If you’re looking to submit an application for one of the highest-paying supermarket jobs with excellent benefits, Whole Foods Market certainly fits the bill.

This is a company that takes pride in hiring the absolute best employees to create a distinctive shopping atmosphere for its customers.

You’ll have to come prepared with your absolute best effort if you want to get hired by this company. Luckily, I have included some great tips to give you an advantage when you apply.

Working at Whole Foods

Workers who are presently employed or have experience working at Whole Foods Market have given slightly above-average reviews for the working conditions. The following is a list of pros and cons people have observed:

Pros

• Very good pay
• Lots of opportunities to grow within the company
• Employees feel appreciated by the company
• Coworkers are friendly and kind
• 20% off discount for store purchases and the possibility of 30% off after working a full 6 months.
• Management is flexible with work schedules
• It’s a great paying job for college students
• Very inexpensive medical insurance for full-time workers

Cons

• Sometimes, you have to perform the work of 2 to 3 people
• It’s hard to get promoted from part-time to full-time
• Some managers can be difficult and place a lot of stress on you
• Breaks are very short
• There is very little chance of working overtime

Is Whole Foods Hiring?

With over 500 stores in the United States and 7 located in the United Kingdom, there’s a great chance there are many openings available in your area right now.

Being such a large company, Whole Foods Market needs to be constantly hiring new employees. Keep in mind, it’s not easy to get hired at this grocery retail store chain.

Below, take a look at the job openings usually available in any area. Pick 2 to 5 jobs and focus on which type of job you would like.

This will become important later when you apply online because Whole Foods Market suggests that applicants should be focused on just a few jobs they want, instead of casting a wide net with many jobs in hopes of landing one.

Jobs at Whole Foods

There are many different types of jobs at Whole Foods Market and the most common position at the store is that of a team member.

Team members include in-store shoppers, cashiers, and employees who work in the bakery, seafood, grocery, and deli departments, just to name a few. 

Team members in 9 different departments are supervised by an associate team leader.

A hard-working associate team leader can eventually be promoted to a team lead position, also known as a department manager.

After that, the hierarchy in management consists of an associate store team leader which is an assistant manager, and a store team leader which is the actual store manager.

Here’s a rundown of the available jobs at any given moment:

Whole Foods In-Store Shopper

This is currently a job that is in high demand. Therefore, Whole Foods market is pushing for people to get hired as quickly as possible for this position.

With this job, you are going to report to work at a certain time and begin fulfilling orders called in by customers. 

You will use your own mobile device to fulfill approximately 10 to 20 orders a day by using each customer’s shopping list, and completing the shopping for them.

 After you buy the groceries through the Whole Foods Market system, you place these items either in refrigerated areas or shelves so the customer or a pick-up delivery service can complete the order.

One of the best shifts according to many workers is the 4 AM to 12 PM shift. Additionally, the job starts out at $15 an hour which is very appealing to many people who like working by themselves without much supervision.

Whole Foods Team Member Jobs

There are many team member jobs available at any given time. You can choose to work in 1 of the 9 basic Whole Foods departments as either an entry-level or experienced worker.

One of the most common jobs is the cashier position and is described below.

Whole Foods Cashier

A Whole Foods cashier team member is constantly active in providing great customer service. In this job, you will become a jack of all trades.

You will be expected to help customers check out their purchases accurately. You’ll also be in charge of cleaning and stocking the areas around your cash register.

Once you gain experience, you will be helping out with the training of other cashiers and team members. 

This position requires no prior work experience in retail. You have to be in fairly good physical shape because you need to lift up to 50 pounds. 

You’ll also be standing and walking for long periods of time.

What is a Team Member?

“Team member” is a job title used to describe the many Whole Foods associates who provide great customer service in one of many different grocery departments.

Here is a list of these possible positions you may want to consider at your local Whole Foods Market. Simply add the words “team member“ to each of the listings. 

For example, “Bakery” would be “Bakery Team Member.”

• Bakery
• Seafood
• Grocery
• Deli
• Meat
• Produce
• Sanitation
• Overnight
• Culinary
• Prepared foods
• Specialty
• Stocking
• Whole Body 

Whole Foods Associate Team Leader (Shift Leader)

In this job, you will have already proved yourself as a team member and you will have been promoted to this position. 

This means you will probably be completely familiar with all the products within your department. This will give you a great advantage in assisting other team members to complete their daily tasks and provide excellence in customer service.

You will be in charge of working with your team leader to increase profitability while controlling expenses in your department. As a whole, you will report to the team leader and work closely with team members to make sure your department reaches all of its goals.

Team Leader (Department Manager)

As a team leader, you will be completely responsible for the profitability and expense control of your department. 

You’ll be working with your associate team leader to make sure your department is running smoothly and consistently making profit gains. 

You will be setting sales targets, and devising strategies to be able to meet and reach those targets.

Most importantly, you will be supervising your team members, listening to their input, and guiding them to success.

Associate Store Team Leader (Assistant Store Manager)

This is an assistant manager position where you will be working closely with your store team leader to assist and support him or her in any possible way. You will be taking quite a bit of pressure off of the store team leader by performing many of the store operations’ daily functions.

You will be in charge of selecting, training, and developing your store’s team members in order to maximize job performance.

At times, you will be a mentor and a counselor to your subordinates.

The requirements are very simple in that all you need are more than 2 years of experience in some type of leadership capacity. Whole Foods Market loves to hire for this position from within.

Whole Foods Store Team Leader (Store Manager)

A store team leadership position is a salaried job that places you at the top of your store. In this position, you are in charge of developing all of your employees and you are ultimately responsible for the success and failure of your store.

This job requires that you have plenty of energy and are enthusiastic. You will be on the sales floor interacting with your team members and other employees as you work together to make your store a success.

You’ll be able to delegate many of your responsibilities to the associate store team leader. This will enable you to make certain your store is profitable and performing in a manner that exceeds standards.

Whole Foods Warehouse Jobs

There are many Whole Foods distribution center jobs to consider at any given time. 

The most common jobs such as “shipping team member” and “order selector” are two of the entry-level type positions you can go after if you don’t have any experience.

These positions carry a decent starting salary because they are inherently physical and dangerous, and following OSHA safety regulations is a requirement.

How to Apply at Whole Foods

Since Whole Foods Market receives more than 1.5 million applications every year, it becomes important to have a distinctive approach to applying for a job.

Here are some great tips to apply and have the best chance of getting hired.

1. Visit the official Whole Foods career page.
2. In the navigation bar, hover over the heading that says “Where You’ll Work“ and select either Stores, Offices, or Distribution Center.
3. Type in your location and click “Find Jobs.“
4. Take your time scrolling through a list of openings and clicking on them and researching the positions.
5. Make a list of 2 to 5 positions you are interested in applying for.
6. Click on the first job you are interested in, and click the “Apply Now“ button to begin the Whole Foods application process.
7. On the first page where you will fill out your name address and other pertinent details, it gives you a chance to upload your resume.
8. If you want to stand out apart from the crowd, upload a resume. If you want to wait and present your resume in person during your first interview, that’s OK too.
9. Continue filling out the application and pick only 2 to 5 positions. If you pick up more than 5 jobs, it may indicate to the hiring manager that you are unsure of what type of job you want.

Application Process

After you apply online, within 24 hours you’ll receive an email confirming Whole Foods Market has received your application.

The email will indicate exactly how to proceed. It will also give you some tips on how to do well during the interview.

While you’re waiting for your appointment for an interview, you can check the status of your application by clicking on the “returning users“ link located on the main careers page.

Whole Foods Market usually reaches out to applicants within one week to schedule an interview. However, sometimes it can take longer. Therefore, be patient and continue checking on the status of your application.

If Whole Foods does not select you for the position you applied for, you will be notified either through a phone call or via email.

Whole Foods Interview Process

The interview process can vary depending on which position you are applying for. 

Some applicants may get a phone screening or a one on one interview with a hiring manager. Others may get just one interview or a panel interview after the first interview.

The timetable for getting hired after the interview varies from store to store. Some people are actually lucky and get hired on the spot after the first interview.

The most common scenario is that you will get hired anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks after you submit your online application.

The interview questions are very common ones, such as:

• Why did you leave your last employer?
• Why do you want to work at Whole Foods?
• Are you able to carry up to 50 pounds?
• Tell us about a time you provided good customer service.
• What are your career goals?

Whole Foods Hiring Age

Whole Foods has been known to hire 16-year-old workers on a part-time basis. However, they prefer to hire people who are at least 18 years of age.

Does Whole Foods Drug Test?

Whole Foods does occasionally drug test new hires before they are offered a position. This all depends on the store and the decision of your hiring manager.

Usually, there is no drug test required before gaining employment at this retail chain. If you are applying for some type of management or corporate position, you can expect a full background check as well as a drug test as a condition of hiring.

History of Whole Foods

Whole Foods began in 1978 when John Mackey and Renee Lawson opened up a veggie natural food store. 

They named the store, “SaferWay,“ and in 1980 they joined forces with Craig Weller to form the first Whole Foods Market.

In 1984, Whole Foods Market began to expand into the giant supermarket chain it is today.

Benefits

Whole Foods offers a comprehensive benefits plan to its full-time workers. It includes health, dental, and vision, and the copayment for these benefits on a biweekly basis is fairly low.

Whole Foods also offers employees a chance at expanding their career development and resources for any personal problems they may be experiencing.

Full-time workers can automatically be enrolled in a 401(k) or HSA. Additionally, eligible team members are allowed to take 100% of their unused paid time off hours and convert them into dollars.

Team members also receive a 20% discount at the store, which is something unheard of in the industry. After 6 months of work, you may be able to qualify for a discount of up to 30%.

Final Thoughts

Whole Foods has a very pleasant working atmosphere and a reputation for hiring people who are exceptional.

In my experience, when any company is diligent in hiring the best possible personnel, it equates to better working conditions and a happier workplace.

Add to that an average salary for a team member with 2-3 years on at $30,000 a year, and you have the perfect recipe for success.

Whole Foods also loves to hire from within and a person who wants to become a manager can find great success within a short period of time.

This job is for workers of all ages and it actually provides a career path for anyone looking for a solid foundation to build upon.

If you are going to apply at Whole Foods, make sure you come with your “A“ game. You will face some stiff competition for a chance to work at one of the best supermarket chains out there.

Other supermarket jobs that can compete with Whole Foods are Publix, H-E-B, and Trader Joe’s.