A recent McDonald's ad caught the eye of Business Week writers recently. "It's Not a McJob, It's a McCalling" caught my eye since internal branding and team building are ever hot topics these days.


The ad in question depicts an executive woman who says: "A high school kid takes a job at McDonald's." The woman then turns into her former teen-aged self and back to her adult incarnation again, with the voice-over: "Karen King, President, McDonald's USA East Division." Implication: How rewarding that entry level job at McDonald's can be for employees who apply themselves with pride and have what it takes to build a career at McDonald's.
What's interesting here is that McDonald's has decided to put the whole issue of marketing itself and the "rewarding and fun" aspects of its jobs to entry level employees in the hands of its marketing department–rather than Human Resources. And apparently, a number of other companies have taken this route, as well.
The article quotes Richard Floersch, McDonald's chief HR executive as saying that "building an 'employment brand' is absolutely critical." It is felt that speaking to employees about career opportunities and spreading a positive image about the McDonald's brand are great pluses. The payoff? More employee pride, less turnover, and gasp–better customer service are the desired goals.
Will that happen? The Business Week article cites that this marketing method has met with success at Yum! Brands' Taco Bell and KFC divisions, dramatically slowing down its turnover rates.
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What do you think of retailers and hospitality brands potential for success if they market themselves better to their own employees in an effort to do more substantive work at team building?
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Do you think it will work?
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Will they be able to retain employees longer, and turn more of them onto a long-term career path with their companies?
We'd like to hear from you.