Sales Associate applicants have rated the interview process at Payless ShoeSource with 2 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 63.5% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Sales Associate roles take an average of 11 days to get hired, when considering 199 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Payless ShoeSource overall takes an average of 13 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Payless ShoeSource as a Sales Associate according to 199 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 36%
Skills test: 12%
Background check: 11%
Drug test: 11%
Personality test: 8%
Presentation: 6%
Group panel interview: 5%
Phone interview: 4%
IQ intelligence test: 3%
Other: 2%
Here are the most commonly searched roles for interview reports -
I applied online. I interviewed at Payless ShoeSource in Apr 2013
Interview
The interview was pretty basic. I sat one-on-one with the store manager. She asked me some questions about myself and some questions about how I would handle certain situations. Since this was my first job, I answered her questions based on experiences I had in high school working backstage in theater. The questions were mostly focused on seeing how I would handle stressful moments that come with working in retail. After the in-person interview, the manager had her assistant manager call me and ask a few questions about myself to get a sense of my character. I was offered the job right there on the phone.
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
Can you describe a time in which you were faced with a stressful situation and how did you handle it?
I passed and started quickly. The process was simple and not intimidating. Everything felt straightforward, and I would definitely recommend it to others looking for an easy experience. I enjoy working here.
I applied in-person. I interviewed at Payless ShoeSource (Anchorage, AK) in Aug 2025
Interview
Easy basic questions like job history, availability, and why you chose to interview.
Interview was less than 30 minutes and hired same day. They will almost always hire on the spot im a teenager and they still gave me a job.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Whats youe job history and do you have customer service experience?