McDonald's Application

Paul in Cannon Beach

Next time you are at McDonald's, pick up one of their employment applications. Not because you are sick of HR but rather to see an interesting application.

First off, it doesn't look like an application. It has a color cover with attractive artwork and the message "At McDonalds... You Can Go Anywhere!"

The application is printed on an 11x17 sheet of paper and folded over with a perforated edge so the flashy advertising part can be seperated from the actual employment application.

Part of the app is actually an advertisement for the benefits of working at McDonalds (room for growth, flexible hours, make new friends) etc. There is also this interesting statement:

"If hired, some of your responsibilities would include reporting to work on time, dressed neatly and cleanly. You would be helping us deliver fast, accurate, and friendly service in a respectful, professional environment. We would want you to uphold and follow McDonald's operational, quality and food safety standards and help every customer feel like a valued guest."

So.. right there on the app is a mini job description and quickie summary of basic work expectations.

The rest of the application is fairly straightforward (if not brief) except for a nifty EEOC section which is perforated and can be removed by the manager and filed seperately.

The back side has a signature page and various state specific guidelines. There is also a very brief FCRA statement.

Is anyone else using an application that has been "designed" with a PR/Marketing look? Each year we hire about 90 seasonal workers in the summer and I may have to give some thought about our boring employment application and how I could spruce it up.

ACU Frank

About three employers ago (early '90s, I guess) I redesigned almost all of our HR materials as tri-fold brochures, including the employment app. It started with the benefits information. I made a separate tri-fold for each benefit, and we bought a little vinyl jacket with pockets that held them all. I did it primarily so we could easily change and reprint an individual benefit's materials without having to reissue a whole book. Anyway, the best part of the app was that it was easy for a parent to pick one up for their teen and get it home and back to us intact.

Paul in Cannon Beach

Smart Frank. I am going to look at redesigning our app this summer. I also think I will add a statement that is similiar to the one that McDonalds uses about "if you are hired, here is what will be expected of you..."

If competition for applicants increases, this may be the tip of the iceberg.

You may start giving away freebies just to entice people to apply like they do to sell time-shares in Vegas.

NaeNae55

The only problem is, do they READ it?


Nae

E Wart

This is also SMART. If they have an attendance problem with an employee, they already have their signature on a piece of paper that gives their expectations... employee can't say they didn't know. I am sure this saves a lot of trees and not having to get stuff signed off on a second time.
I will have to make a special trip to Mickey D's since I go to McDonalds about once a year.

I think this is so interesting and positive. I have a High School friend whose Mom (in her 70's) works at Wendy's. She is widowed, has two very bright, college educated, well employed children. My friend begged her to stop working... and told her if she needed money he would be glad to help her, that he worried about her health. She smiled at him and told him that she just loved her work and seeing people and was doing it to just get out and have a social life, not for the money. Knowing her, I beg she is one wonderful employee.
E Wart

Paul in Cannon Beach

I am never sure exactly what employees read.. or hear.. or understand. But like Ewart has said, its there on paper and they can't say they never saw that policy or they missed the staff meeting. Its on the application.

If I ever found myself with some time off, I would probably go work in one of these fast food places just for the experience of seeing how they train employees in the face of 300 percent turnover.

The McDonalds website is pretty slick too. You can find jobs at any McDonalds around the world from the corporate office to the counter person pushing the picture of the burger.

HRQ

I'd recently started working on an "intro" letter to go out with the applications, with brief review of why someone would want to work for us: benefits, environment, "what makes us great." Am also working on a "phase two" letter that will be inserted at the front of the new employee paperwork packet, again setting the tone and reinforcing "stuff" they need to know.

I'm hoping to improve the tone of the employee's first interaction with us. Sometimes, unfortunately, the managers are really busy and when someone asks for an app, they just give it to them, with no "I'm so glad you stopped by to ask!" or anything. We do a lot of customer service/sales/marketing training and I've been trying to get the supervisors to translate that to how they interact with applicants and employees too.

I'll have to check out the McD's app on our visit this weekend. My boys are sad if they miss out on the Playplace and opportunity to get another Happy Meal toy.

Paul in Cannon Beach

Thats very cool, Q. I tell our supervisors that the application process is a PR event for our organization. We can't hire everyone but we try to send everyone away feeling satisfied by the process.

Yeah, it feels a little funny taking an application from McDonalds but I am sure you will find it interesting.

jitrbug

We redesigned ours but put it all on line, no paper apps. They can expand spaces for responses instead of 3 little lines to put job duties on and they can attach a resume. We give them all of the bene info, company vision, current year goals and general expectation of our ee's. By going on-line,we can do some pretty snazzy things without the print cost and are better able to keep it updated. If anyone comes in for an app, we help them at our kiosks. When they come in for an interview, they get a booklet of information more detailed on the bene's, company history, and info about all of our companies.

ritaanz

Bug, I see your profile is disabled. What kind of company do you work for? Not all my applicants have computers or are computer literate. It must be nice to be paper free.