Chipotle is one of the best fast food companies in the United States of America and is looking to expand its reach in more places. Their popularity has risen due to their fast service, food, and the varying menu and diversity of items sold in fast-food restaurants. There are many things that Mexican food must include, and spice and zing are one of them, which the company has completely revolutionized. Here, in this blog, let’s see top Chipotle Interview Questions with simple answers.
Introduction
Chipotle Mexican Grill was founded in New Port, California, nearly 27 years ago by Steve Elis. Its concept is that the company serves fast food in Mexican food like Tacos, Burritos, and many more. Elis was a Chef and wanted to open his establishment. So he started Chipotle as a venture. He and his father calculated that selling more than 100 burritos a day consistently would yield profits.
The same year, the company started selling more than 1000 burritos a day. The business was a huge success which allowed Steve to generate more income and open more restaurants in the neighboring parts of California. He had planned for Chipotle to be fine dining. Still, seeing the different fast food and Mexican cuisine trends developing popularity and profits in America, he focused more of his money and assets on Chipotle Mexican Grill rather than making it a fine dining restaurant.
Today’s Time and Hiring Process
Chipotle has close to 45,000 employees situated in more than 2300 plus locations throughout the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and France. The employees receive many types of benefits and are rewarded properly when work is properly done. Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, the need for employment and business is at an all-time high, so every restaurant is looking to hire more and more people to accumulate food orders and staff vacancies. That is why today we will be talking about how you can ace the Chipotle interview.
Remember, knowing about the job you are applying for is the key to getting the job and knowing about the company as a whole. This will impress the employer and allow you to get some confidence. Dress well so that you can radiate an image of a perfect employee.
We will be looking at the different kinds of questions you will be asked when you give your interview. These questions will help you answer and also give you information about the interview itself.
Things to Remember
An interview at Chipotle is going to be the last step of your selection process, so make sure you nail it. You need to keep in mind many things, but the most important thing is that you need to be well prepared by doing research on the company and practicing questions. Luckily we have got you there.
The other things are that you should have your resume with you, along with a copy of the application form (if you can produce it). The other thing you should remember, as we discussed earlier, is that you should dress well and have good manners during the interview. A “Please” and “Thank You” will go a long way.
Chipotle Interview Questions
- Q1: Why do you want to get a job at Chipotle?
The answer here is fairly simple. Just think why you would want a job here, do not mention the money. This will be a good time to talk about Chipotle’s history with its employees, and if you are pursuing a career in the culinary arts, it makes it even better.
I want to work at Chipotle because it is dedicated to serving the best food that benefits the customers rather than increases their burden. Chipotle uses fresh and real ingredients for its food which is why it is one of the most popular restaurants.
I will learn a lot about how business functions and how you can better serve the customers through this job. I want to work with a company that not only does the right thing but enjoys the process and interacts well with its customers, and this is a place where I can do that.
- Q2: Why do We/I hire you?
This question is fairly easy to answer since it requires you to mention all of the job description’s qualities. But do not just keep on mentioning the qualities. Instead, spin something that will make your impression in front of the people hiring you. For example, if you are being hired as a cook, mention your experience and skills in the culinary arts. Then, the cooks will have an easy time answering this question.
I know that my positivity will help the customers have a great time and help my team members. I like to learn from every job as much as possible, and I’m a quick learner. I adapt to situations fairly well and have a lot of experience in interaction with people due to my previous work/school event/ college event.
I am not an overachiever, but I have certain expectations with myself that I always plan to achieve no matter what. I also work well in fast-paced environments, and that is given since this is one of the busiest places. The work keeps changing, so I can adapt to the environment well due to my experience.
- Q3: Define great Customer Service according to you.
This question is fairly self-explanatory because customer service differs from the eyes of everyone. Of course, great customer service will always depend on what company you’re working for, but since Chipotle is a fast-food restaurant, you will be required to tend to customers more often.
The best thing about chipotle is that it cares about its customers. The many things to keep getting good customers are nice to them and oblige to their orders, especially if they request changes to the food. Good customer service can make people leave as happy as they came into the restaurants and make their experience in the place worth it, so they always plan to visit again.
Keeping the people happy and ensuring they leave with their favorite food is an important part of the job, and that is why it is difficult to please every customer. But that experience comes in part with working hard and ensuring the people get their money’s worth. That is what customer service means to me. Great Customer service is always to meet customer expectations while keeping a smile on their face.
- Q4: Are you able to perform well in a team environment?
The restaurant you are about to work at is especially famous due to its fast service and excellent customer service. However, all of that comes with teamwork that has been achieved through months of hard work and cooperation. Therefore, any part of the job you work at, even if it is a dishwasher or a manager, requires teamwork.
Yes, I do work well in team environments. I believe it is essential for a person to work well with others because every order and work query requires teamwork to accomplish. Especially if we are in a place like Chipotle, which is busy throughout the year with thousands of customers coming in every day, there will be a lot of rush.
Orders will only keep going out until the team works together, cooperates on writing the order, sending it to the kitchen, preparing it, and properly packing and sending it out. Every tiny work detail has to be properly cooperated on, and I will ensure I am a part of it and work well to accomplish goals with the help of my team.
- Q5: Will you be willing to work overtime?
This is an essential question as it depends on what you are willing to do for the company. Since most unattended shift workers may not arrive or cancel the day in the nick of time, it will be your responsibility to work their shift and cover for them. You will be paid for it, so you do not need to worry.
Yes, I am willing to work overtime since I want to learn as much as I can about customer service and how the restaurant works. Working overtime will allow me to get lots of experience with people I don’t usually work with within my other shifts, but it will also allow me to understand better what role I will play.
It will give me practice and the proper distinction to excel at my job( insert your job title) and give me more exposure to working in certain things that I would not access. I want to work overtime not because I want to make an impression but because it will help me down the line when other crises arise, and we need to manage with fewer people.
- Q6: Tell me about your availability?
This is a fairly simple question but quite an important one to answer. It will require you to make a compromise about the field you are in. If you are a student at a high school or are studying in college, it is alright to work for 6 to 8 hours every day. You will have plenty of time for your study even after you are done with the job. If you are a pass out from school, you can say that you are working while also looking for a college and a job opportunity.
My schedule depends on my classes. But usually, I am free from the duration of the whole week( or mention the exclusion of any days you like) after 1 PM afternoon since my classes get over for the day. After the classes get done, I can go home, freshen up and take a quick change of clothes to come to the job. It will consume no more than an hour. So my availability will be throughout the whole week after 2 PM, which is when all my work for the school is done, and studies are taken care of.
- Q7: Do you work well in a pressurized environment?
Working in a pressurized environment is the bare basics of getting a job in a restaurant since the customers will rush in at dinner, during a holiday, or a weekend. Therefore, it is important to be familiar with the different types of things you can do to ensure you do not succumb to the pressure and thrive in this work environment. Here is how you should answer.
Most of the restaurants crumble under pressure due to the density of customers. Chipotle has many customers during every holiday and weekend, so the rush is to be expected. That is why I am willing to work and do well in a pressurized environment since it will give me the basic training necessary to work properly, and it will also train me to work in needy and tense situations.
It is easy to fall apart when there is a dinner rush, but it is highly important not to succumb to it, keep a clear head, listen to the customers, and deliver proper service. This can be a major difference-maker in the returning decision of the customer.
- Q8: Do you know about the company values and mission?
The company values and mission is the core to getting to know the company as a whole. The values and the mission will be a good thing for you to learn about since it will help you in the interview but also will help you get an insight into the company as well. For example, the company values for Chipotle are” commitment to best ingredients, doing it for everyone, sourcing from farms, and emphasizing both quality and responsibility.” In addition, the mission statement of Chipotle is” to provide ‘Food with Integrity.”
The company values talking about getting the best ingredients to make the best food and giving people all of the fruits of the labor responsible for delivering the food to the moment it goes to the plate. So Chipotle has always believed in sharing the wealth and rewarding the people who have been a part of bringing the food to the people. The mission has always been to provide the best quality of food and secure the customers’ goodwill and make sure the customers have a nice day at the restaurant and remember their experience.
- Q9: Are you a regular Chipotle customer? And why?
Chipotle has a very vast customer base since it has had 20 plus years to enhance the taste of its food and come up with different variations of the food. Their American twist on Mexican cuisine has helped them get a considerable fanbase since the food is fresh and the recipes keep evolving.
Yes, I have been a regular Chipotle customer. This is primarily due to it being a very convenient source of food whenever I am working in college or food. It has all of the nutrients that a perfect diet should have, and the components individually have always had a lot of taste.
And the reason is that much of the time is wasted in making meals, but through Chipotle, meals become easy and even at a low price. So there are a lot of things here that are important. The nutritional food, the low price, and the affordability make it very accessible to all the people who come to the restaurant and me. It was also due to the people who were offering food, which is so important to people.
- Q10: Where do you see yourself in the next 2 to 5 years?
This is a very easy question to answer because all you have to do is talk about your goals and ambitions. By doing so, you get to secure an answer and discuss your future, with possibly the next company you will be working for. They might even offer you advice on what you should do for it, so be sure to answer honestly and reasonably.
I see myself working in a five-star restaurant after gaining experience from Chipotle and other organizations. I am mainly interested in culinary work, and I am trying my best to become a Chef. I believe working in the daily rush of Chipotle along with preparing different variations of food in the kitchen will be a very good challenge for me, and I am looking forward to taking on that challenge and working with the people here.
There are many things I would like to achieve before doing work and prove myself in a five-star restaurant, and I believe that I can hold up to the expectations my superiors will place on me and complete the tasks on time.
- Q11: Tell me a little bit about yourself.
This is a personal question, and you should answer this as if you were talking to a friend or a family member. Do not discuss problems or anything. Instead, just give them a traditional rundown of what a day in your life looks like, what kind of a person you are, and anything else that can help you secure a job in the interview.
Well, I am a student at the (insert college name) college, and I have decided to start working to shoulder my spendings throughout my college days. My parents provide me with everything, but I do not want to be a burden to them. Plus, I feel like working here will give me the most valuable experience of interacting with people and get ahead in my career. I like to play sports and video games, and I have a huge interest in Tennis.
In addition, I have a brother who is already working as an accountant for another company. So I am trying to follow in his footsteps and make sure I can get experience and work to shoulder the family’s expenses.
Questions You Can Ask
There will be a time in the interview where the interviewer will tell you to ask questions. In that time, you can use any of the questions given below to get an insight into the company and know more about it as an employee. This will allow you to be prepared about the upcoming things you can expect from the company and the daily work schedule.
Asking questions is not only a great way to know the company inside out, but it also gives the employer an overview that you care about the position you’re being offered. Asking questions can make sure that you also get the information you want, along with letting the employer know that you are interested in knowing more about the company. You can also form your questions to ask.
You can ask many questions about the company: the work schedules, stipend and salary structure, benefits, management, administration, and others. The questions we are giving you are only a reference point, so you know what kind of things are generally acceptable to ask.
There are a total of five questions given in the list below to help you get to know about the company and other details.
- What are the different kinds of training people receive about the position I’m applying for?
- What are some of the skills the people in my position should possess so that they can excel at what they can do and grow more?
- Are there any promotion or advancement opportunities the new hires get to expect?
- How will my salary structure be decided and how can I make an impact on that?
- What does a normal day look like? And How do these differ from the most challenging and rushed days?
