Panda Restaurant Group Recruiter Interview Questions
& Process

This interview process was super long and just a waste of my time in the end. The hiring team really lacked communication skills, and honestly, their whole interview process needs some serious work. The interviewers could use some training, like being more knowledgeable and considerate about people who were laid off during COVID-19 and companies that really struggled because of it. I've never felt so let down by an interview process in my 8 years of recruiting and interviewing. They told me my work history showed no loyalty, which is so not true. I felt like they were judging my character instead of showing some empathy for someone who unfortunately lost their job because businesses couldn't stay afloat. Instead of asking questions, they just made assumptions. I also got ghosted after my 3rd round of interviews, even though they told me in that 3rd interview that I'd get a final interview. If you decided to go with someone else who was a better fit, fine, just say it. Don't say you're going to do something if you don't mean it. After I reached out a bunch of times, I finally got a generic rejection with no explanation about what happened or why. It turned out to be a good thing, though, because I wouldn't want to work for a company that belittles me and questions my loyalty.

I had a really great time interviewing at Panda Restaurant Group. They were super professional, communicative, and detailed throughout. The hiring team kept me in the loop the whole time after I applied, and my recruiter was awesome, spending lots of time prepping me and sending helpful resources. It felt like they really valued me. The interview was set up well, and I got to show what I could do. The interviewers were nice, professional, and seemed genuinely interested in me. They asked good questions and paid attention, which made me feel comfortable sharing my strengths. They also knew a lot about Panda, its mission, culture, and growth, which made me want to work there even more. You could tell they were passionate and wanted to find the right person for the job and the company. I definitely recommend interviewing with Panda if you're looking for a career in the food industry. They really care about doing a great job, and it shows.

So, I was told it'd be like a 30-minute Zoom with the recruiter, then an 'on-site' thing, and then a final Zoom chat with the VPs. I did get to the on-site, which was wild. They totally miscommunicated what it would be. First, a recruiter said it was chill, just observing people on the floor to see if I could imagine hiring for that culture. Then, during the actual interview, it was at a busy Panda Express, and they had me serving customers, taking orders, sweeping floors – basically doing their job while the recruiter and managers watched. This was for an HR Talent Acquisition role, so it made no sense. It was supposed to be 3 hours but dragged on for almost 5! They paid me, but honestly, knowing it would be like that, I wouldn't have bothered. The pay wasn't worth the offense. Plus, I had to buy new clothes for a specific dress code. After all that, they said I was good for the final round with the VPs, but then they ghosted me saying the VPs were 'too busy' to schedule. Haven't heard anything since, and even if they reached out, I wouldn't consider it. As a recruiter myself, transparency is key, and their experience matters. Panda Restaurant Group did the opposite. Nice recruiters, but super unorganized, and getting ghosted after a 5-hour ordeal was not cool. They need to step up.