Sales Associate applicants have rated the interview process at JCPenney with 1.8 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 68% positive. To compare, the company-average is 72.6% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Sales Associate roles take an average of 7 days to get hired, when considering 640 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at JCPenney overall takes an average of 13 days.
Common stages of the interview process at JCPenney as a Sales Associate according to 640 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 25%
Background check: 18%
Group panel interview: 18%
Personality test: 8%
Skills test: 8%
Drug test: 7%
Phone interview: 6%
Presentation: 6%
IQ intelligence test: 3%
Other: 1%
Here are the most commonly searched roles for interview reports -
I applied online. I interviewed at JCPenney (Puyallup, WA)
Interview
My original interview in 2009 (I worked at JCP from 2009 - 2012, then again from 2014 - 2015) was a panel interview no longer than 5-10 minutes. My second interview was a group interview where each candidate would perform their own presentation and then do a group activity. Being a retail chain environment, once you have an interview, it feels more like a formality before starting the job and not really a serious interview.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How did you feel about that group activity? Was it fun?
Easy, got hired in 1 week and was able to start as soon as possible. It was a good process and I liked the people I interviewed with. The culture is off to a positive start.
The interview process begins with an initial screening to review qualifications and experience. Selected candidates then participate in one or more interviews with the hiring team, which may include behavioral and role-specific questions. Final candidates may be asked to complete an assessment or meet with senior stakeholders before a hiring decision is made. Candidates are kept informed throughout the process.
I applied online. I interviewed at JCPenney in Oct 2025
Interview
Pretty easy going, lasted about 20 minutes, Interview questions mixed with questions about scheduling and desired about of hours. Completed a tour and discussed the role, along with cross training
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Describe a time where you had to address conflict in the workplace.