Why Working at McDonald's Could Be Your Smartest Career Move

7 out of 10 HR managers believe that a job at McDonald's is valuable for the future. Equally, many say that employment at Sweden's largest restaurant chain teaches young people what it means to work.

– I was overjoyed when I read these numbers. I believe we instill leadership behavior in many, says Maria Lindqvist, HR manager at Hjelte AB, which operates 27 McDonald's restaurants.

EXTERNAL LINK: Looking for a job? Here are McDonald's best tips!

In a survey (Prime/United Minds Samhällsanalys AB), 201 Swedish HR managers answered questions about the qualities they seek in young employees and McDonald's potential role as a first employer.

In the survey, two out of three HR managers say that leadership skills are something one gains from a job at McDonald's. 81 percent of managers also believe that McDonald's is a good way for young people to gain work experience.

“Everyone is Welcome”

For 40 percent of all employees at McDonald's, the job is also their very first.

Maria Lindqvist is the HR manager at the franchise company Hjelte AB and is responsible for 1,700 employees at McDonald's restaurants – from Skåne to Värmland. Over the years, she has seen many young people develop and choose different paths after trying their wings at McDonald's.

– What I think stands out about McDonald's is that everyone is welcome, regardless of background and education. As long as you have the right attitude, are a happy and positive person, and have a desire to perform. There is so much competence to harness. Some who have gotten jobs with us haven't spoken a word of Swedish and maybe started by cleaning the dining room and working in production – and ended up as restaurant managers or supervisors. I believe we foster a kind of leadership behavior, says Maria Lindqvist.

Strong Success Stories

The sun shines a little extra brightly in Karlstad, but Maria Lindqvist believes there are plenty of success stories radiating from employees at McDonald's restaurants across the country. Some make their career journey internally, while others use their time at McDonald's as a springboard into professional life.

– For many who do not come from Sweden, McDonald's often serves as a way into Swedish society more generally. But we also meet many who work extra on their way to university. I myself had been at McDonald's for several years but retrained as a teacher. A few years later, an administrative position came up, and I just felt: "I want to come home again!".

The pattern can be found among many employees. For Maria Lindqvist, it was a natural choice with a gut feeling to return to McDonald's.

– You become like a family. So even if the idea somewhere is that McDonald's should be a springboard into working life, many enjoy it so much that they stay.

What made you return?

– I worked as a restaurant employee for many years. Then I had children and thought I wouldn't work evenings and weekends anymore. So after almost four years of university studies, I worked as a teacher for just over two years. But I missed the community and the constant activity; you have fun with colleagues, meet guests, there's pulse and tempo.

From Burgers to Barcelona

For the entire Lindqvist family, much revolves around McDonald's. Maria's sister was a colleague of the current franchisee Patrik Hjelte when he started his career at McDonald's in Karlstad. Today, Maria's nephew works as a restaurant manager at McDonald's in Gävle – and her three children have all worked extra at McDonald's at different times.

– My daughter worked at McDonald's for several years and then moved to Barcelona and worked as a moderator and reviewer on a world-famous social media app. She's not a tech genius, but the recruiter understood that she could handle a high tempo in her tasks – and when she worked there, she was among the top on their lists month after month in how many cases she handled. So even though she didn't have the prerequisites, they understood she had potential thanks to her previous experience, says a proud mother Maria.

The Importance of a Milkshake in Munich

– I often think of McDonald's as a brand and how it has played a role since I was little. One of my first vacation memories is from a road trip in Europe in the mid-1980s. When I looked in the photo album, I saw that we stood in front of different McDonald's restaurants in several countries. I still remember how big it was for me from little Karlstad to dare to go in and buy a milkshake in Munich.

McDonald's as a red thread through your life?

– You could say that. I've had many other jobs in my life, but here the workplace uniquely becomes more like a family. I think it has to do with teamwork: that you work so closely together and that each person really fulfills their function to give the guest a complete experience. And I hope our employees feel that everyone contributes to that experience.

Maria Lindqvist on the HR survey:

71% of (7 out of 10 HR managers) believe that a job at McDonald's is valuable regardless of what you work with in the future:

– I was completely warm and happy inside when I read these numbers. It's one thing that my colleagues and I think it's positive, but that HR managers across Sweden think this way is absolutely fantastic. So I guess we're doing something right.

81% of HR managers believe that working at McDonald's is a good way for young people to gain work experience:

– It's a very nice number. Otherwise, there aren't exactly a lot of jobs for young people in the labor market. Now I'm speaking less in my role as HR manager and more as a mom; many young people today are super-coddled, they don't have to take responsibility, and parents are supposed to fix everything. Here, it's up to each person to show that they can follow rules, have a good attitude, and handle difficult guests. Learning to handle different types of people who may not be part of your usual circle is also very useful.

83% of HR managers say that experience with customer contact is a skill one gains from a job at McDonald's:

– I can only agree. Here, too, it's about handling different types of guests. Most are, of course, satisfied and happy, but there are also those who are dissatisfied no matter what you do. How do you then turn such a guest to feel that it was a good visit? It's about doing that little extra.

8 out of 10 HR managers who have hired someone who previously worked at McDonald's say that the job at McDonald's had a positive impact on the decision to hire:

– You absolutely gain qualities that are appreciated by the market at large. You learn basic skills like being on time, treating your colleagues nicely, and being part of the team. You learn to work at a high pace, handle many different types of tasks and people. And not least: to work towards clearly set goals.

EXTERNAL LINK: Working at McDonald's provides skills and experiences for life