McDonald’s announced April 19, 2011 as National Hiring Day in the U.S. McDonald’s has 14,000 restaurants in the U.S. and has 650,000 employees. On April 19, this figure will be 700,000 employees i.e. roughly four people per restaurant. (McDonald’s has around 32000 restaurants globally in 117 countries.)
As per the plan, McDonald’s will hire 50,000 new employees in various part-time and full-time positions at crew and management levels. The starting wage will typically be more than $8 an hour. Restaurant managers can earn up to $50,000 a year. McDonald’s was also recently selected by Working Mother magazine as one of the best companies in the country for hourly employees.
McJobs – Changing Perception
Oxford English Dictionary defines McJobs as “an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects.” McDonald’s is looking to change the perception of the term McJobs with this effort and teaching its workers important skills.
Around 75% of restaurant managers and 40% of corporate employees at McDonald’s started as restaurant crew members. And 50 percent of McDonald’s franchise owners started working as crew members. This should be great news for those who see it as a first step to a better career later, either within or outside the company. This should also be good news for the American economy where the national US unemployment rate is around 8.8 percent.
McDonald’s urges applicants to apply in person at their local restaurant or online. The biggest hiring initiative in company history comes in the wake of growing number of 24-hour stores.