Skills Required
Soft Skills
Stage 1.
Application
"McDonald’s is a global brand and offers great opportunities; if you join us, what do you hope to add to our team?
TIP: Share your work experience examples but also include your hobbies and interests "
Example:
Adaptable
Reliable
At McDonald’s, I’d be able to contribute a lot of relevant skills to your team. I know that a big part of working at McDonald’s is being adaptable to new situations, whether it be filling in for a colleague who is unwell, or taking over a new role. From my time spent at ... I had to do extra hours to compensate for colleagues running late and work days with short notice, I also had to switch to varying roles depending on shop demands. Hence, I think I’m well prepared to respond actively and positively towards new situations.
Team Work
I already have experience working with teams from ... and working at ..., and I think what’s most important when working in a team is communication and making sure that everyone listens to criticism as I believe everyone can learn and develop their skills. I enjoy working with a diverse team as I know everyone can contribute to the team in a different way.
Quick Learner
I know that working at McDonald’s can be repetitive at times, when working at ... I found it quite repetitive but I also enjoyed that there were many different roles that I had to do. I don’t mind McDonald’s being repetitive as it will not only give me the opportunity to learn new skills but also allow me to understand new roles and the inner-workings of McDonald’s.
Hard Working
Reliable
Due to high demand, I know McDonald’s can get very busy at times requiring staff to work much harder to get orders out to people as soon as possible. As a cyclist, I know what hard work feels like and I have developed stamina and determination from cycling 100Miles in a day. Although ... isn’t as busy as McDonald’s, I did have to work peak hours at times, and I find that keeping calm and collected is the best thing to do whilst under pressure and of course being as efficient as possible will help get the orders done in order to maintain customer satisfaction.
Friendly/Sociable
Working at McDonald’s I will be a representation of the company, so I can assure you that I pride myself in my appearance, I know that the customer is at the heart of everything McDonald’s does and I’m a sociable friendly person who enjoys making a connection with customers and putting a smile on their face.
Stage 2.
Situational Test
1) A new member of the team asks you for the third time about a work procedure. What do you do?
2)You are working on the 'Drive-thru' and whilst checking a customers order before you hand it to them, you notice that it is incorrect. This is now the third order today that has been wrong. It's really busy and there is a queue of cars waiting for their orders. What would you do?
3)You have just come to the end of a really busy shift and you are working in the dining area. As well as working your usual hours for the day, your manager has asked you to stay an extra 30 minutes to cover for someone who was running late. You have now finished and as you walk through the dining area to go to the staff room to get your bag to leave, you hear a customer complain that they are unhappy with their Big Mac. What would you do?
4)You are working on the till and a customer orders a Big Mac and fries. You put the order through the till and ask for the money at which point the customer hands over a voucher for a discounted Big Mac and fries offer. You notice that the voucher expired two weeks ago. What do you do?
5)You have been working at McDonald's for two weeks now and your manager has given you feedback that you need to improve your speed at serving the customers, you have been working long hours to help out and have been doing your best. How do you respond?
6)You are working on the till and a customer pushes to the front of the queue. You are currently serving another customer. They say that they are in a rush and only have a small order that won't take long. What would you do?
7)You are working on the till during a really busy Thursday lunchtime. There are lots of customers waiting to be served in your queue when the manager tells you that you need to speed up as your customers are waiting longer than at the other tills. You feel that you are working flat out. How would you respond?
8)You are working in the dining area when you notice a customer in a wheelchair with a tray of food. It is very busy and you are working hard to try and clear the tables. There are no tables currently available. What would you do?
9)You are working in the kitchen and the busy lunch rush has just finished. There are no customers at present. What do you do?
10)You are on the bus to work and due to start your shift at 9am, but the bus is stuck in a traffic jam and you estimate that you will be at least 15 minutes late now. Your phone battery is on critical, as you didn't charge it last night. What do you do?
11)A new manager has started at the restaurant where you work and one of your colleagues is planning to play a practical joke on them and has asked you to join in. You only started working at the restaurant a week ago yourself. How would you respond?
12)You are working in the dining area and it's a really busy shift. As soon as you clear and clean the tables another customer sits down. You have asked the manager to send someone to help out so you can clear the tables quicker for the customers waiting. The manager sends someone to help but you notice that they aren't helping and are talking to their friends at a table. What would you do?
13)You are working a Friday evening shift and are due to finish at 8pm. Someone phones in sick for the next shift and your manager has asked you to stay for an extra two hours so that they have time to find a replacement. You have plans to meet friends. What would you do?
14)A couple of days ago you had an argument with a colleague because they arrived late for work, which meant that you had to stay behind and help until they arrived. You are both working the same shift today and you have just arrived. On your way into the staff room, they exit and you say 'hello' but they ignore you. What would you do in this situation?
15)You are working in the kitchen and notice a colleague using the same tongs for meat, egg and pork products. The procedure is to use separate tongs for each of these products. What do you do?
16)You have just started your shift when your manager asks you to deal with a toilet that is blocked and dirty. You don't normally work in the dining area but the manager explains that a customer has just complained about it and there is no one free to deal with it at the moment as the restaurant is busy. What would you do?
17)It's the first day for a new team member and they are working on the till next to you. It's lunchtime and it's really busy, you can see that they are struggling to provide a speedy service to the customers in their queue and a few customers look like they are starting to get impatient. What would you do in this situation?
Stage 3.
Interview Questions
Q1. Tell me about yourself?
Hard Working
Team Work
Adaptable
Reliable
Friendly/Sociable
TIP: Focus on the main competencies/soft skills.
I believe I am someone with a strong work ethic, with an adaptable and reliable approach to work. I'm honest and trustworthy. I want to work in a customer-facing role where the ability to work as a team is very important. As a person, I'm happy, professional and feel I can contribute in a positive way to the team. I'm ready to work in a challenging environment under pressure, and also ensure great customer service.
Q2. Why do you want to work for Mcdonald's?
Team Work
Quick Learner
TIP: Sound passionate and eager to work for McDonald's.
I want to work in a job that involves teamworking, where I have the opportunity to learn new skills. McDonald’s has a good reputation as an employer, and with it being one of the most successful companies in the world, it is an even more attractive company to work for.
Q3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Friendly/Sociable
Quick Learner
Reliable
TIP: Make the weakness a strength, but avoid the "perfectionist" cliché.
My biggest strengths are that I am good with people, I learn things quickly, I'm reliable and take pride in my appearance and quality of work. My only weakness is that I can sometimes be impatient, and I don't like waiting around for things to happen. I think this can be beneficial when getting tasks done, but I'm also learning to be more patient.
Q4. Tell me how you'd work with other people?
Team Work
Friendly/Sociable
TIP: Emphasise communicating clearly and effectively.
When working as part of a team, it's important to support your colleagues. I would do this by communicating in a manner that is efficient and clear. It's also important that the team follows all the procedures and rules as they are there for a reason. Being part of a team can be very rewarding, and I think that getting to know the team and supporting them when it gets busy is the most important thing to keep in mind.
Q5. What do you think it wil be like working in the fast food industry?
Hard Working
Team Work
TIP: Acknowledge that it is going to be hard work.
I think it will give me the opportunity to learn new skills. However, I know that working here will be hard work where I'll be required to work under-pressure. Fortunately I enjoy working under-pressure and I see it as a challenge that I'm willing to accept. I think overall it will be a rewarding experience where I'll get the opportunity to enhance my interpersonal and team working abilities.
Q6. How would you handle a difficult customer?
Friendly/Sociable
Adaptable
TIP: Find a solution to the problem.
Firstly I would keep in mind that I'm a representation of the company, I would approach the customer in a friendly and calm manner. Ultimately I would try to understand what the problem is and find a solution that makes the customer happy.
Q7. Tell me what you know about customer service?
Friendly/Sociable
Reliable
TIP: Think about what makes a customer's experience positive.
Customer service is all about making the experience for the customer positive, and ensuring that they get the service that they desire. It's important in customer service to be efficient and have high standards, to ensure that the customer is happy with the service that they receive.