share on
By empowering its employees with autonomy and trust, encouraging their growth and innovation, and fostering a remarkable employee experience, McDonald’s Hong Kong aims to be a highly attractive destination for top talent.
This article is brought to you by MHK Restaurants Limited
Running more than 255 outlets in the city with more than 15,000 employees, McDonald’s Hong Kong upholds the group’s global people vision of being the best employer in every community it serves around the world. This is possible through a focus on offering employees opportunities, training and development, satisfaction, as well as rewards and recognition.
Building on its 'B.E.S.T.' employer strategy, which encompasses four pillars namely, bespoke HR system, exclusive employee experience, success celebration, and talent development, the restaurant group is committed to creating an open and positive work environment, fostering employee wellbeing, and establishing a healthy and sustainable business through various initiatives.
One remarkable HR initiative to achieve its vision and commitment was the strategic renovation of its Hong Kong premises in 2023. Transformed into an open-plan office known as the ‘McHappy Office’, aligning with the company's future development strategy of being technology-enabled, hospitality-led, and purpose-driven.
Reopened in 2024, the ‘McHappy Office’ has integrated the brand’s philosophy of 'people-oriented, customer-first, innovative and change-seeking'. It also incorporated five elements of happy innovation, to create a more collaborative, caring and high-quality working environment for its employees, whom it calls the ‘McFamily’.
These five elements are:
- Wellness: putting people first, employee experience reigns (wellness) – providing a variety of exclusive benefits for employees to create the ideal working space for the McFamily.
- Sustainability: integrating green operations such as smart lighting system, paperless workplace and encouraging employees to practice a green lifestyle;
- Collaborative: significantly increasing collaboration space by six times, actively promoting a culture of employee exchange and enhancing cohesion;
- Technology: installing diverse technological facilities in the office to help employees innovate and improve work efficiency; and
- Art: integrating art pieces full of brand elements into the workspace to inspire team creativity.
“We firmly believe in how having happy employees can then translate into happy customers," says Kevin Kam, Chief People Officer, McDonald’s Hong Kong. “Therefore, our focus is to continuously optimise our employee experiences at McDonald’s Hong Kong."
In addition to providing a friendly workplace, McDonald's Hong Kong continues to support its employees by diversifying its corporate culture and opportunities for developing diverse talent.
For example, to enhance employee competitiveness and foster a sense of belonging, McDonald's Hong Kong has launched a ‘Professional Diploma in Management Development (QF Level 5)’ for its restaurant frontline senior management team.
Being first in the local F&B industry to offer its employees an internal programme where graduates would obtain a qualification at a level equivalent to that of a Bachelor’s Degree (QF Level 5), McDonald's Hong Kong seeks to reshape the public's stereotyped perception towards its employees. This, the company aspires, will enable its people to enjoy continuous learning, obtain a recognised qualification, and pursue professional growth and success regardless of their background and education levels.
This initiative, like many others, has seen a positive result. In 2023, 222 restaurant general managers successfully obtained this professional diploma while working and gaining practical experience, without needing to apply for subsidies or pay any fees.
To inspire more employees, McDonald's Hong Kong has also launched the brand new ‘McInspiration Series’ in 2024. Featuring a guest speaker for each session to share their personal leadership journey and experiences, this initiative aims to offer learning and growth opportunities by covering a range of inspiring leadership topics that embody McDonald's core values.
The company’s efforts in prioritising employee happiness and engagement extend even outside of work. Kam shares: “We place emphasis on celebrating shared successes as a team through a number of engagement activities throughout the year, including a three-day annual dinner, Laisee giveaway, exclusive employee events, and manager conventions where we invite our restaurant management team to go on trips.”
Apart from entertainment activities, McDonald’s Hong Kong has also organised various events to recognise its employees, covering both frontline and back-office roles. Such events include ‘McAppreciation’ where frontline staff members are engaged through in-person store visits by senior management, the ‘Outstanding Management Award’ to recognise the best manager within the local market, as well as ‘The Global Ray Kroc Awards’, and the ‘Presidents’ Award’ to recognise the top managers and the best office employees within the company globally.
McDonald’s Hong Kong believes, to stay relevant and competitive in today’s talent landscape, the key lies in empowering its employees with autonomy and trust, encouraging their growth and innovation, and fostering a remarkable employee experience. By doing so, the company aims to create a captivating buzz that spreads through positive word-of-mouth, making it a highly attractive destination for top talent.
Kam affirms: “As our founder, Ray Kroc, once said: ‘We’re not in the food industry, we’re in the people industry. We just happen to sell hamburgers.’”
He goes on to speak about the recent accolades the company received: “The Employee Experience Award is a testament to our efforts in manifesting the people philosophy we always uphold, and we will continue to bring the best experience to the McFamily members and make them proud.”
Photos / MHK Restaurants Limited
share on
