All The Different Roles At A McDonald’s

1. Want to work at McDonald's?

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Maybe you're on the hunt for a new job, or maybe you're just curious about how McDonald's operates. If you're looking for part-time or full-time work, did you know that McDonald's is one of the most recognized fast food restaurants? They have over 200,000 employees worldwide!

2. This is what it's like to work there

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If you want to work at McDonald's, then you should enjoy working in a team and interacting with customers. You also serve food, but at the end of the day, a lot of it comes down to your people skills! Employees say it's fast-paced and there are a lot of different positions available.

3. There are a lot of benefits

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From entry-level roles to actually building a career, it's all available to you at McDonald's. Employees say that the company has a lot of benefits such as training, health coverage, and opportunities for promotions. So if you're wanting a career in the food industry, look no further!

4. You could be a crew member

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Crew members are kind of the general McDonald's employees that make the whole operation run. They typically earn between $8-10 an hour depending on where you live! If your state has a low minimum wage, below $8, you'd likely get an offer of around $8 per hour. There are various jobs within being a crew member, so let's break those down!

5. Front Counter

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If you're great with people and managing a long line, then this is the role for you. As a Front Counter worker, you're one of the first people a customer will see when they walk in the door. It's your job to greet the customer and help them figure out their order and get it on the trays. You should have a welcoming and patient personality for this role!

6. Drive-Thru Order Taker

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The person who takes your order at the drive-thru needs to be cool, calm, and collected. This role can get busy fast, because you're often managing taking people's orders, putting them into the system, and then also taking people's payments when they pull around. You should be good at multitasking if you want this job!

7. Presenter

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This person is at the second drive-thru window to hand you your food. This requires an attention to detail, because it's up to you to check the receipts and make sure you're handing the right food to the right person. You also need to be quick on your feet, as you'll often be responsible for making sure drinks, straws, and sauces get passed off as well.

8. Kitchen Worker

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This could range from anything to being on food prep, to overseeing the french fryer to making the ice cream when the machine is working! You could be on bun duty or clean up or dishes. While it might take you a minute to find your niche, you'll get to experience a lot of different pieces of how the restaurant works in this role!

9. Lobby Person

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Each shift, there is someone who's designated to look after the lobby and main area of the restaurant. This person helps remove any trash left behind, wipe down any tables or sweep up messes. If you like to be on the go, this might be a great spot for you as you'll interact with a few people while making sure everything is in tip-top shape!

10. Stock Person

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This role is responsible for making sure the inventory is up-to-date and that the restaurant has everything that it needs to operate. Whether it's making note of when the Chicken McNuggets need replenishing or making sure more napkins get added to the next order, this is a big job that requires you to be attentive. You'll also be responsible for helping unload and properly store the items when they arrive.

11. Overall, this is an important role

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As you can see, being a crew member is a vital part of making the restaurant work. Your team skills will come in handy to make sure the food is properly prepared and that the restaurant itself stays clean and tidy. You'll work with other team members as well as the manager on shift to make sure that all goals are met.

12. Cashier

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We talked about the front counter worker, but another element to this is the Cashier. The cashier is responsible for taking orders and processing the payments. If there are self-order kiosks, you will support customers in this and make sure they're getting the proper change. The role here needs to be someone who's efficient and capable of using the computer system.

13. Cashiers are also responsible for this

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While cashiers need to be fast and efficient, they also help assemble the orders on the trays or into bags depending on if it's for here or to go. There are other front counter workers who help with this and help get drinks as well. If a large event is happening, cashiers are responsible for processing these orders as well.

14. Cook

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Beyond just prepping and assembling the food, there's a team of cooks who work in the kitchen and prepare the food. The average pay for this is $9-$13 an hour depending on where the restaurant is located. Remember, McDonald's serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It can get busy, so these cooks need to be able to follow the recipes thoroughly while practicing health and food safety standards.

15. Shift Manager

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Whether you're a crew member or a cook, you're going to be in communication with the Shift Manager. The shift manager leads the crew and makes sure that high quality service and customer happiness is always the priority. They can make up to $17 an hour! They're also responsible for internal communications and scheduling.

16. There are also department managers

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Besides shift managers, who are responsible for making sure the customers get excellent service, there are also department managers. These managers have a different set of responsibilities and are assigned to managing specific systems. It could be things like food safety or inventory management. These are the managers who set goals and give tasks to the rest of the team.

17. Guest Service Department Manager

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Department managers are responsible for communication between their team and senior management. Guest service department managers specifically are responsible for making sure their teams are always providing the best customer service. This could include things like sales promotions and progress tracking.

18. They have these skills

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Guest service department managers need to have experience in service procedures and then pass this information to their team. They oversee the front counter team, the McCafe, and the drive-thru teams as well. They can earn around $16.50 per hour on average.

19. Kitchen Manager

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The kitchen department managers have to make sure that the quality of the food is always excellent. They check the food to make sure it's served in a safe way and that overhead is under control, utilizing supplies and food in an efficient way. They train workers on kitchen production processes, and they introduce new menu items.

20. People Department Manager

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If you want to help people find the right job for them, then the People Department Manager role might be right for YOU! These managers help ensure the restaurant hires the most qualified people for the job. They help with training and explaining sales and goals to the team. They help with new employee onboarding and provide motivation for the team.

21. Everyone hates this job at McDonald's

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Of course, no job is perfect, and employees have said one of the worst jobs at McDonald's is cleaning the grills. You, of course, have to turn them off, but they don't always cool down before you clean them because it takes too long. People say the heat-reacting soap that's used has a sweet smell, but the smell gets stuck in your clothes and hair and feels like you can taste it. They say it's also super easy to burn yourself when cleaning them.

22. Cleaning the fryers

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While employees said this job isn't as bad as the grill, dealing with the fryers and hot oil is another way to easily get burned. They have said that even if you're not cleaning them and just on fry duty to be very careful, because it's easy to get in a rush and injure yourself!

23. Taking out the garbage

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Employees said that specifically being sent to clean up the drive-thru and parking lot area is a job no one wants. You have to go outside and sweep up all the trash and replace the outdoor garbage bags. They said this is particularly gross in the summer months, and sometimes they even have to mop the outdoor eating areas and sidewalks, because it gets so gross!

24. The drive-thru isn't the best

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If you enjoy your alone time, you might absolutely love being in the drive-thru back booth. many employees have said that this role can be boring because you are by yourself, taking orders, cleaning trays and taking money. Because McDonald's is a team environment, it's said the front of house team has more fun. But honestly, being alone and getting a job done might be ideal for some!

25. This one kinda goes without saying

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Employees reportedly HATE cleaning the bathrooms. They said that so many customers act like animals, and it's shocking how quickly they can get really dirty. There have been reports of poop on the walls, period mess, and even used condoms found in the bathroom.

26. If you're looking for a management role

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If you are more experienced and looking for a management role, be sure to check out the McDonald's job board. You'll find open roles here for department managers for guest services, kitchen, and people. It's a great way to get your foot in the door, and McDonald's loves to promote from within!

27. It's a great place to start!

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If you haven't had a job before, that's totally okay! It would be smart for you to fill out an application and deliver it in person to try to meet the shift manager. Especially if you're looking for something entry-level, McDonald's is really open to hiring lower experience people and training them for the work!

28. You'll gain some great skills!

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If you work at McDonald's for even a short amount of time, you'll learn a lot! It's a fast-paced (and sometimes stressful) work environment, so employees gain a lot of skills. Workers have cited improved customer service abilities, better cash handling, and an understanding of food prep from working here.

29. The hours are flexible

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If you take a crew member job at McDonald's, one of the perks is that the part-time hours are flexible. You also get an employee discount. A lot of people say that this type of job is a great "first job," and can help with things like responsibility and money management. A lot of these part-time workers are saving money for something specific like college tuition.

30. You'll love to be part of a team!

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One of the things employees say is the best part of working at McDonald's is the sense of team that develops. Because you're working in an environment that requires moving at a fast pace and depending on the people around you, there's a lot of camaraderie that builds as you work there. Your teammates become your friends!