I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at The Zappos Family (Las Vegas, NV) in Jul 2011
Interview
I applied online, heard back from a recruiter by phone. Asked standard questions about skills and experience. I further received the long-form application, which has personality questions ("what kind of superhero would you be and why?", " Choose two people - living or dead - to sit down to lunch. What would they talk about?") peppered among general experience, skill and salary questions. There was an additional personality test; multiple-choice.
I then had a phone interview with team members. They asked about experience and overcoming obstacles. After 2 weeks, I was informed that I wasn't chosen.
It's a cool company otherwise, though I could never pinpoint what they were looking for. You need to be a bit quirky (i.e. have a personality) to make it. I think a lot of hiring decisions are made based on cultural fit (sometimes it's something you can't control or prepare for).
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
"Describe a time that you had to overcome an obstacle"
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at The Zappos Family
Interview
There was a virtual interview that asked questions about my experience and why I would be a great fit. I also had to complete a challenge that tested my skills.
I applied online. I interviewed at The Zappos Family
Interview
I submitted the online video interview and was notified about a month later that I got an in-person interview in Las Vegas. They flew me and a bunch of other intern candidates out for 2 days of touring and interviewing. We met with our prospective teams and really got to know the company and the culture. I had a role interview and a culture interview. Everyone was really nice.
I applied online. The process took 4 months. I interviewed at The Zappos Family (Las Vegas, NV) in Mar 2014
Interview
The interview process mirrors Zappos itself - disorganized and chaotic with a lot of promise. There wasn't much coordination of the process/interview day and many of the interviews covered the same ground. Interview sessions that got into actual work were much more productive. The whole process is very long - ostensibly b/c they are "really getting to know you" but really just big gaps of no communication and a process clearly hindered by bureaucracy. However, many people who I met during the interview process transcended all that and confirmed Zappos was a place I wanted to work.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The most difficult questions were ones where the interviewer had a very specific answer in mind rather than seeking to understand the candidate's overall approach and thinking.