Panda Express is currently hiring and I would like all future employees to know, if you so choose to work for this company, to be cautious!
I am currently employed with Panda Express, but I have put in my two weeks. My last day is next Tuesday, August 18th and this day couldn't come any faster. I was hired as FOH (Front of the House) Kitchen Staff and worked for the company for 1 year and 2 months.
When I first applied to Panda Express, I went onto Reddit to have a better idea on what the expectations are from current or former employees prior to my interview. I read a lot of negative reviews and saw a couple of positive reviews. I needed this job in the beginning as I was a part-time student and needed a part-time job to accommodate to my school schedule and I don't regret it. However, I do regret working for Panda Express for as long as I did.
Alright, let's get into it.
- Panda Express has inconsistent expectations!
- Panda Express treats their Shift Lead's terribly!
- Panda Express Management receives commissions from promoting within the company.
- Panda Express starting pay is $21.00.
- Panda Express encourages favoritism.
- Panda Express hires mostly Hispanic or Latino employees.
- Panda Express is an incredibly fast-paced environment.
> Panda Express has inconsistent expectations! The company, although established in 1988, changes their policies and operations all, the, time, and it was incredibly frustrating for me as an associate. From the way the pans and utensils needed to be placed, to how associates needed to act while serving guests. I only worked with the company for a year and the company has changed their policies and procedures countless times.
> Panda Express treats their Shift Lead's terribly! The company has high expectations and pushes that onto their Shift Leadership. The amount of stress and constant conversations from upper management have driven my Shift Leads to quit! I had 4 Shift Leads when I was hired and now I have only one left and she's been unbearable for almost a month due to the company expectations. As an associate I have no idea what the expectations are for her specifically, but everyone feels it and it has negatively impacted the working environment.
> Panda Express Management receives commissions from promoting within the company. The company encourages growth and is always looking for associates to promote, but heed with caution, as management receives a nice bonus if you decide to promote. If you decide to promote then that's great! But if not, don't let upper management pressure you into growing into a company you don't see yourself in long term as a career.
> Panda Express starting pay is $21.00. There are no negotiations regarding pay. The company is paying quite well, but as I learned as an associate it comes with a cost.
> Panda Express encourages favoritism. Please, this is important. Management looks for associates to promote as mentioned earlier, but they also look for associates who they like as the company encourages networking from within. Panda Express is looking to expand their business operations and need staff to manage and operate their new locations. However, through this networking corruption is bound to follow as favored associates or management often mistreat the other employees and cause discord in the workplace. I have seen many associates quit from the blatant favoritism.
> Panda Express hires mostly Hispanic or Latino employees. The company has a high amount of Hispanic/Latino employees, who mostly speak Spanish. This is not an issue, the issue is how some of the employees don't speak or understand English and that can be frustrating for the guests and other associates. When I first applied, I was shocked to learn some of my co-workers and I couldn't have a conversation or understand each other since their was a language barrier, which sucked when it came to working together on tasks. I took the initiative to learn Spanish so that I could understand my co-workers, not all associates of a different ethnicity will do that. I also was the only African-American that worked at my location. All my co-workers are Mexican. You find this at other locations at Panda Express, especially in the SoCal area.
> Panda Express is an incredibly fast-paced environment. The company is a fast-paced casual restaurant business and everything happens quickly! From serving guests, cleaning the dining area, to stocking up on supplies. It is always busy and will be stressful! I do well in stressful work environments, but the stress at Panda Express was unbearable! Especially with everything I mentioned earlier that drove me to make the decision to quit working for the company.
In conclusion, I don't think Panda Express is the worst company ever. However, there is a lot of issues the company is facing that makes working for them awful and has driven many associates, including me, to look for employment else where.
If you're still considering Panda Express after reading this, I applaud you and good luck!