Trying to make an entry-level job look good

McDonald's advertisement on bus shelter, Renfrew Street, Vancouver, BC

McDonald's advertisement on bus shelter, Howe Street, Vancouver, BC

McDonald's, like many firms that employ lots of young people at minimum wage, struggles with both recruitment and employee retention. Annual employee turnover rates of over 100% are not uncommon.

So how do you make the job look attractive? Good-looking staff having fun and the promise of valuable experience would seem to be a couple of good options.

Regardless of what you think about McDonald's food, that sort of fact-paced production environment offers great learning opportunities. Balancing supply and demand, dealing with the peak periods, and handling complaints; these are all essential skills for any manager.

But that does not change the fact that given the high turnover, McDonald's is always on the lookout for new staff.  The problem is that for many people McDonald's does not look attractive either as a place to work, or listed on their resume.