Before you submit your Subway job application online, it’s highly important to check out what other workers have experienced while working at this sub-shop chain. By obtaining as much information as possible, you will have a better idea of whether you would like to apply.
Working at Subway Reviews
Here are some examples of the good and bad well working at Subway, according to employee reviews on Indeed.com.
Pros
- Your workday flies by because it gets so busy all the time
- It is a great place to learn customer service
- The customers were very friendly and appreciative
- If you work hard and show management that you are putting forth a lot of effort, they give you plenty of hours to work
- Management treated everybody equally
- Although the pay was pretty low, customers helped out with a lot of tips
Cons
- The job was very stressful and management placed undue stress on its workers
- Some workers were left alone for the last six hours of the shift
- The hourly pay was very low
- There was very little room for growth within the company
- The manager was difficult to deal with
- Very little chance of getting a pay raise
- Not enough work hours to make a living
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History of Subway Restaurant
Subway is an American privately owned restaurant franchise that deals mainly in submarine sandwiches and salads. It is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the world and as of October 2019, it had well over 41,500 locations in over 100 countries.
Over 50% of its locations are operating in the United States and it is the largest single-brand restaurant chain and operator in the world.
It all began when Fred Deluca took a loan of $1000 from his friend Peter Buck in 1965 to start “Pete’s Super Submarines.” The store was located in Bridgeport, Connecticut and by 1966, they had formed Doctor’s Associates Inc. to manage the operations of the restaurants as the franchise continued to grow.
The first Subway on the west coast opened in Fresno, California in 1978. Eventually, the first Subway outside of North America opened in Bahrain in December 1984.
By July 2020, this submarine shop restaurant chain had grown immensely. Currently, there are locations mostly in North America with over 24,000 in the United States, over 3,000 in Canada, and almost 1,000 in Mexico.
Jobs Available at Subway
There are four basic jobs at Subway that make the sub shop restaurants move in perfect sync to provide its customers with quality submarine sandwiches and other foods.
You can bet there are many jobs available in just about every city for:
- Sandwich Artists
- Shift Managers
- Assistant Managers
- Manager
This company is unique in that it doesn’t own a single location, and instead, all Subways are independently owned by franchisees.
This is good and bad news for employees who work there. On one hand, you have some owners who are willing to pay their employees adequate pay, while others hold back and do not provide enough pay for their workers.
Therefore, it basically comes down to how lucky you are and how much research you are willing to conduct to apply at a Subway where management takes care of its workers financially.
Subway Sandwich Artist
The sandwich artist welcomes guests and serves them, prepares products, and maintains general food safety and sanitation standards across the restaurant. This position makes the worker responsible for the paperwork associated with each shift.
The most important part of this job is making sure you take care of every single customer and treat them attentively. The job requires you to pay incredible attention to detail because each customer orders their sub sandwich with different ingredients.
Other responsibilities for sandwich artists are:
- Having a total understanding and knowledge of the menu, so you can explain it to guests
- Operating cash registers to record orders and compute the cash inflow
- Performing basic accounting for all forms of money during shift
- Preparing food according to Subway’s restaurant standards
Subway Shift Manager
The shift manager oversees the operations of the shift to make sure that food safety, product preparation, and cleanliness are maintained. This will include staff supervision and scheduling. The goal is to make sure guests are served well and leave happy.
You will be acting as a sandwich artist one minute, then the next you may be attending to a customer complaining about not correctly receiving the order they placed. You’re basically supervising the operation of the store at its core level.
The success of the store depends largely on how you help coordinate how your fellow workers perform. This is a great way to get some experience in a managerial role.
Here are your key responsibilities as a shift manager:
- Performs all duties of the sandwich artist as mentioned in the job description
- You’ll train the less experienced sandwich artists with much patience while doing so
- The task of controlling inventory is yours
- Equipment inspection and storage facility checks throughout the shift to ensure proper operations
- Supervising staff members and scheduling their shifts
- Other paperwork duties as applicable according to how your store owner/management operates
Remember that in this role, you must be able to work in any area of the restaurant as when needed. This position requires versatility and you will be very active throughout your shift.
Subway Assistant Manager
The Assistant Manager is in charge of staff and day to day operations to make sure food safety, product preparation, and standard operating procedures are maintained. He or she is also in charge of staff supervision and helping the shift manager with employee scheduling.
Every aspect of the business from product to customer service must be overseen by the assistant manager. So, this job requires motivation, patience, and the desire to guide employees to excellence.
Other key responsibilities for assistant managers include:
- Taking charge of all responsibilities of the shift manager as mentioned in the job description
- Supervising food preparation and service
- Scheduling and supervising staff to ensure all operating procedures are being followed
- Managing a staff of between 4 to 12 and assigning work accordingly
- Recommending promotions, transfers, and contract terminations
- Performing paperwork as applicable
- Assisting with the coordination of special events and promotions
Subway Manager
The manager is in charge of the overall management of the restaurant. This includes food safety, product preparation, and operating standards.
In this job, you will also recruit and be responsible for training new staff members, and you are responsible for product inventory and cash flow. These are all details that need to be initiated by your assistant manager but you will be ultimately responsible for all of it!
Managers are also tasked with local marketing initiatives and they may reach out to prospective customers to promote sales. They maintain business records and ensure customer service is top-notch.
Additionally, in this position, you’ll need the ability to know how to handle and treat your subordinates effectively. One of the biggest complaints by Subway employees is how management does not know how to treat employees.
Your job is to find a way to be as fair as possible to all and to keep your employees motivated and as happy as possible.
Other key managerial responsibilities include:
- Communicating changes in food preparation formulas and standards
- Ensuring that all health and safety guidelines are followed
- Driving marketing initiatives
- Planning of special events, promotions, and other employee activities
The requirements for a manager at Subway are:
Education: High school diploma or the equivalent, and a college degree gives you an added advantage
Experience: A minimum of 2 years in a restaurant environment and experience supervising
Subway Corporate Careers
Subway has 14 corporate offices located worldwide.
There are many jobs available at any given time in categories such as:
- Technology
- Accounting and finance
- Marketing
- Company territories
- Legal
- Finance
- Strategic planning
- Operations
- International
- Analytics and insights
When I checked on September 2, 2020, here is a sample list of the jobs I found available:
- Manager/Franchise Performance
- Global Operations Performance Specialist
- Marketing Specialist
- Senior Manager, Public Relations
- Program Manager
- Digital Product Strategy Manager
- Accountant
- Catering Director
- Privacy Specialist
- Human Resources Business Partner
- Senior Corporate Counsel
- Loyalty Program Manager
How to Apply at Subway
The Subway application process is one of the easiest you will come across. You don’t have to waste all day filling out so many questions and tests. With Subway, you get to experience a different approach and you should be able to complete the Subway job application online in a matter of ten minutes.
If you’d like to apply in person, I believe this is the best way, and here’s how to do it:
- Make a list of 1 to 4 or 5 Subways near you.
- Download this Subway pdf application, print it out, and fill it out.
- Dress nicely in “business casual wear” and walk into the first Subway of your choice and present yourself to the manager or owner. (Sometimes, the owner is actually serving as a manager).
- Try to make the best first impression possible by being friendly and showing a nice, hardworking personality
- Ask if you can submit your printed application and make sure you leave your contact information (name, email, phone #). 6. Repeat the same sequence with the other 3 or 4 locations.
Here are the steps to apply online:
- Visit this Subway careers page.
- Click the “Apply Now” button.
- On the following page, there should be a map. Enter your home address and click “search.”
- The same page will update, and the map will show you the locations to choose from.
- There will be a red star showing up next to the closest Subway to your residence.
- Scroll down, choose the locations you want to apply to, and click “Continue” on the bottom.
- A popup will appear. Enter your email, click the reCAPTCHA, then click “OK.”
- You will be redirected to the actual application. Fill it out carefully and accurately, and make sure you click “Save the Application” on the bottom.
Here are some key points to consider if you want to get hired quickly:
- When the application asks you for your “Availability” on step 3, make sure you indicate you are available to work at any time on any day!
- It will ask you at the end of this section if there are any days you are not available to work. Check “NO” if it’s at all possible.
- Fill everything out accurately. This means no misspelled words at all! Do your best to use correct grammar when writing sentences.
Subway Application Process
The application process for Subway is very simple. You either apply online or in person, and you get a call back for an interview:
- Within 1 day to a couple of weeks for a paper application, or
- 3 days to a month with an online application
Due to all the Subway restaurants being franchise-owned, this is one of the few companies where you can turn in a paper application and get hired on the spot or in a matter of days.
For those of you who want to fill out an application at the actual store, as long as it’s allowed at that particular store, then by all means do so. This may be the best route to take when applying to this sub-shop chain.
If you are what the management staff is looking for, you may be offered a job either right away or within a few days.
If you apply online and don’t get a call back within 2 weeks, follow up by visiting the store in person. This would be an easy way to introduce yourself to the owner or management staff.
Make sure you leave your contact information so they can reach you easily, once a job is available.
Minimum age to work at Subway
If you are 16 years of age, this is the minimum age that allows you to fill out and submit an application for Subway. Usually, 16 and 17-year-olds work the 5 PM to 10 PM shift.
This allows most of them to get to work on time after school and it permits them to fulfill their homework duties before and after work. Keep in mind it is not easy to attend any school and have to go to work at the same time. If you have already stopped attending high school and have a G.E.D., working at Subway shouldn’t be a problem.
Additionally, working at Subway can be very stressful during peak times, such as from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The best policy for youngsters to follow is to make sure the job does not negatively affect their schoolwork in any way.
Does Subway Drug Test Before Hiring an Employee?
Subway usually does not drug test entry-level employees such as sandwich artists. However, if you’re going after one of the salaried positions such as assistant manager, manager, or some type of corporate or field position, you may have to submit to a drug test.
The drug test can be part of a thorough background search for those who would like to become salaried employees.
Subway Job Benefits
Unfortunately, you will be hard-pressed to find any Subway franchise owner offering its entry-level workers a chance to have any type of medical, dental, or vision benefit plan. Even if you have worked for a few years as a sandwich artist, you may never be offered any benefits other than the usual discount on food and occasional freebies.
This is a huge complaint from past and present employees. Basically, if you are not in some type of managerial position or working at the corporate level, you will not be offered any type of benefit plan.
Here are some of the benefits offered to some employees, and these vary by location and owner of the franchise:
- Group medical, dental, and vision plan
- Paid vacation after working one year
- 401(k) – some match your contributions and some don’t
- Monthly bonuses
- Paid training
- Paid sick leave
Featured image courtesy of Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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