PetSmart Interview Questions & How to Get a Job Tips (2024)

How to Get a Job at PetSmart

PetSmart stores provide a varied selection of employment opportunities. From traditional retail jobs, like cashier and manager, to more specialized positions, such as bather and pet care associate, employees perform a variety of functions vital to the success of the largest specialty pet retailer in the nation. To ensure the hiring of workers committed to serving the needs of animals and customers alike, the company takes an in-depth approach to interviewing candidates. Most interviewees meet with various levels of management at least twice. Interviews generally vary in format and length depending on the nature of the position for hire.

Entry-Level Interviews

Entry-level jobs typically necessitate two interview sessions, each ranging from 15 to 30 minutes in duration. Candidates usually face the operations manager first before interviewing with the store manager at another time. The interviewer often opens the meeting by asking, "Why PetSmart?", expecting applicants to be prepared with a specific or unique answer. Interview subjects should also be ready to discuss personal involvement with animals or pets and any work experience related to the job opportunity.

Animal-Related Job interviews

For positions requiring the constant handling of animals, candidates may need to disclose fears of any dog breeds or animal species. Interviewers frequently ask hypothetical, retail-oriented questions like: "What would you do if a customer asked you a question and you didn't know the answer?" and "How would you sell a dog training class to a customer?" Hiring managers may also go beyond asking and require interviewees to simulate selling a randomly chosen product after studying the item for a few minutes. Applicants often must take a drug test immediately following the second interview.

What to Expect During Managerial Interviews

PetSmart follows a slightly different routine when hiring for management positions. Potential managers typically complete up to four rounds of interviews held over the phone and in front of a panel of store managers, district managers, or human resources administrators. Over the course of the interviews, the retailer wants to see that candidates are proficient in all areas of retail operations, including customer service, employee development, and inventory management. Interviewers often make complex inquiries featuring multiple parts, such as:

"Tell me about a time when you dealt with a difficult coworker or customer. What was the outcome? How could you have handled the situation differently?"
"How can you ensure every customer is 100% satisfied with every visit?"
"How do you best develop employees?"

Stores may also ask prospective managers to give an on-the-spot demonstration of their selling skills during the interview. The interview process usually takes between two weeks and two months for managerial applicants to complete.

Tips For Success

Inexperienced job seekers should keep in mind that PetSmart hiring managers typically favor individuals with experience caring for pets. Interviewers also look for applicants possessing self-motivation and dedication. Aspiring team members should remain professional during the interview and keep consistent eye contact with the interviewer. Applicants should dress presentably and shake hands with the hiring manager at the commencement and conclusion of the job interview. Retail experience and strong customer service skills also benefit workers during the hiring process.

PetSmart Cashier Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
PetSmart Cashier: I’m a cashier at PetSmart, so I guess my primary duties are just to check people out in line and maintain the customer happiness. So, just make sure there’s not a long line, keep them happy. They want us to greet people when they come in, make sure it’s a good, safe environment.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
PetSmart Cashier: PetSmart is one of the best job atmospheres I’ve ever had. It’s really fun. I mean, the customers all come in, they’re having fun, pets with them, or they’re shopping for their pets, makes them happy. That’s really great, and there are pets in the store, so that’s fun. Then, also the people that work there usually are pretty passionate about their job, so they’re usually into their work, they’re not complaining, and a lot of them have worked other places. They chose to work at PetSmart, so they’re not looking for other jobs there and are content working there. Just make sure the customers and pets there are happy. It’s a good job environment.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
PetSmart Cashier: Obviously, playing with the dogs that come in and playing with all the animals people bring in. There are a lot of opportunities for community service there. Cat adoptions. PetSmart brings in cat and dog adoptions, then all the cats in the adoption program are adoption only, so they don’t sell any, so that makes me really happy, since it helps save animals’ lives.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
PetSmart Cashier: They just want to know… definitely want to know your experience. If you’ve had experience in the pet industry, that’s very helpful. So, any dog training… if you’ve had pets, you know how to take care of a fish tank, because it’s actually really complicated. So, having that knowledge is important. They just want people who are passionate about the pets and the industry and who are going to be good team players, because there’s a lot of teamwork in the store. Then, also I think they just want to make sure you’re responsible. They’re not looking for exactly a cookie cutter kind of person, but someone who is more interesting and kind of has the quirks to work at a pet store.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
PetSmart Cashier: I would say just be yourself, and just be personable, and also make sure you’re responsible and you can work with a variety of people. There’s so many customers in PetSmart. There’s the crazy cat lady, then the rich businessman buying expensive dog food for his fancy dog. So, you have to be able to talk to all of them. People that work there should really care about the animals, so make sure that comes through.