The doors of a McDonald’s restaurant open very early in the morning. While the office-goers quickly grab their morning coffee, the students are busy discussing the tidbits of the previous day at college. Two employees take orders, another two are busy assembling the muffins while the third one is at the beverage station.
If someone has to describe a typical morning at McDonald’s, they cannot miss one thing though, something that shouts ‘I am lovin it’ without saying a word: the smiles on the faces of McDonald’s employees. These smiles silently convey the satisfaction, the eagerness, the hope of these young people.
So what is this happiness all about? At the end of the day, it is just a job. Or maybe not. First of all, they know about the success stories that happen at McDonald’s. From an intern to a Restaurant Manager, the roads to success are paved with good policies, expert guidance and a culture that fosters growth.
Each employee undergoes intensive training, based on international modules, that equips them to meet and master day-to-day operational and business challenges that they could face on ground. The employees are trained for every scenario, good or bad. Hence comes the confidence.
To be a good employer, one needs to understand the needs of its employees. Young people from every socio-economic stratum join McDonald’s every year. McDonald’s supports its employees to work and learn at the same time by partnering with educational institutes and extending up to 48 days of paid leave to those who participate in these courses.
So, it does not come as a surprise when the Great Place To Work Institute recognizes HRPL, the Master Franchisee for McDonald’s India (South&West), as the No. 1 Employer to work for in Retail in India, 2016.
The announcement could not have come at a better time as HRPL also celebrated its twentieth anniversary in India. This is the second consecutive year that McDonald’s has been featured on this list. Last year it ranked number 4.
Ms. Basuri Dutta, Practice Head – Great Place to Work® Institute, India noted, “A company that catapults careers, making store managers out of high-school grads through their education assistance programmes, a company that invests in quality training and inculcates teamwork, both of which are skills for life – that is a glimpse of what Hardcastle Restaurants is – India’s Best Retail Company to Work For. It is indeed No.1 because each one of their employees is saying ‘I’m loving it’.”
The rank is based on confidential employee feedback and an audit of management processes by the Great Place to Work Institute.
