Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Assessment centresLatest NewsRecruitment & retention

McDonald’s saves £1.2m with recruitment overhaul

by dan thomas 10 Jan 2006
by dan thomas 10 Jan 2006

McDonald’s has achieved a 30% reduction in its 90-day staff turnover levels, leading to savings of £1.2m since overhauling its recruitment processes in April last year.

The ‘Hire the smile’ initiative sees candidates attend an initial competency-based interview. If successful, they then take part in an on-the-job assessment known as ‘Try before you buy’.

The practical assessment, which lasts a day for graduates and an hour or so for crew member applicants, takes place in partnership with an existing crew member, who then provides feedback on the applicant’s likely fit with the store culture.

As well as the significant cost savings, the initiative – which has so far been rolled out to 780 of McDonald’s 1,250 stores in the UK and to 70% of its franchised operations – has boosted mystery shopper scores and seen crew turnover fall by almost 9% to its lowest ever level.

David Fairhurst, vice-president for people at McDonald’s UK, said: “Some people are naturally gifted at engaging customers, and we want staff members who enjoy that, as it is not necessarily something you can learn. The opinion of peers is also vital, as it is important that they feel new staff are going to add something.”

The fast-food chain has also pioneered the use of on-street information kiosks, ‘iPlus Points’, for recruitment advertising – a move that helped the burger giant recruit 1,000 new staff in just four weeks last November.

McDonald’s trialled the iPlus Points at 100 sites across London as part of its Christmas recruitment drive. During the month-long trial, 28,000 people clicked through to view job information, with 12,000 of those printing off extra information.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“Long, stuffy application forms are not what our brand is about, and the iPlus Points are a perfect fit – friendly, simple and convenient,” said Fairhurst.

The trial, which is likely to be extended to other areas such as Bristol and Manchester in 2006, should be emulated by other employers, according to Fairhurst.


McDonald's
dan thomas

previous post
Compass adds £1m to chiefs’ pensions
next post
Coastguards call for better training at sea

You may also like

Why bosses must set pay independently

2 Jul 2025

Government publishes ‘roadmap’ for Employment Rights Bill

1 Jul 2025

Ethnicity and disability pay gaps: Ready to report?...

1 Jul 2025

Government moves swiftly on immigration reform

1 Jul 2025

One in eight senior NHS managers from black...

1 Jul 2025

Government launches ‘landmark’ review of parental leave

1 Jul 2025

Clarks cuts 1,200 jobs after ‘year of transition’

1 Jul 2025

How HR can support families with adoption

1 Jul 2025

Co-op equal pay claims move onto next stage

30 Jun 2025

‘Be direct’ to avoid escalating conflict, advises Acas

30 Jun 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+