Associate applicants have rated the interview process at Potbelly Sandwich Works with 1.8 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 81% positive. To compare, the company-average is 73% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Associate roles take an average of 5 days to get hired, when considering 58 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Potbelly Sandwich Works overall takes an average of 8 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Potbelly Sandwich Works as a Associate according to 58 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 36%
Background check: 13%
Drug test: 11%
Skills test: 9%
Presentation: 8%
IQ intelligence test: 7%
Phone interview: 7%
Personality test: 4%
Other: 4%
Group panel interview: 3%
Here are the most commonly searched roles for interview reports -
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Potbelly Sandwich Works (Reston, VA) in Mar 2011
Interview
I luckily knew someone on the inside to give me a high recommendation. Sadly I had applied multiple times despite being told by said employee I was basically promised the job for I had previous work experience. My application was lost twice by the management but finally I got the chance to sit down with the General Manager. He briefly looked over my application only to see my availability and school completed. He wanted to know more about me and what I could bring to the company and their store more than anything else. I told him how dedicated I was to working and doing my best to help out the team. He was impressed on my abilities at my previous job and hired me on the spot. I took a $.10 pay cut for the hiring rate of $8.00 for non-previous food related jobs and I know they give +$.50 for any employees who have worked the food industry before. They are more interested in you and your work ethic than they are about where you have worked and contacting your employers.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What can you bring to our team, and are you a team player?
I applied online. I interviewed at Potbelly Sandwich Works (Chicago Ridge, IL) in Jun 2026
Interview
We chatted for about 10 minutes and she asked - Tell me about yourself.
- Why do you want to work at Potbelly?
- Tell me about your past work experience.
- What are some strengths that could help the business?
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
- What happened the last time you ran into a problem at work ?
It’s very chill. More personality based to make sure ylu are fitting with the company culture. If you seem like a good person and will work hard they will hire you
Really great and informal experience! The manager asked me common questions and was very patient when I couldn’t come up with an answer right away. They also referenced my application and got back to me the next day.