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Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessLearning & developmentRecruitment & retention

McDonald’s HR chief to continue spending on staff despite economic downturn

by Greg Pitcher 18 Jul 2008
by Greg Pitcher 18 Jul 2008

McDonald’s UK HR chief David Fairhurst has pledged to continue spending to help the fast-food chain cope with the economic downturn.

Many organisations are cutting their training and recruitment budgets this summer as fears of a recession grow. A CBI report last month warned that up to 200,000 jobs could go across the UK by the end of 2009.

But Fairhurst, senior vice-president and chief people officer at McDonald’s UK & Northern Europe, insisted spending on staff was vital to the firm’s survival.

“We are still actively recruiting,” he told Personnel Today. “Indeed, we have recently made a significant investment in a state-of-the-art online recruitment system.

“As we enter choppy economic waters, I think it is important for us to remain focused and work hard to maintain the momentum we have developed in recent years – not forgetting that a key driver of that momentum has been our people.”

Fairhurst added that McDonald’s relied on good-quality customer service to be successful.

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“One way in which we will achieve this is by continuing to invest £15m each year in training our people,” he said.

Fairhurst denied that McDonald’s was recession-proof, but said it was more resistant to bad conditions than many, and currently had growing customer visits and sales.

Greg Pitcher

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