McDonalds Interview

Job Interview Experience

What to expect for a McDonalds job interview.

Hiring Process

As part of the largest quick-service restaurant chain in the world, McDonald’s Canada possesses ample experience in recruiting new workers and uses an uncomplicated, streamlined interview process to hire qualified applicants efficiently. McDonald’s hiring managers spend as long as several weeks evaluating submitted job applications before contacting selected candidates to appear for onsite interviews.

How Long is the Interview?
Members of the McDonald’s management team usually conduct brief one-on-one interviews for entry-level positions, while managerial jobs often require more extensive interviews with the franchise owner or corporate executives. Typically lasting no more than 30 minutes, entry-level interviews at McDonalds generally cover any previous employment, customer service skills, and schedule availability.

Be Flexible
McDonald’s hiring officials usually prefer candidates with the ability to work flexible schedules, including occasional late-night shifts.

What Will Be Discussed?
Applicants should expect to answer common behavioral and situational questions designed to assess possible reactions to various hypothetical job scenarios. Job interviews for managerial candidates tend to focus heavily on work responsibility and skills acquired in previous employment experiences.

How to Get Ready
Applicants at all career levels should take the necessary steps ahead of time to ensure interview success. Review the job description and position requirements before the interview to develop a few insightful questions about working at McDonalds. Arrive early to the interview but not too far in advance and greet the hiring manager with a firm handshake.

How to Behave
Show interest in the job by maintaining eye contact and remaining appropriately enthusiastic throughout the interview session. At the conclusion, McDonald’s interviewers typically either tell candidates when to expect a hiring decision or discuss the prospects of a second interview.

Second Interview Expectations
Entry-level applicants with McDonalds encounter more than one job interview if the initial meeting occurred without the general manager present. Almost always reserved for managerial candidates, second interviews usually indicate increased chances for employment.

Group Setting:
At this stage in the hiring process, prospective managers often appear before an interview panel typically composed of various combinations of current McDonald’s managers, corporate officials, and the franchise owner. The second interview generally focuses on similar topics as the first, with more follow-up questions to extract additional details from applicants. Interviewees need to demonstrate intimate familiarity with prior jobs and highlight specific achievements whenever applicable.

After the Interview
Follow up once, not incessantly, after each job interview with McDonalds to express continued interest in the position and ask for more information.

Watch video of a McDonald’s employee discussing their job

Video Transcript

Interviewer:
Please describe your job title and primary duties

McDonalds Crew Memeber & Trainer:
Crew member. But because I’ve been there for about four and a half years now, they also involve training. And once you’ve been there for about six months, they teach you on kitchen and drive-through service, and all that stuff. So, basically everything.

Interviewer:
How would you describe the application and interview process?

McDonalds Crew Memeber & Trainer:
Open interviews, so you just come in with a resume and they’ll interview on the spot. And then afterwards, they’ll email you, whether they want a second interview or they accepted you or denied you.

Interviewer:
What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?

McDonalds Crew Memeber & Trainer:
Why do you want to work for McDonald’s? Why should I hire you? What sets you apart from the other people that are applying? Because there’s about 50 people every week. And what do you think you can bring to the company? Just all answers that can be given your positive attitude. That’s all I got to say.

Interviewer:
What other advice would you give to a job seeker, looking to gain employment?

McDonalds Crew Memeber & Trainer:
Try to focus on your strengths as a team player, and your strengths as… Your interpersonal skills. Just say you’re good with working with other people. That’s really all they’re looking for.

McDonald’s Crew Trainer
Video Transcript

Interviewer:
Please describe your job title and primary duties.

McDonald’s Crew Trainer:
Well, basically I’m a crew trainer and on the days when I am training we would start off with service or kitchen, and it would be two or three days. And would get, they’re called SOC, sheets of paper, that tell what each duty is. One SOC would be on the shake machine, one would be for coffee and we would just train that.

And then besides training I would come in for our normal days at work. I would be either kitchen, service, drive-thru. And I would just basically cover that shift throughout the day, and deal with customers or work in the back. And just coach the crew since I’m in that position.

Interviewer:
How would you describe the application and interview process?

McDonald’s Crew Trainer:
Well, at the time I applied online. Now I don’t think we do it anymore. You got to a store and you bring in your resume, and they just give you an interview like that. But for me, I applied online and I got a call about a month later, and I came in for an interview and, do you want me to tell you what questions they asked me?

Questions they would ask you is, if you’re on a sport, like a team sport and someone’s not working as well as the other team what would you say to them, to get them up to par with the rest of the team.

It’s a lot of team based questions, and they’ll ask you why do you want to work at McDonald’s, what are your goals? And a good idea to say is, I’m working towards going to school. They want to see you have goals ahead, or you can even just say, maybe you don’t want to do anything, maybe you want to move up at McDonald’s say I’m interested in working at head office, and that’s where I want to start. It’s things like that, basically.

Interviewer:
What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?

McDonald’s Crew Trainer:
When you start working at McDonald’s you’re going to be really overwhelmed. I remember my first few months there I was like, “Oh my god. I can’t do this.” And I think you just have to move forward, deal with the learning part of working there, and just ask for help, learn how to do the jobs and get used to it. Get comfortable and once you get there just be reliable.

McDonald’s likes how you’re reliable, always showing up for your shifts, always coming in on time. And I find that the biggest problem working there is I’m always trying to get the crew to come into work, and some of these people that actually start off, they don’t really care about the job.

And I think that the best advice is actually show that you care, because when you’re looking for another career down the road McDonald’s is a good thing to fall back on. You can use them as a reference and even if you’re going to business or anything like that, that’s a good place to start. And I know some places, they’ll pay a little extra, because they heard you have McDonald’s experience, you’re a manager.

And even people who don’t really seek to get further education got jobs at the bank, which is pretty good, and so on and so forth. Just stuff like that, basically.

McDonalds Team Leader

Interviewer:Please describe your job title and primary duties.

McDonalds Team Leader:
Okay. Well, I’m a team leader and that basically means that if the crew trainer can’t train the new people, I have to step in and train them, just so they could develop all the needs for the process of working at McDonald’s. And what I would do is, like the actual team leader, I would run certain areas. We have drive-thru, kitchen, and then window. I would basically be in charge of all the people working and I would tell them what to do and what needs to be done.

Interviewer:
How would you describe the application and interview process?

McDonalds Team Leader:
I went through… Well, we weren’t part of corporate when I got interviewed. So, it was different from a corporate does. I went through two interview process. I would go through the second hand person and then the owner. So, the first interview would be the second hand person. And basically she would ask me the question, and then I would get called back and get interviewed by the owner, and the owner would talk to me.

Interviewer:
What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?

McDonalds Team Leader:
I think they were along the lines of like, “Why do you want the job?” “Why here?” “Was this your first choice?” I remember that was one of the questions, and I think that’s it. Oh, “What’s your availability like, and how flexible are you with the availability?” And, yeah.

Interviewer:
What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?

McDonalds Team Leader:
Don’t be nervous. Because, a lot of people that apply at McDonald’s, it’s their first job. I know that can be really nerve wracking, so just don’t be nervous. Just be yourself, really. That’s really cheesy, but it’s true. Yeah. That’s about it.

Possible Interview Questions and Answers

Here are a few things that interviewers might ask candidates.

Q: Why do you want to work at McDonalds?
A: McDonalds has been one of my favorite places to eat and hang out since I was a little kid, and I feel like I could make a solid contribution to the company as a team member and gain valuable work experience.

Q: What would you do if a customer spilled a drink on the floor?
A: Keeping locations clean and tidy is just another aspect of customer service. I would grab a mop and bucket from the supply closet and instantly begin to clean the spill.

Q: How would you handle the situation if a customer complained about his or her order?
A: I would ask specific questions to better understand the complaint and then work accordingly within my powers as team member. If I needed additional assistance, I would ask for help from a manager.

Review Top Interview Questions

Interview Tips

What to Wear
While McDonalds undoubtedly sometimes hires job seekers regardless of attire, applicants opting to wear semi-casual business apparel to the interview typically stand out as capable and professional. Less formal than traditional business wear, appropriate McDonald’s interview outfits include common fashions like dress pants or trousers, button-down or collared shirts, classy skirts, and tasteful tops. As quick-service restaurants like McDonalds offer some of the least formal settings for job interviews, dressing up a little often has a big impact on hiring managers before the interview even starts.