Sprouts Farmer’s Market is an extraordinary grocery store because its main focus is to make the world a little bit better by offering people the best possible food they can get. In a Sprouts store, you can find anything from organic produce to organic meat and dairy, but you won’t find the typical junk food items. Anything you pick up in a Sprouts store is healthy and nutritious.
It’s a totally different grocery experience than you are probably used to. You will feel the difference the moment you step into the store. By setting itself apart as offering better food, the company also insists on better workers. If you want to fill out a Sprouts application, then you need to learn more about the company, its mission, and its jobs.
About Sprouts
The first Sprouts store opened in Arizona in 2002 with the goal to make natural, good food available to all. The typical options for similar grocers were overpriced and hard to find. Sprouts wanted to change that by offering affordable prices and convenient locations. In addition, they wanted to make this a friendly and welcoming environment by hiring people who were passionate about the company’s goals.
Sprouts focuses on selling fresh produce and healthy food items. The full name of the company is Sprouts Farmer’s Market, which basically says it all. It is like any other farmer’s market except it is easily assessable right in your location at any time.
By 2015, the company had more than 200 stores across the U.S. It stays competitive through offering mobile coupons, expanding to more locations, and continuing to follow its fresh food mission. As of 2018, there are now a total of 300 stores with huge expansions into other territories in 2019.
But Sprouts is not just about food. If you want to know more about just how different the company is, then let us tell you about their fantastic Food Rescue Program that essentially donates all the food in the store that is no longer in line with appearance standards to people who need help. Instead of destroying this food that has some small bumps and bruises here and there but that is still perfectly good to eat, Sprouts will donate it. This helps people with lower incomes get a chance to eat healthy for a change.
The company also donates 10 percent of its sales from the pet department to animal shelters that have a no-kill policy. If you’re looking for a job in an honest company that is making the world better one piece of fruit at a time, then send in your Sprouts application for a chance to join this amazing team!
Sprouts Application Process
If you have decided to apply to Sprouts, then you have two options to go about it.
1. Online Sprouts application
Go to the Sprouts official career website. Here, you will find all the information you need regarding employment, such as job openings, locations, and benefit details. Use the search engine to see the list of available positions, along with their application status. Take your time and read about as many Sprouts jobs that sound good to you to find the one that you are particularly excited about.
When you have made a decision, click that Apply button to begin filling out the Sprouts application form. You will provide information about the following topics:
- Diversity Information — Only if you are comfortable with supplying this type of information, specify your gender and race/ethnicity.
- Your legal right to work in the U.S. — This section is mandatory, and you will have to specify whether or not you are able to provide proof of your legal right to work in the U.S.
- Add your resume and a cover letter, explaining what exactly makes you an ideal candidate. Add any other document that you think could make your application stand out, such as diplomas.
- Contact details
- Work Experience
- Military service, if applicable
- Education history
- Personal and professional references
- Skills and licenses
- Specify which shift/ shifts you are available to work each day of the week
- Desired salary
- Date and signature
When you are done filling out the application form, click on the submit button to finalize the process. You can apply to as many jobs as you want on the portal, and you can use the profile you have created, so the second time around, the entire application process will be only a few clicks.
2. Go to a store
This is a more dynamic approach to getting a Sprouts’ job as you will probably have to visit several stores in your search. All you have to do is print out some resumes and be ready to fill out a paper application at the store. You can use the store locator on the website to find all the stores in your area. Do make sure to check the store hours so you show up when it is open.
Talk to any of the team members once you get there and tell them that you want to speak to the store manager or the assistant manager in regards to job openings at the store. You will most likely be provided with a Sprouts job application form that you can fill out, but some of the managers might ask you to apply via the application portal.
Career Details
Now that you know how to apply, let’s look a little closer at the details of working for this company. To start with, you need to be at least 16 years old. However, some positions may have a higher minimum age. You should inquire about this at the store where you want to work if you have a concern about meeting the age requirement. Do keep in mind there is always a place for students at Sprouts. The company will offer you flexible work schedules and part-time hours if needed.
The standard hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. While this is when you will find most stores open, there might be a few exceptions out there, so do be aware of that.
Entry-level careers
Sprouts offers amazing entry-level jobs for people who have the right initiative and enough enthusiasm. While any prior experience in customer services will be appreciated, Sprouts will give a chance to those who share the company’s store values and who want to actively take part in the mission to provide healthy food choices to the community.
Here are some of the entry-level careers that you can apply to:
- Grocery clerk
- Meat clerk
- Bakery clerk
- Deli clerk
- Scan coordinator
- Produce clerk
- Vitamin clerk
- Utility clerk
- Cashier
Grocery clerk job description
The grocery clerk is the backbone of the grocery store. In this position, you will handle the products from delivery to the shelves. You will assist with the receiving and unloading the merchandise, stock the shelves, and rotate the products, so that the customers always get merchandise that is in line with appearance and quality policies. You will also talk to the customers and assist them in finding the best possible products. You will greet them in a friendly and respectful manner and will try to answer their questions as best as possible or refer them to a colleague or the manager.
This position starts around minimum wage. This rate may increase through skills development and time on the job. Entry-level employees are entitled to a series of benefits, and they are offered the chance of advancement if they have the required skills and qualifications.
Management careers
Sprouts managers are people who share the company’s views and who can coordinate store operations with the primary goal of adhering to the company’s core values. They are compassionate and hardworking, and they are able to find new ways of making the store better and better every day.
A store manager knows every part of the grocery store and is always up to date about what is happening in every department. From produce and bakery to meat and dairy, the manager will oversee all the store operations. In this position, you will develop new ways of improving customer service in the store’s departments and coordinate the implementation of these plans.
The primary roles of the store manager are as follows:
- Coordinating store operations to increase store profit
- Hiring and firing employees
- Training new employees
- Coordinating department managers
Manager salaries vary widely based on experience and location. As a manager, you also get a series of performance-based benefits that can increase the overall annual salary.
Benefits
All Sprouts jobs come with employee benefits. According to the duration of employment, the type of job, and the total number of hours worked per week, you may get to some or all of these benefits:
- Flexible work schedule
- Welcoming work environment
- Competitive salaries
- Paid Time Off: paid vacation, paid holidays, sick days, bereavement leave
- Healthcare: medical plan, dental plan, vision plan, prescription coverage
- Insurance: basic life insurance, AD&D
- Pension and retirement: personalized 401(k) plan, retirement plan.
- Employee discount
- Employee assistance program
- Tuition assistance program
Tips for Applying
Sprouts is looking for enthusiastic and devoted employees, so you need to do your best to prove that you can be just that. The best way to do this is to submit a complete application form, which means that you will have to pay attention to every single section of the form and provide the best information possible. Keep the following in mind:
- Don’t skip the resume upload section – by uploading your full resume, you are not only providing detailed information about yourself to the hiring specialists but you are also actively relaying a complex view on you as a prospective candidate.
- Don’t skip the cover letter upload section either – a cover letter is the perfect way to let them know that you admire their efforts and policies and that you have the willingness and the skills to work as part of a team with such impressive goals.
- Always provide full descriptions where you are given the possibility.
- Proofread your application form before submitting it because spelling mistakes might be interpreted as lack of interest.
After you submit your application, a hiring specialist will determine whether or not you are a good candidate. If you are, you will be contacted to set up an interview, which will be held at the grocery store where you applied or at one of the corporate offices.
During the interview, the hiring specialists make a complete assessment of your professional and personal skills. Entry-level careers usually have a one-on-one interview with the manager of the department you want to work in or the store manager. Your assessment for one of the higher level careers might include more than one interview, and you might even be asked to participate in a group interview with several other candidates.
Possible interview questions
The main goal of the hiring specialists during the interview is to get to know you because they are already familiar with your professional achievements and qualifications. It is crucial to the employment process that you be a good match for the team, so you should expect a lot of personal questions, as well as some that will try to relay an image of your approach to the job that you are interviewing for.
Your interview answers need to be sincere and inspired, so leave your nervousness behind and try to connect with the interviewer. Here a few examples of what you should expect during your interview:
- Why do you want to work at Sprouts?
- Could you please tell me about a time when you have gone above and beyond for a customer?
- Was there ever a time when you have had to break the rules in your workplace?
- What would be your reaction if your supervisor criticized your work?
- Are you able to lift at a minimum of 75 pounds?
- Could you please tell me what organic food is?
- Could you please tell me what natural food is?
Wrapping Up
With this, we conclude our guide to starting your Sprouts career. As you can see, the Sprouts application process isn’t complicated. As long as you pay attention to the details and focus on the interview questions, you should nail the hiring process. Good luck!
To discover other popular job applications read here: