Kohl's software engineer candidates describe a recruiter or phone screen followed by an onsite in Milwaukee. Three reports describe behavioral interviews, and one describes coding and Spring Boot questions.
$115K
Avg. Base Comp
$130K
Avg. Total Comp
Not reported
Typical Rounds
Not reported
Process Length
Candidate reports on Kohl's software engineer interviews point to behavioral conversations as the core of the process, though the four reports do not all match. Two reports describe an onsite in Milwaukee with three one-on-one behavioral interviews. One of them says there were no technical coding questions, and the other says each interview ran about thirty minutes. A third report, from an internship candidate, describes a single 30-minute Google Meet session with a senior engineer. That session was behavioral and resume-focused, with no coding.
The questions reported are about conflict and collaboration. Candidates were asked about a time a plan went the opposite way, about difficult or secretive coworkers, about conflicting viewpoints on a team, and about why they wanted to work at Kohl's. Prepare specific stories from real projects, and have a clear answer on why this company and role appeal to you.
One candidate had a different experience. They report a web-based screen, a recruiter call, and a technical screen where they implemented a set on top of an array without Java collections. The onsite had two teams of engineers and managers and went deep on Spring Boot and resume projects. That candidate did not receive an offer. If your resume lists Java or Spring Boot work, be ready to explain how it works underneath.
Another candidate, who did not receive an offer, said the role differed from what they expected. Ask the recruiter early what stack and responsibilities the team covers. Timelines varied: one internship candidate reported nearly two months from career fair to offer, and another heard back about a week after the onsite.
Synthesized from 4 candidate reports by our editorial team.
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Real interview reports from people who went through the Kohl's process.
I found out about Kohl's through their presence at my college's career fair. After submitting my resume, I got scheduled for a phone interview, and about a week later they invited me to their on-site in Milwaukee. They actually bused all of us candidates out to their headquarters, which was a nice touch. The on-site consisted of three back-to-back one-on-one interviews, each about thirty minutes, and they were entirely behavioral.
The interviewers asked pretty standard questions—how I approach problems I've solved, what my thought process is, and how I work with other people. They were genuinely curious about times I'd dealt with conflict or collaboration challenges. What struck me was how conversational it all felt. The engineers seemed interested in actually getting to know me rather than grilling me with trick questions. One interviewer spent a good chunk of time on why I wanted to work at Kohl's specifically, asking me to think about what drew me to the role and the company. Nothing felt adversarial. It was more like having a chat with someone already on the team. The whole day was well-organized and the atmosphere was welcoming—no gotcha moments, no whiteboarding under pressure. Just genuine questions about how I think and collaborate.
Prep tip from this candidate
Prepare concrete examples of problems you've solved and how you work through challenges, especially stories that show collaboration or conflict resolution. Be ready to articulate why Kohl's specifically appeals to you—they prioritize fit and motivation in their behavioral rounds.
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Sourced from candidate reports and verified by our team.
Topics based on recent interview experiences.
Featured question at Kohl's
How would you answer when an Interviewer asks why you applied to their company?
| Question | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Highest Salary | |
| Empty Neighborhoods | |
| Monthly Customer Report | |
| Subscription Overlap | |
| Customer Orders | |
| Top 3 Users | |
| Random SQL Sample | |
| Job Recommendation | |
| Scrambled Tickets | |
| Flight Records | |
| Prime to N | |
| Bagging vs Boosting | |
| Over-Budget Projects | |
| Hurdles In Data Projects | |
| Over 100 Dollars | |
| Maximum Profit | |
| Size of Joins | |
| Retailer Data Warehouse | |
| Sum to N | |
| P-value to a Layman | |
| Valid Anagram | |
| Completed Shipments | |
| Delivery Estimate Model | |
| Detecting ECG Tachycardia Runs | |
| Last Transaction | |
| Manager Team Sizes | |
| The Brackets Problem | |
| Triplet Counting | |
| Emails Opened |
Synthesized from candidate reports. Individual experiences may vary.
Candidates report getting in through a college career fair or an online application. One candidate said the process had quiet stretches with no contact before it sped up. Typically, expect a wait before the first call, so follow up politely if it goes quiet.
Candidates report a straightforward phone screen or recruiter call, and one reports a web-based round first with general questions about fit and software experience. Be ready to explain your background and ask about the stack and responsibilities, since one candidate found the role differed from what they expected.
One candidate reports a technical screen where they implemented a set on top of an array without Java collections. Other reports describe no coding at all, so this may vary by team or hiring track. Practice basic data structures in your main language to be safe.
Candidates report an onsite at the Milwaukee headquarters with travel arranged by the company. Two describe three one-on-one behavioral interviews, one of them about thirty minutes each. Questions covered conflict, collaboration, thought process and motivation for Kohl's. Another candidate reports two teams of engineers and managers who probed Spring Boot and resume projects.
Outcomes in the reports are mixed: two offers, from an onsite candidate and an internship candidate, and two no-offers. One no-offer candidate heard back about a week after the onsite, and the other cited a mismatch in role expectations. The internship candidate described nearly two months from career fair to offer.
