Page 2: Recruiting suitable applicants
Under McDonald's recruitment policy, each individual restaurant is responsible for filling hourly-paid positions. The Management Recruitment department in East Finchley co-ordinates the recruitment of managers. For recruiting hourly-paid employees McDonald's use several avenues. Positions are generally advertised in the restaurant. The company's recruitment history shows this is the best method of hiring quality staff e.g. people living locally and/or friends of existing employees. McDonald's also uses local job centres, career fairs and other local facilities. It is vital to use effective hiring material with a clear message targeted at the right audience.
A recruitment exercise often generates more applications than there are positions available. The manager will select the applicants to be interviewed and will conduct the interviews.
Over 60% of restaurant crew are aged 20 or under and; for the majority of applicants, a job with McDonald's would be their first experience of employment. For many young people, McDonald's also offers a career opportunity. A well-run interview will identify an applicant's potential to be a successful McDonald's employee. To find people who will be committed to excel in delivering outstanding service, McDonald's scripts an interview guide that helps the company predict how an applicant's past behaviour is likely to influence future performance. It uses a fact-based decision-making process. The questions look for actual events or situations rather than allowing applicants to give a general or theoretical response. Interviewers look for behavioural evidence in the applicant's life history that fits with the requirements of the job. The interviewer rates candidates on their responses and offers jobs to those who earn the highest ratings.
McDonald's future managers come from two main sources. More than half of all salaried management positions are taken up by hourly-paid employees who earn promotion. The remainder are predominately graduates. Wherever possible, McDonald's directs applicants towards applying on line at www.mcdonalds.co.uk. People who cannot access the web can call the Recruitment Hotline, or pick up a pre-paid Business Reply Card from a McDonald's restaurant. The selection process includes an initial online psychometric test. This test produces an initial score. The applicant then attends a first stage interview and is offered "On Job Experience" (OJE). This is a 2-day assessment in a restaurant. Successful completion at OJE will lead to a final interview, after which the manager decides whether or not to hire the applicant