McDonald's® Canada Serving Up 1,500 Positions to Job Seekers on West Hiring Day

One-day hiring blitz offers 650 new jobs in Alberta

EDMONTON, Sept. 11, 2014 /CNW/ - On Thursday, September 11, McDonald's Canada and participating restaurants across Western Canada will host the third annual West Hiring Day, where McDonald's aims to hire 1,500 new employees at its restaurants in Western Canada (BC to Manitoba) including 650 employees in Alberta.

As of August 2014, the provincial unemployment rate for Alberta was 4.9%*; however, numerous markets throughout the province face employment challenges. As one of Canada's largest employers of youth, with almost 70 per cent of its employees between the ages of 15 and 24, McDonald's is a recognized and respected employer, offering competitive wages, comprehensive benefits and flexible schedules that can help youth achieve a work-life balance and set them up for success in their future careers.

"West Hiring Day represents a great opportunity for prospective employees to get a taste and feel of what it is like to work in our restaurants, and with one of the most recognizable brands in the world," said Ray Romard, McDonald's Director or People Resources for Western Canada. "We're always looking for great people, and can be a great place to work for a year, or a career."

On West Hiring Day, job-seekers of all ages, especially young people, are invited to apply in-restaurant for crew and manager positions and learn more about local restaurant opportunities.  Applicants visiting the restaurant today can receive on-the-spot interviews by a restaurant manager, and those unable to apply in-person can go to www.McDonalds.ca/Careers to submit their applications.

Participating McDonald's restaurants in Western Canada hired 1,400 new employees during West Hiring Day 2013, and a further 6,100 on National Hiring Day 2014. To date, via these one-day hiring events, McDonald's Canada has hired a combined 25,000 employees since 2011.

McDonald's Canada is not the only group touting the value of and skills earned via working in its restaurants, as recent post-secondary institutions have been examining the significance and impact of youth employment.

Last March, McDonald's Canada and British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) announced a first-of-its-kind partnership, offering course credit and advanced placement to BCIT School of Business diplomas or degrees to McDonald's Managers and Team Leaders. A 2013 BCIT study concluded that learning outcomes taught in certain McDonald's management training modules were aligned with the School of Business course criteria. The program is available to employees in British Columbia, as well as out-of-province employees enrolled in BCIT's distance education program.

This past July, a separate study co-authored by Associate Professor Marc-David L. Seidel at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business on the impact of adolescent work on future professional outcomes found that adolescents who gain early professional experience tend to follow a career path that keeps them employed in the future.  This study was not commissioned, funded or consulted on by McDonald's Canada.

Seidel and his co-author's study found that employment during adolescence ultimately provides an edge in finding and securing future job opportunities. The study also found a correlation between adolescent work being positively associated with higher earned income in future years.**

McDonald's Canada has been named one of Canada's 50 Best Employers by the annual AON Hewitt study for the last 12 years straight. The company provides its employees world-class training, hands-on business experience and development opportunities to help build career skills.

The company also provides employees with the skills they need to go from the crew room to the board room. More than 90 per cent of restaurant managers and more than 65 per cent of our corporate staff began their careers as crew members.  In addition, John Betts, President and CEO of McDonald's Canada, started behind the counter 40 years ago – as well as the previous two Presidents.

*Statistics Source: Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada as of August 2014 (released September 5, 2014): The full report is available here.

**Houshmand, M., Seidel, M-D. L., & Ma, D. G. (2014) Beneficial "child labor": The impact of adolescent work on future professional Outcomes. Research in the Sociology of Work, 25, 191-220. The full study can be found here.

About McDonald's Canada

McDonald's is the leading foodservice company in the world. McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited and its Canadian franchisees own and operate more than 1,400 restaurants and employ more than 85,000 Canadians coast-to-coast. Approximately 80 per cent of McDonald's Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. For more information about McDonald's Canada, visit www.mcdonalds.ca or follow us on Twitter (@McD_Canada) and Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonaldsCanada) for updates on our business, promotions and menu items.

SOURCE: McDonald's Canada

John Gibson, McDonald's Canada, [email protected], 604-293-4849; Janelle Gomes, GolinHarris, [email protected], 604-283-1361