McDonald’s puts employee engagement and talent retention at the heart of its growth strategy both globally and locally. With 23 years of operations in Qatar, the brand’s staff members, both crew and management, almost doubled in the last five years, showing a steady growth on the market. McDonald’s has been celebrating its employee’s success and achievements every year since its opening in Qatar with a yearly staff event called ‘Crewsome’. This year the event took place at The Westin Doha Hotel & Spa under the theme ‘Royale Masquerade Ball’ and gathered all 1,200 McDonald’s employees, including head office and stores, for a 3-day get-together. Staff members were invited to participate in a wide range of team building activities and competitions, such as ‘Mr. & Ms. McDonald’s 2018’ and ‘McDonald’s Got Talent’. People were dressed according to the theme and built positive relations with colleagues during the celebratory period.

On the occasion, Mr. Fadi Rezek, McDonald’s Qatar General Manager commented, “McDonald’s Career Advancement programme is based on three core pillars reflected in our yearly Crewsome event: Learn. Grow. Succeed. Our people are the ones who make our customers smile and experience happiness in our restaurants. Our talents are the vanguards of our success and our best assets. This week’s celebrations were our way of saying ‘Thank You’ to all our employees for their commitment and hard work through the year.”

From learning how to work with customers to developing business plans, the employees’ careers are shaped carefully by McDonald’s. Ranging from six weeks to five months, the brand has a clear ‘Restaurant Management Roadmap’ which entails career programs for every management level. The four key programs include Shift Management, Systems Management, Restaurant Management and Business Management. Every management level program is streamlined with courses such as Shift Management Excellence Course, Management Development Program, Restaurant Leadership Practice and Business Leadership Practices. Owing to the effective career development processes, McDonald’s Qatar has witnessed the promotion of 832 employees during the last five years, with 159 of them being promoted during 2017 alone.

McDonald’s has always propagated the importance of employee engagement and provided an inclusive working environment, training and support. Its people lie at the heart of the brand and are given ample opportunities to grow and succeed in their career paths. The employees are given sufficient training opportunities at each level as they climb up the career ladder at McDonald’s. Many success stories have been a part of the local franchise and Mr. Ayoub Mozaffari is an excellent example of the brand’s investment in its employees.

Currently the Operations Manager, Ayoub rose to the position after nearly 23 years with the brand, starting his career in a customer facing role in 1995. At the Crewsome event, Ayoub said, “At a young age of 19, I realized McDonald’s was my future. At the time, when my manager had asked me about my vision, I told him that I wanted to take his place, and here I am today, exactly where I had aspired to be. Crewsome is only the tip of the iceberg and one of the myriad initiatives that helps bring the team closer, while boosting positive feelings towards the brand.”

During the course of 2018, the brand will be looking to hire over 200 people spanning across various positions from crew to management levels. On an average, the fast food chain promotes nearly 160 people annually maintaining a growth rate of 8.7%. McDonald’s has always focused on its employees to help them develop their skills and carve successful career paths. They will continue to do so in the coming years as well.

Cover image courtesy of McDonald’s Qatar

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