Tuesday Is National Hiring Day At McD's
By Bruce Hagevik, NewsRadio 830 WCCO
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- McDonald's plans to hire 50,000 people nationwide during a one-day campaign this Tuesday. More than 280,000 people had applied online prior to the hiring day.
Minnesota stores will hire nearly 1,000 employees. It's unclear how many will show up at stores Tuesday.
Managers are looking for cheerful employees who are reliable.
"Timeliness, especially here with the bus system. We have a lot of people, you know, [who say] 'I missed my bus,'" said Katie Cheney, assistant manager at a McDonald's in south Minneapolis.
She says one of the biggest challenges she faces is making sure a full staff is on duty.
"I had four people already today, 'Oh, I'm going to be a few minutes late,'" said Cheney.
She said about 70 percent of the day staff is made up of working parents and other adults.
Cheney started as an order-taker but quickly moved into management.
"It's really great atmosphere. It's just fun here, so that's what I look for," she explained.
Full time managers can make up to $50,000 dollars a year. Cheney said, for some young people, a first job at McDonald's can turn into a life time career.
McDonald's usually staffs up for summer. A spokeswoman said last year, McDonald's hired 50,000 employees throughout April.
The burger chain was also eager to change the perception of the term "McJobs." It might be a tall order for a word that even the Oxford English Dictionary defines as "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects."
McDonald's said its jobs teach important skills and that many of its executives started as crew members.
The company, based in Oak Brook, Ill., said franchisees will set wages but most pay more than the $7.25-an-hour federal minimum.
Jay Leno, Sharon Stone, and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos all worked at McDonald's before they made it big.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Bruce Hagevik Reports
