Pet Food Express Interview Questions
& Process

My interview with Pet Food Express was supposed to happen, but the recruiter never showed up. There was no communication, no call, no email, nothing. This really makes me question the professionalism of their HR department and the company in general. Plus, the pay for this job is way lower than other similar jobs out there. It's also weird because most people there work from home, but this job requires you to be in the office without a good reason. It feels unfair and old-fashioned. It was a pretty bad experience overall. If they treat potential employees like this, I wonder how they treat their current staff. The hiring process really shows a company's culture, and this didn't give me a good impression.

The whole process, from the initial screen to the final interview, had 5 stages, and most of them were remote. They were pretty quick in moving things along for the most part, but it felt like they added more stages than needed, making it longer than it had to be. The last interview was on a Tuesday, and they said I'd hear back by the end of the week. Friday passed and I didn't hear anything. Finally, I got an email late Monday afternoon from the recruiter saying I didn't get the job. I thought it was unprofessional and inconsiderate, especially after I put in so much time, to tell me via email and after the deadline they gave me. This made me realize it probably wouldn't have been a good fit anyway. I later found out they hired someone with way less experience, but who was a young female, while I'm a guy in my late 50s. It seemed like age and gender discrimination.

I initially interviewed for Manager in Training with the District Manager and the Store Manager. It was a pretty laid-back process where they talked a lot about the position and the company. They asked about my past experience but mostly focused on explaining their methods, and I had to point out that I'd done similar things at my previous job. They also mentioned that starting directly as a Store Manager is challenging, and it's generally easier to be hired at a lower level and progress, though they admitted their promotion program isn't great. They then asked if I'd be interested in interviewing for Assistant Manager. About a week later, I interviewed with the Group Manager and a store manager at a different location. They asked about my weaknesses and seemed keen on understanding me personally. They also emphasized the importance of being a LEADER rather than just a manager and looked for indications of teamwork. The overall experience was quite easy, like a casual conversation with relaxed and easygoing people. It felt like they were looking for enthusiastic, upbeat individuals who work well in a team.

I applied online and a HR person called me several times and I called back but we kept missing each other. I was confused as to why someone in HR wouldn't know how to leave a clear message...or say what a good time to call back would be...or just send an email. She just kept asking me to call her back. Umm ok. She finally left a message saying she would be at her desk but when I called right back it went to voicemail. I was about to give up and she finally called back. She then started asking interview questions. There was no mention of this being a phone interview and who doesn't schedule a phone interview ahead of time? If a HR person seems unprofessional and inexperienced, that's a big red flag for me. Also the job sounded incredibly boring. I was not interested in moving forward.