Why One McDonald's Is Paying People For Job Interviews

As the world's largest fast food chain, McDonald's is known as a brand its fans can count on for consistent, affordable meals at any restaurant they walk into (via Investopedia). With such an immense global footprint, it's not surprising that McDonald's is among the top 10 biggest employers in the United States — with around 375,000 employees, according to an estimate from Insider. McDonald's is also proud of its work environment and the way it treats its employees. A description on the brand's website states, "Working at a McDonald's restaurant gives you an opportunity to build a successful future while offering a number of perks and the flexibility to meet your goals."

The Golden Arches go on to add that the company has a range of opportunities available for its team members, such as tuition aid, competitive benefits, and flexible schedules. Despite the perks professed by the brand, it seems folks aren't exactly lining up to apply for a job. With fast food thriving during the pandemic, chains have been scrambling to find more workers to run drive-thrus and keep up with the order demand.

That's why one McDonald's franchisee in Florida has turned to one interesting initiative for recruiting employees: offering cash to those who are willing to show up for job interviews (via Insider).

What's going on? According to a report by the Takeout, while sales are rising, fast food companies are struggling to find enough staff members to keep operations running. A McDonald's franchisee near Tampa, Florida, who owns 60 restaurants, has decided to address this problem directly by offering $50 for interviews.

Franchisee Blake Casper said that he wanted to ensure that he was not leaving any stone unturned while recruiting new team members. He told Insider, "At this point, if we can't keep our drive-thrus moving, then I'll pay $50 for an interview."

Perhaps shockingly, this move hasn't paid off yet and Casper says he's had more luck swaying new employees with signing bonuses, referral programs, and by offering text applications. According to Insider, Casper is even considering raising starting wages to $13 an hour, which is still $3 above the state's minimum wage. Casper reckons that it's been so difficult to find suitable candidates because new options have opened up, and employees might be attracted to better-paying industries.

If big swings like a $50 interview bonus don't attract new fast food workers, McDonald's customers will feel the impact. According to Reuters, one franchisee suggested that if more McDonald's workers aren't hired soon, their dining rooms might not be able to open up until the later part of 2021.