed to meet with seemed to think it wasn't worth his time. He asked me only 3 questions, all of which I had already answered the previous day, and then told me to leave after only 5 minutes. He was very rude and refused to schedule the interview with the store manager, telling me to just wait for a phone call instead. It's been two weeks, and I haven't heard back. My understanding from the interviews was that I was being considered for a basic floor position, not the hotel management role I applied for. I was a bit offended when they repeatedly asked if I'd take a cash register job for minimum wage, given my 5 years of management experience and the 4-hour travel each way for the interviews. The whole process was disorganized. The managers shared a 'life or death binder' with my info and the questions, but 4 out of 5 ignored the list. Expect to wait between interviews, and you're lucky if they tell you the process details, like how many people you'll meet. Most interviews happened in the break room, so be prepared for interruptions and distractions from other staff on their breaks.