Do you have a job interview at McDonald’s and want to maximize the chances of getting the job? You’re in the right place.
These are the questions most likely to be asked to candidates:
Why do you want to work at McDonald’s?
- McDonald’s has been part of my life since I was a kid. It’s my favorite restaurant and I love the food.
- McDonald’s has a great reputation and I want to work for a company that has such a big impact on the world.
- I love the restaurant industry and like interacting with people daily.
- Because it gives me the flexibility to manage my time while providing training to improve my career.
- There are lots of opportunities to grow within the company. I would love to become a restaurant manager.
- The company takes excellent care of its employees and I love the flexible work environment.
Have you ever worked at McDonald’s before?
If yes, state your experience, the duration of your employment, and the positive experiences you’ve had while working there.
If not, simply answer no.
What do you know about McDonald’s?
- It’s one of the biggest restaurant chains with tens of thousands of restaurants spread around the world.
- It was founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald and then purchased by Ray Kroc, who grew the company tremendously.
- It specializes in quick service meals like hamburgers, fries, salads, fruit, yogurt.
- It employs almost 2 million people in its stores(including franchise stores).
Do you have experience in the restaurant industry?
If yes, share your experience: what duties did you have? What lessons did you learn? What were the companies? Years of experience?
If not, simply answer no. However, if you like cooking or have customer service experience, you can talk about it here. That includes cashier positions at other companies.
How would you make McDonald’s a better company?
They want to know how well you know the industry and how creative you are solving problems. Suggest an extra food item for the menu, new ways to order food, or a novel marketing idea.
This question is asked more frequently to people who interview for higher positions, but can occasionally be asked for entry-level too.
What is your favorite menu item? Why would anybody buy it?
They want to know how well you know the company as well as your communication skills. Spend some time studying their product line on their website.
Even better: go to a restaurant, order your favorite item, and take notes on how the food makes you feel.
Then describe those sensations to the interviewer: “The fries are crunchy and tasty. Sweet and salty, but not too much”.
How dependable and reliable are you?
McDonald’s likes to hire people good at following directions. There’s not a lot of space for creativity when working at a lower level at the company. Here are some answers:
- My friends would describe me as a reliable and hard-working person. I get my work done well and on time.
- In my previous jobs, I always showed up on schedule and got along great with my coworkers and manager.
- I understand this job requires a responsible person and I’m looking forward to stepping up and doing what it takes to make the customer happy.
What other professional experience do you have?
Describe your other job experiences. Start from the last job you had and work your way backward. Emphasize jobs where you had customer service responsibilities.
Example:
- I worked at Walmart for the last 2 years and it was a great learning experience. I worked as a cashier and interacted with the customers every day. I feel my experience there will help me with jobs that require customer service.
- I worked at a local restaurant for a few months. It was my first job. It helped me understand how business and the restaurant industry works.
Never badmouth a previous company, manager, or colleague. Nobody wants to work with a negative person.
What are your strengths?
- I’m a people person. I love making friends, and I’m comfortable talking with strangers. I would love to interact with customers every day.
- I love food and I love to make people happy by serving them with excellent food. And yes, I like to eat too (a little humor here is fine).
- I have a good work ethic. I’m always on schedule and very reliable.
- I’m an adaptable person. Whatever McDonald’s needs from me, I can deliver. And I’m not above doing any type of work.
Don’t be too humble but also don’t be too arrogant.
What are your weaknesses?
It’s harder to talk about your weaknesses. That’s because you don’t want to sell yourself short. At the same time, you don’t want to give a weakness that feels like bragging.
You also want to avoid weaknesses that are related to important areas McDonald’s looks for in candidates such as customer service and work ethic.
Here are a few examples of weaknesses:
- Sometimes I push myself too hard, which has led to burnout in the past. These days I’m smarter about managing my energy levels.
- I can be a perfectionist. But I also understand that sometimes, getting it done in time can be more important than getting it done perfectly.
- Sometimes I lack assertiveness, which comes from a lack of self-confidence in some aspects of my life. However, I don’t let it interfere with the quality of my work.
Do you have customer service experience?
A big part of working at McDonald’s is interacting with customers. Having customer service experience can make it easier to get the job.
However, most people who get accepted for a job have no experience. If you don’t have it, don’t let it discourage you.
Instead, mention your friendliness, ability to get along with others, and your ability to empathize.
Any job or life experience where you had to interact with lots of people is a plus.
How would you greet a customer?
- Hello Sir, how may I help you?
- Good afternoon! What would you like to eat, Sir?
Is the customer always right?
- The customer is always right in the sense that we should do everything possible to make sure he or she has a great experience in our restaurant and leaves with a smile on their face.
- If the customer is unruly or disrespectful to the staff, we should ask him or her to leave.
How would you react to an angry customer? What if the customer is wrong?
- I would remain calm and listen to the customer's complaint while empathizing with him.
- I would apologize while trying to find a solution by following McDonald’s procedures with the goal of making the customer happy.
- If that was not possible I would communicate with the manager.
- If the customer was wrong, I should inform him or her of why they are wrong while still being respectful of their needs.
What would you do if a customer complains food is taking too long?
- I would apologize to the customer and give him an estimate of how much time it will take for the food to be ready.
- Meanwhile, I would ask him if there was anything else I could help him with.
- The interaction should be respectful, warm, and friendly.
Do you work well with other people?
- I am a sociable person who likes to be surrounded by hard-working people. I am friendly and respectful of people’s differences.
- I am patient and know how to respect social boundaries. I love workplace diversity and like to see my workplace colleagues as a family.
- For me, my colleagues are like family. I would love to come to the restaurant and work as a team to help the company deliver great food to the customer.
What would you do if you caught your colleague stealing money?
- I would talk with the manager about this colleague and would let him handle the problem.
- If I were the manager I would follow company procedures on how to deal with theft.
How would you handle a colleague that spends too much time on the phone while neglecting customers?
- I would warn him his behavior is having a negative impact on the restaurant and making others have to work harder to pick up the slack.
- If the behavior doesn’t change, we would have to talk with a manager.
What position do you want to work in? What position do you not want to work in?
McDonald’s wants to know if you have a strong preference for the type of work you want to be responsible for. Having a preference is fine, but so is being versatile.
- I like to take orders because I love interacting with customers. But I can make food too.
- I love to make food and would prefer to spend time in the back of the restaurant.
- I don’t have a strong preference. I’m adaptable and can work in any position in the restaurant.
Any of these answers is fine.
What hours can you work? Flexible hours? Weekends or weekdays?
There’s no right answer here. If you can’t work night hours you shouldn’t lie about it. If you can work weekends but not weekdays, then make it clear right away.
- I want to work weekends because I have family obligations during the week.
- I’m available at night hours as I’m going to college during the day.
- I have a flexible schedule and can adapt to whatever hours you need me to work.
Do you prefer full-time or part-time work?
Once again, no right answer here. State how many hours you can work and what days you can work.
Where do you live? Do you have reliable transportation?
The closer you live to work the better. However, the most important thing is whether you can get to your job on time.
- I have a car and can get here quickly and on time.
- I live on the other side of town but can easily get here with public transportation.
- I live close to work, so I can just walk here.
What are your plans for the future? Do you want to get any further education?
You don’t want to give them the impression that you will leave in a few months, even if that’s your goal. The best approach is to make them think they are part of your long-term plans.
- I want to learn the ropes of the restaurant industry and hopefully build a career working for McDonald’s.
- I want to focus on McDonald’s while I finish my education. In the future, I hope to keep working here.
Are you willing to clean the bathroom?
- I will do whatever work needs to be done. I’m not above any type of work and I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty.
Why should we hire you?
If you have experience:
- I have experience working for the restaurant industry and can be a valuable addition to your team. I will work hard to make the customer happy. (if you have customer service experience, mention it).
If you don’t have restaurant experience, mention your personal qualities:
- I learn fast, pay attention to detail, and love to interact with new people all the time. I’m a hard worker who loves McDonald’s and its food and would love to be a part of your team.
Do you have any questions?
If you didn’t discuss schedules, this is the time to mention them. And obviously, if you going to be offered a job, discuss wages too.
When it comes to wages though, there is not a lot of flexibility. People who work in the same position will make the same money.
You could also get personal with the manager and ask about him/her:
- How long have you been working for McDonald’s?
- What do you like most about your job?
What to bring to a McDonald’s interview
- Any personal identification.
- Directions to get to the interview.
- Bring extra copies of your resume.
- Bring pen and paper for anything you might want to write down.
- Don’t forget to bring contacts for references.
- Questions for the interviewer (if you’re afraid you might forget).
What to wear to a McDonald’s interview
- Dress business casual. Don’t overdress. Important: dress for the job you want.
- Slacks and a polo or a dress shirt is a good style.
- Prefer shoes to sneakers.
- Avoid piercings, too much jewelry, or bad hair. Come neat and don’t forget to shower.
What to expect at a McDonald’s Interview
- The interview process can last from an hour to weeks depending on the position you are interviewing for.
- The interview format depends on the store and the management.
- Sometimes you can have a walk-in-interview. However, most interviews are one-to-one or group interviews.
- It takes 2 to 4 days for McDonald’s to make a job offer so don’t despair. They rarely hire people on the spot.