I applied online using the store's general application; instead of applying to a specific position, I provided my preferences (I was very flexible), and was instructed that the company would contact me if my profile matched their needs in the future. About 2 weeks later, I was contacted via email asking me to schedule a phone interview with a manager. The interview (more of a screening, really) consisted of very basic questions such as why I wanted to work for The Container Store and what my favorite department in the store was. It only lasted for about 15 minutes, and at the end of the call, I was invited to a group interview about 1 week later.
The group interview included about 10 other candidates (they were hiring for 5 positions), and was held on the sales floor before the store opened; although there were no customers, there were other employees setting up Gift Wrap Wonderland, and loud music playing which made the environment marginally awkward. The interview - conducted by another manager - started with everyone introducing themselves; the manager made it clear that it was more important to share something unique than try to one-up everyone else. We then watched 3-4 movies about the company and had a few minutes of discussion after each one. There was also a lot of information about the nature of the job: a mix of sales, visual sales, and merchandise processing. Unlike some other reviews, we did not have to "sell" a product at any point. The interview wrapped up with the manager asking us to share one unique attribute that we would bring to the store if hired. He told us that he would call the next day to let us know whether or not we would be invited to an individual interview.
On schedule, I received a call the next afternoon inviting me to an individual interview later that week. This interview was also on the sales floor, but it was after the store opened, so there were customers walking past, which was quite distracting. The interview - with the store's General Manager - lasted about 30 minutes, and the questions were pretty standard. We also talked briefly about what hours and pay I could expect if hired, as well as what "next steps" would be after the interview. To my surprise, though, at the end of the interview, the General Manager offered me a position on the spot.
I was asked to complete a background check, as well as a drug test, before I was officially hired, but I began training about a week later, so the hiring process was very efficient (and largely online, which I really appreciated).
Overall, the interviewing experience was very positive. I got asked EVERY step of the way (even the follow-up phone calls, and multiple times during the interview itself) if I had questions and, though at first I felt pressure to always have great questions to ask, I realize now that they were just making sure everything was properly communicated. (Though you should certainly still have plenty of questions to ask about the store/position/company!) Additionally, there were a couple of minor overlaps in questions between the multiple managers, but in general, they seemed to communicate well to each other about the various candidates. In the end, I think they were most looking for personality, confidence, and willingness to learn; previous retail experience was not necessary because the training is so extensive. I left my final interview more excited about the position than I did when I started the process, so they did their job.
