This time we prepared for you a long-awaited article about the most common McDonalds Interview Questions. McDonald’s offers a lot of entry-level positions and enjoys the interest of many young people searching for their first job in life. If you want to gain work experience and increase the chances to get the job of your dreams in the future, if you are looking for a part-time job, if you need to have a flexible schedule and adjust it to your school or studies or if you want simply to earn some extra pocket money – McDonald’s seems perfect.
In this article, we will tell you how to prepare for a job interview at McDonald’s. Let’s agree that coming unprepared is not an option. Everyone knows something about McDonald’s and we all have some opinions about this company, but be aware that it may not be enough to succeed in an interview and get the job.
So to help you with this task, we will tell you, what you need to know about McDonald’s before taking an interview, what are the typical McDonalds Interview Questions, what answers will be the best, how to behave, what to do, and what not to do during the interview. We will present to you also the average salaries for the different positions and a list of helpful links.
About McDonald’s
McDonald’s is the world’s biggest fast-food restaurant chain. It was founded in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino (CA). On its menu, we can find burgers, French fries, fried chicken, salads, desserts, hot/cold beverages, and others. McDonald’s offers also special seasonal options, a kids’ menu, and (in some locations only) online orders and delivery. In its 38’000 restaurants, McDonald’s serves almost 70 million meals and drinks every day! McDonald’s hires 1.7 million employees and with that is the second-largest private employer in the world (source: Wikipedia).
McDonald’s hiring process
The hiring process at McDonald’s is usually quick and simple. To submit your application you can either submit your CV in person in one of the McDonald’s restaurants or you can apply online at McDonald’s official website (tab “Careers”).
Below you will find the list of the 10 most popular McDonalds Interview Questions with answers and tips.
Table of Contents
McDonalds Interview Questions
Why do you want to work at McDonald’s?
This is one of the guaranteed McDonalds Interview Questions. You may have multiple motivations (global brand work experience, flexible working schedule, extra money, etc.) but the truth and honesty will not always help you in an interview.
Much better will be to focus on what makes you a perfect fit for the job position that you apply for, e.g. your interest in the dining industry, great interpersonal and communication skills, reliability, etc.
In your answer, you can also refer to what makes McDonald’s special among other fast-food restaurant chains in the market, for example, the opportunities for further development and growth, clear career pathways, etc.
What’s the most popular product at McDonald’s?
There is no one flagship McDonald’s product. “Big Macs”, “McNuggets” and French fries are considered the most often ordered items and, according to the BBC, account for around 70% of McDonald’s sales.
What’s your favorite McDonald’s meal?
This is another example of one of the guaranteed McDonalds Interview Questions. I bet that all the children will say unanimously “Happy Meal”.
To be honest, there is no good or bad answer to this question. The real intention here is to check how familiar you are with the menu. If you decide to list a couple of items, you will show that McDonald’s is the brand that you know and like. You can choose between different burgers, chicken and sandwiches, combo meals, snacks and sides, breakfasts, beverages (including McCafé drinks), pastries, and many, many others.
What skills make you perfect for this job?
Many positions offered by McDonald’s are entry-level and they will not require from you any specific skills but if you want to work in customer service, highlighting some characteristics may be very helpful. Maybe you are by nature always focused on the others, kind, communicative, easy-going and open, dynamic, disciplined, quick and efficient, punctual, reliable, trustworthy, enthusiastic, positive, and smiling? For sure you will be able to find something unique that will make you stand out from the rest of the candidates.
What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?
When talking about your strengths, refer to the skills from the questions above. Remember to provide the examples, of not from your previous work, life-based examples (e.g. from the school) will be also ok. To increase your chances, double-check the job description. It happens very often that the employers write directly about what is important to them. And finally, show that you are confident that you will manage to handle perfectly all the responsibilities that come with this position.
When it comes to weaknesses, don’t say that you don’t have any. Choose something that will be irrelevant to your future job. Your lack of work experience is a good example. For entry-level jobs, previous experience anyhow is not required. McDonald’s offers also special training for all the new hires, so anyhow you will get the proper skills.
What’s your work experience?
It is one of the most common McDonalds Interview Questions even though usually the work experience is not required, so don’t worry and don’t be afraid, to be honest, but at the same time, show that you are motivated and willing to learn. McDonald’s is famous for its excellent training program so if you get accepted, your ability to learn fast can turn out to be more useful than any previous experience.
If you have worked in a restaurant, this question will let you easily gain some extra points. Describe shortly the restaurant’s profile and your responsibilities but don’t be too self-confident. Every restaurant is different and you should always keep your mind open. If your experience is from another branch of industry, find the things in common (e.g. importance of teamwork, customer service, etc.).
How do you work under time pressure?
To answer this question, you can of course refer to your previous work experience, school life, or even into some everyday life situation. When recently you had to make a decision or to do something under huge time pressure? How did you handle this challenge? Do you have any tested strategies or techniques that help you to successfully deal with stressful situations? Excellent planning, prioritizing, systematic splitting of big tasks into smaller ones, focusing on the present, and avoiding procrastination are just some examples of how to handle the time pressure at work.
How would you handle a difficult customer?
Here comes another very popular example of Mcdonalds Interview Questions. This question is by the way typical for almost every job in customer service. Before an interview, check what are the fastest and the most efficient techniques to de-escalate the conflict with an unsatisfied customer.
It is a huge topic, but usually best to start is to listen to what a customer wants to say. Very often, so-called “conflicts” are in fact “simple” misunderstandings and a short discussion can lead to an agreement. It also helps, both sides of the conflict, to understand the other side and thus, reach a compromise. It is always good to be non-judgmental, to show empathy, and finally to focus on the problem resolution.
It might be easy to say but it is really important to remember that such conflicts should never be taken personally. Otherwise, you risk that they will make not only you feel worse but they will also reflect negatively on the whole team and the other customers.
What are your requirements regarding the working schedule?
One of the most important and often decisive McDonalds Interview Questions. It is not worth cheating with this answer.
Think and prepare in advance a list of all your previous commitments (school, public transport schedules, etc.). Be specific and don’t be afraid that it will impact negatively the result of an interview. McDonald’s is one of the companies which offer flexible and adjustable working schedules. Keep in mind, that many McDonald’s restaurants are open 24/7 (including the weekends and the national holidays).
The general rule is that the more available you are, the bigger chances you have to get the job. Remember, however, that even if you are not always fully available during the days, you can always offer to work in the evenings or at night.
Where do you see yourself in 2 years?
If you don’t apply for a time-bound position, most probably your company is searching for a long-term employee. McDonald’s spends every year a hard to imagine the amount of $40 million on the employees’ training and offers a structured development path for every job position. A career path is also clearly defined and thanks to the regular performance reviews, every employee can start to work actively towards promotion from almost the days in the company.
What motivates you in everyday work? After work experience
Working at McDonald’s, as in any other fast-food restaurant chain can be monotonous, repetitive, and stressful. The interviewer may want to know your motivation towards this job, check if you are aware of the character of the work and if you are ready to handle it.
Although, the above disadvantages, work at McDonald’s can be also pretty rewarding. All who apply for the position in customer service will have an opportunity to meet many people every day and to see hundreds and thousands of happy customers. What can be also motivating is just the fact of working for a global brand – every day at McDonald’s brings you a valuable experience which will be recognized in any place in the world and may get you close to the dream job in the future.
Do you like working in a team?
If you apply for McDonald’s, you should know that the ability to work in a team will be absolutely essential. While many tasks you should be able to do by yourself and without anyone’s help (for example, drinks and coffee preparation), some situations will require teamwork. There will be a time when you will be dependent on your colleagues and the whole team will need to work in sync. Teamwork is the key to the company’s success and customer satisfaction. Thanks to teamwork, the customers get their orders faster and the employees can save precious time and effort.
How would you handle a customer who is upset because he/she received a wrong order? After difficult customer
Firstly, try to stay calm and not take this situation personally. When working under time pressure, mistakes cannot be avoided. Secondly, think about how you would like to be treated in the customer’s place. Listen to what a customer has to say, apologize for the error, and show your understanding and willingness to help. Prepare a new, correct order as soon as possible and make sure that time, the customer receives exactly what he ordered.
What would you do if a customer orders a product which cannot be prepared because one of the ingredients is over?
Such a situation may happen and even if it is not your fault, you are representing the restaurant and the company and the first thing to do is to apologize. If it is a temporary situation and you know when the missing ingredient will be available back, you can inform the customer. You should also propose to the customer some alternatives. Show your empathy, solidarity, and help to find another sandwich/drink/coffee, etc. which will satisfy the customer.
If you are hired, what are you looking forward to most about working here? After working schedule
McDonald’s offers many opportunities for employees, both newly hired and experienced ones. Do not mention money or any other benefits and perks coming with the job. You can mention, for example:
- Meeting co-workers.
- Being part of the famous McDonald’s working culture.
- Training courses.
- Professional development.
- Next career opportunities.
This question closes our list of the 10 most popular McDonald’s Interview Questions.
To be even better prepared, check some of our other articles:
Interview Questions and Answers for Restaurant Manager
Chick-fil-A Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself in an interview
First job interview tips & checklist
Unique questions to ask the interviewer
McDonald’s salaries
McDonald’s salaries are always above the national minimum wage even though in the franchised restaurants they may be slightly different than in the McDonald’s-owned ones. As per PayScale, the average salary is $10.32 per hour. An average salary for a Service Crew or a McCafé Barista is around $9 per hour. For a Crew or a Barista Leader – around $10 per hour. The managers and higher make around $12 per hour and more.
Interview Question: Why do you want to be a Barista? 5 Answers
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