McDonald's to Hire 50,000 in One Day
Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images
For millions who have ever faced unemployment, or even the prospect of losing their job, it's the thought that lingers as the last-resort fallback option in the back of your mind, inspiring as much dread as comfort: You could always work at McDonald's.But before you send out your next batch of resumes, McDonald's wants you to know two things: One, working under the Golden Arches isn't all about flipping burgers. And two, the company is hiring--big time.As Nation's Restaurant News reports, Mickey D's is looking to take its own big bite out of the nation's stubborn unemployment rate. The company has announced a one-day hiring bonanza: 50,000 new employees on April 19, or what it has declared "National Hiring Day."The recession hasn't been all bad for McDonald's. While it has slowed the pace of building new restaurants, it's seen consistent growth in same-store sales and earnings over the past few years.In other words, stackin' Big Macs is a growth industry.And you don't necessarily have to settle for working the drive-thru. McDonald's is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its corporate training facility, Hamburger University, and in the process is pushing to change the perception that by signing on to make minimum wage manning the deep fryer, you run smack dab into the dead-end of your career.As Chris Lyons, the company's VP of worldwide training and development, points out: "Many of us started in the restaurants and have grown to run the business." Indeed, McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner began his career at the company 40 years ago, as a manager-in-training at a McDonald's in Carpentersville, Illinois.Now that's a success story that's as all-American as, well, a Happy Meal.
