My interview process with Pajarito Powder consisted of two stages: an initial screening interview with the HR manager, followed by a second interview with the CFO.
The HR screening was fairly standard, but I quickly noticed that communication from the HR side was disorganized and inconsistent. Scheduling was vague, with unclear call times and last-minute reschedules communicated through emails without specific call windows. This made it difficult to properly prepare or plan, and when I tried returning calls or confirming times, I often received no response.
During the CFO interview, several red flags became apparent. The CFO openly discussed the company’s high turnover rate and mentioned working 70-hour weeks herself, which immediately raised concerns about work-life balance and company culture. It was clear that the company was understaffed and struggling to retain employees. The CFO also mentioned that, although the role was labeled as “accounting,” the job would require handling multiple different roles—FP&A, auditing, business management—without additional compensation or overtime pay.
Throughout the process, there was a sense of urgency from the company to move me through the hiring pipeline quickly, which felt less like valuing my candidacy and more like trying to fill a warm body in a seat. After receiving the offer, a minor miscommunication led to the offer being rescinded abruptly, further reinforcing my impression that the company lacked proper candidate management and respect for employees.
Overall, my interview experience exposed serious issues with management, workload expectations, compensation, and communication. While I appreciated the transparency regarding turnover, the combination of these factors ultimately made me decide not to proceed with employment.
