Panda Restaurant Group Interview Questions
& Process

I talked to two people on the hiring team for this corporate job. It seemed like a proper process with a few stages, but the vibe was different from most interviews. The talks felt pretty tough, more like being questioned than a chat. A lot of the time, after I answered, they'd quickly challenge me or try to find fault with what I said, making it feel less like a discussion about my experience and more like a series of trick questions. I also felt the overall mood was kind of cold and not very welcoming. They didn't really try to make things feel comfortable or collaborative, and sometimes the way they asked questions seemed a bit unprofessional. Instead of digging into my background or how I think, it felt like they were more focused on picking apart my answers than understanding the actual work. After those first talks, I decided not to go any further with the process. The whole thing made me wonder what working there day-to-day would be like if this is how they interview people. Basically, it looked organized, but the interview tone felt unusually combative and not very candidate-friendly, especially compared to other corporate interviews I've had.

I started with a recruiter phone call. Then, I had a virtual meeting with the Director over video. The next step involved three in-person interviews back-to-back: first with the hiring manager, then two peers, and finally another two peers. They mentioned there would be two more rounds after that. After the interviews, they told me they'd respond by early January due to the holidays. They called again multiple times to delay until early February, only to say they went with someone else. When I asked for feedback, they had none. They kept me waiting for almost two months, which was unprofessional and a waste of my time.

I went through a few interviews for the Store Manager position and wanted to give some feedback. The whole thing was really disorganized and unprofessional. Early on, they asked questions that didn't seem to relate to the job at all, and they just kept asking the same things over and over in every interview. I had an in-person interview scheduled at the Hurst, Tx location, but when I got there, I had to wait over 30 minutes because everyone was in a company meeting. They should have planned my interview for a different time. During the interview, some interviewers weren't paying attention; one was on her phone, and another seemed really disinterested. It felt like they didn't value my time. Later, I did an on-the-job experience at another location that was about 3.5 hours long. They said they'd email me about the next steps, but I never heard back. I tried to get feedback, but no one responded, which was unprofessional and disrespectful given all the effort I put in. The whole interview process was messy, repetitive, and didn't feel like a professional place to work.

The interview process at Panda Express was one of the most thorough I’ve experienced. I went through multiple rounds. First, a virtual interview with a recruiter. Then, a 1-on-1 in-person interview with an Area Coach of Operations. The final stage included a panel interview with 3 Area Coaches of Operations and 1 Regional Director of Operations. It was structured, intense, and focused on leadership presence, communication, and cultural alignment. One moment that stood out was when I was asked by the Regional Director of Operations how much I currently make in my role. It felt a little out of place given the focus of the interview was supposed to be on leadership and operational fit. Out of respect for my personal boundaries, I chose not to answer. While formal feedback isn’t part of Panda’s process, it became clear that not answering that question, and possibly not establishing enough trust and connection during the panel, contributed to me not moving forward.