I applied through the ikea website for the Restaurant Co-worker position. Two days later, I received a call from the manager and I had a quick phone interview. The interview was nothing special; it was normal. (ie. availability, past experiences, why ikea?) I was then asked to come to ikea the following week for a group interview. The group interview consisted of the two restaurant managers, the HR, and seven other interviewees. The managers introduced themselves and talked a bit about the company and then we had a partner activity where you talk with a partner and introduce that person to the rest of the group. The second thing we did was a marketing activity. In groups we had to choose a simple ikea product (ie. spatula, ice tray), come up with characteristics/benefits, and then present, or rather, sell the product to the rest of the groups. After that, the managers asked general questions (ie. what makes ikea special, what do you notice about the company) and anyone was free to answer and elaborate. At the end, a few people were asked to stay behind for a more thorough interview with just the managers. (Questions like: describe yourself in 3 words, how would previous coworkers describe you in 3 words, describe an experience where you dealt with a difficult customer, etc). The next day they called my references, and the following day I received a call from the manger offering me a job. Always remember to be interactive and smile. Ikea is an atmosphere that revolves around friendliness and ease.

After applying, I received an in-person interview. I answered a few competency-based questions, and talked with the manager about different topics, including availability. Then, I had a tour around the restaurant and back-of-house rooms, where they asked me if it looked good to me. After that, we went back to the room, where they offered me a positon.