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 in-person. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at JCPenney (Tacoma, WA) in Nov 2016
Interview
They reached out to me in an email 3 days after I put in my application and then called me to confirm what they said I bathe email, then they asked me to go to an interview and there was a big group of us like 10-15 people sitting at a table and I kid you not we waited for more than the actual interview was. We waited for like 30 minutes and they asked us all in front of everyone why did you choose JCPenney and what our availability was and to wait on the results of our background check and that was the end of that interview. After the interview the next day I got an email saying I got the job and within the email as well contained times they wanted me to go in for the orientation and times for me to go in and register with the company. The registration and orientation happened within a weeks span and the day after my orientation was my first day on the job and two months after I started as seasonal I kept on as a permanent associate :)
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.