McEducation, McEducation, McEducation
Two years ago, McDonald’s began its fight back against the dictionary definition of the so-called ‘McJob’, launching an aggressive campaign to redefine preconceptions about working life at the burger-flipping conglomerate. At the time, a McJob was defined as an “unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects”, but head honchos at the firm argued that this was not only insulting, but grossly out of date.
“Our research shows how 87 percent of people who work for McDonald’s now get their first choice university place, which is way above that of the national average,” claims David Fairhurst, senior-vice-president and chief
people officer at McDonald’s, when talking to executive business channel MeetTheBoss.tvabout McDonald’s recent accreditation as a governing body.
Two years on, Fairhurst is keen to highlight just why McDonald’s is concentrating on developing its employees and giving them the best possible opportunities.
“What HR should be talking about is, ‘How do you truly understand what it is that your business needs? What’s the engine around people that drives your business performance? How can you get more sales and profitability you’re your people?’” he explained.
“Then secondly HR needs to be thinking about, ‘What is it that your people truly value about working for you organization? What is it that differentiates you as an employer?’ And then you need to bring those two things together to create that energy that can be released around people in an organization.”
As senior-vice-president for one of the most well-known brands in the world, it’s refreshing to see that Fairhurst is unafraid of putting himself in the line of fire, and his campaign to dispel the McJob myth certainly had people sitting up and taking notice.
Traditionally thought of as a place of work where staff turnover was high, the general perception of McDonald’s employees was that it was made for students and young people, but Fairhurst says the company wants committed people who have “competence and confidence” in their role.
First up then is the Hamburger University, which, since its inception way back in 1961, has now become the company’s global center of excellence. Today more than 80,000 restaurant managers, mid-managers and operators have graduated from this facility and more than 5000 students now attend the facility each year.
Also, in the US, McDonald’s now runs a National Employee Scholarship Program, which recognizes and rewards the accomplishments of McDonald’s student-employees who excel in their studies, serve their communities, and work hard to deliver an outstanding experience for the company’s customers. The Scholarship Program selects one outstanding student-employee applicant from each state each year, who then receives a $2,500 scholarship for use at any qualifying institution and for any field of study.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the fast food giant has become an accredited educational body, a move that has largely been spearheaded by Fairhurst himself. According to official data, 2009 saw the restaurant chain providing Apprenticeships for up to 6000 of its 72,000 UK workforce, with plans to move this up to 10,000 per year from 2010. The accreditation allows McDonald’s to essentially provide staff with the opportunity to gain a valuable, nationally recognized qualification that is equivalent to five GCSEs grade A*-C. The move made McDonald’s the UK’s largest Apprenticeship provider.
Previously Fairhurst has said how the move is challenging the old traditions of the education system, noting how employers need to play a role in bolstering a new standard in education. “We’re clearly making a significant contribution towards people’s future and it’s also paying off in terms of how they perceive the company and in terms of how their peers perceive working for an organization like McDonald’s.”
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