Applied for open positions via rei.com in the Chicago area. Received a call from a Sales Manager at the Lincoln Park location--the manager who is the supervisor of the department I now work in. The initial phone interview went well, including standard questions ranging from details about my past experience and my ideas about good customer service. We also discussed my hobbies and interests and I was given an opportunity to ask preliminary questions about the position and the company. I was told then on the phone during this conversation that I was invited to a hiring seminar. Two weeks later, this seminar took place. It was essentially a group interview (a group of roughly 12 individuals) that included presentations by the store's management team, including the Store Manager, followed by 15-20 minute individual interviews with another Sales Manager and a Sales Lead. This individual interview was comfortable and straightforward and I felt that I was given ample opportunity to learn about the store and the company. Less than a week later, I received a phone call from the manager with whom I had originally spoken on the phone and was informed that I was a new REI employee and would begin less than two weeks hence. A very positive experience from beginning to end.