The process took 1 week. I interviewed at IKEA in May 2011
Interview
I already had an in, because I have family working for the company, so my interview process was significantly shorter. They called me and conducted a short interview to assess if I had the attitude they were looking for in a coworker. I came in a few days later and met with an HR associate and the store manager to further get an impression of my attitude and personality. A few days later I came in again to accept the job offer and find a position that suited me, as there were a few open positions. I came in once more to take the drug test, a mouth swab, and they told me the starting pay rate. My first day started not long after. About 2 weeks had passed since initial contact.
Everyone was extremely helpful and nice, and any nerves I had at the beginning of the process were gone when I met the HR rep and the store manager. It's a bit confusing because of the strong Swedish culture, but you get used to it pretty quickly. There are a lot of international coworkers, and a surprising amount are actually from Sweden. It's clean, you have a staff cafeteria, and you learn to negotiate the large store with surprising ease.
Just go in and be confident, friendly, and keep a few fun and interesting stories in your pocket to show the interviewers a bit of your personality, because they're not looking for mindless drones, they want nice, interesting coworkers that have something to add to the overall store experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
When a customer is shopping, how do you help them?
I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at IKEA in Aug 2011
Interview
The interviewer was slightly late, but was considerate and professional throughout the interview. There were questions about past experiences including group and individual work, problem-solving experiences, and dealing with hypothetical situations.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What was an experience in which working in a group was beneficial?
I applied online. The process took 3 days. I interviewed at IKEA in Nov 2009
Interview
Phone interview --> Department Manager Interview --> Immediate Manager Interview
Those are the three interview steps that I went through. Be prepared to answer different scenario questions. Phone interview = Many different scenario questions, as well as "why IKEA" etc. The interviews with the different managers are mainly to get to know what type of person you are and if you'd be able to fit in with everyone else.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Describe a time where you dealt with a unhappy customer. How did you handle it?