I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Red Lobster (Cedar Rapids, IA) in Dec 2018
Interview
The process was multi-step. After the initial application was an assessment. If you scored favorably on the assessment then there was an initial interview with an HR representative, then an interview with the restaurant GM and, in my case Director of Operations.
The HR interview was via video conference. It was rather low key and mostly consisted of my general background, salary expectations, and questions I had. There was also some general questions to gauge my leadership style and reasoning. Since I have run multiple businesses I was asked some stuff regarding P&L, and budgeting.
I was told my interview with the Director of Operations and General Manager would be about 30-45 minutes. In reality it was almost 2 hours. This was more in depth and covered many specific questions related to my resume and past leadership experience. There were the typical questions related to biggest accomplishment and failure and reaction to such, as well as questions regarding P&L, budgeting strategies, staffing, and leadership during busier volumes. Also since I had no previous restaurant experience I was asked what I expected a typical day to be like. It was fairly exhaustive and detailed, but very laid back.
Interview questions [4]
Question 1
When you look at you P&L reports what do you concentrate on?
Straight forward. Organized. Strong Management. Didn't offer a schedule that promoted good work-life balance. Chose not to continue as it didn't fit my personal standards. Could be a great place for someone new to the industry.