What Whole Foods Employees Think You Should Know Before Applying To Work At The Bakery Counter
The bakery section at Whole Foods Market has lots of options to pick from, perhaps most notably its famous Berry Chantilly Cake, which Mashed has determined is just one of Whole Foods' desserts that shouldn't miss. But beyond just that fancy sounding treat, the market's confectionary also puts out a range of breads, muffins, ciabatta rolls (above), and sweet treats including scones, turnovers, cookies, and more. While the variety is apparent, the quality of goods offered seems to match, as Mashed survey respondents ranked the Whole Foods bakery as their number two pick out of all grocery store bakeries.
All that said, you might think working in that section of the famous grocer sounds like a dream. For one Redditor, it is, and they took to the social media site's r/wholefoods board to see if they could get some advice from self-identified Whole Foods employees on how to best navigate their interview. There were a range of responses, including everything from preparing specific answers to specific questions, to tips on how to be confident and honest in their answers. Let's see if these bakers are just as good at interview advice as they are at whipping up loaves of Seeduction Bread.
The answers are interesting
While we can't confirm if anyone in the original poster's thread is an actual Whole Foods employee, two respondents clearly identified themselves as "bakery ATLs," which presumably means Bakery Assistant Team Leaders. Between those two, they agreed the qualities they want most from bakery applicants are "availability," "flexibility," and the multitasking skills.
Another commenter, who seems to have conducted interviews at Whole Foods, said that aspiring candidates need to be able to speak at length about why they want to be a part of Whole Foods, and specifically that location. "I don't think I've heard of an interview where this isn't asked at least once throughout the process," they said, adding that a big plus is being able to work well with customers and resolve conflicts. Previous customer service experience is also a bonus, although yet another apparent manager rather cynically stated, "Honestly with the way things are, if you have a pulse you'll probably get hired. I don't even bother with interviews anymore for level 1 positions."
The hopeful applicant also sought tips on overcoming interview anxiety, to which the one apparent hiring manager replied, "I've found it helpful to write out lists of qualities I want to make sure I highlight, and examples that back up these qualities." They also said the applicant should think of their own questions to ask their interviewer. In all it seemed like a fruitful advice session, with each apparent Whole Foods employee wishing the would-be bakery novice good luck.