Panda Express reviews

Unprofessional work environment, overworked. More than 50 hours/week. No work/life balance. I was sent out of state for training and put in an empty apartment with no real bed, no microwave, toilet paper, nothing. No food allowance or consideration for your personal well-being Panda has a really odd weird cult going on where they tell you how to talk, think, act etc. No value for diversity whatsoever. They say they want you to be healthy but they work you to death, where you will have no life but only stress. They don't practice what they preach. They basically instill in you that you are supposed to be be passionate about your job which for them this means don't complain, just say yes to everything, don't even think about disagreeing or else you will seen as having a negative attitude and you will be the outsider. If they ask you something and you kind of ramble a little, they will tell you "Say it again in 1 or 2 sentences"...Yet I find it hilarious that the person telling you this at times I wouldn't understand what she was saying because her English accent is heavy. Also, they have really bad spelling, and don't know how to write sentences with correct English structure etc. (don't judge my writing as this is just a review, not business writing) Really questionable culture at this place, and bad treatment for the GM's, no wonder why there is so much turnover.

As for the two pros, there are cons that counterbalance them: 1. There is much more expected from every associate compared to competitors. i. BOH needs to learn how to chop/cut a variety of veggies which they would not do in other fast food competitors. ii. FOH needs to be constantly cleaning in preparation for (visits) more than operation itself. Sometimes this means a decrease in customer service quality if a visitor (ACO/RDO/ZVP/CEO) is present. 2. As mentioned above, people must constantly be cleaning. Depending on superiors, this may mean associates and general managers are cleaning until 5 or even 6 am in the morning. (If you ask, they will never admit to ordering people to do this.) 3. Management describes the company as an open-door policy, but it really isn't: i. Anonymous surveys for people being promoted are not anonymous. Write a sincere comment and a method for the individual to improve, you will be punished. ii. Suggest ways to improve the organization, you will be told you do not align with the organization. iii. Your ideas are not really heard in this organization. Leaders, including the CEO, already has an approach, and if you do not listen, then you will be asked to leave or punished. 4. Before big visits (such as the CEO), teams from other stores will be asked to come coach your associates and clean your store. Sometimes associates from other stores may be asked to work at your store on the day of. 5. Self-improvement courses are recommended. WRONG. They are required or else you will not move up. Want to choose your own education? Sorry, you must attend what the CEO has attended. There is only a linear approach to advancement. The belief is that only the way the CEO became successful is the road to success for everyone. 6. Most general managers just go with the flow. From what I've seen, people with creativity and leadership leave the company or never speak up.