Looking for McDonald’s interview questions?
In this article, we’ll get you prepared for your job interview, cover the most common interview questions, and provide some word-for-word sample answers you can model from.
McDonald’s Interview Tips: How to Prepare for the Interview
Before stepping foot in the interview room, you should know the company background, what to wear, and what to expect throughout the interview process.
Don’t need any McDonald’s job interview tips? Skip to the questions.
What to Research (McDonald’s Facts)
This will help you navigate some of the common research-based questions. We’ve put together a few good starting points but you should go the extra mile with your own research to make sure it’s up to date.
- They’re an American fast food company
- Brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first store in 1940
- They have restaurants in 120 countries and territories
- They serve roughly 68 million customers every day
- The company has 37,855 restaurants across the globe
- The company’s global headquarters is located in Chicago, Illinois
- Chris Kempczinski is the president and CEO
Sources: McDonald’s About Us page, McDonald’s Wikipedia page
What to Wear (McDonald’s Dress Code)
The best way to dress for the interview is to closely mimic the McDonald’s staff dress code for the position so you look on-brand and already part of the team.
For an entry-level role such as crew member, fast food attendant, or manager trainee, McDonald’s requires its staff to wear dark slacks with no visible holes or tears, along with a gray polo tucked into your waistband.
Make sure to cover any tattoos and take out any piercings before your interview. If you have long hair, tie it up.
For a supervisory or managerial role such as floor supervisor, shift manager, or area supervisor, wear dark slacks, a tucked-in gray polo with a dark-colored tie.
Sources: McDonald’s Employee Handbook
What to Expect (McDonald’s Hiring Process)
McDonald’s typically responds to online applications by email. If they want to move forward with your application, they’ll request a short video or phone interview.
Next, they may request an in-person interview. McDonald’s Interviews are typically laid back.
McDonald’s sometimes hires on the spot, and most people hear back within a week or two of their interviews.
Following a job offer, you’ll need to complete an employment pre-screening and present your identification documents. Then you’re ready to start!
Often, the individual application process varies from restaurant to restaurant.
Sources: McDonald’s Careers, Indeed
McDonald’s Interview Questions and Answers
Below are the most common interview questions and example answers asked when applying for a job at McDonald’s.
1. Why Do You Want to Work at McDonald’s?
The interviewer wants to know how working at McDonald’s fits into your vision for your future, and whether you care enough about getting the job to research the company.
Sample answer:
“I like that McDonald’s provides training and opportunity to their entry-level employees. For example, I read that they offer training to new employees, plus annual performance reviews and constructive feedback to help employees at all levels grow.
That’s important to me because I’m always looking to learn and better myself. I want to work in a place where everyone is encouraged to be their best self.
In the future, my goal is to manage a team of my own. I want to improve myself so that I can become the best leader possible, and McDonald’s offers that.”
Related: How to Answer: Why Do You Want to Work Here?
2. What Can You Tell Us About McDonald’s?
The interviewer wants to know how much research you’ve done about McDonald’s, and how committed you are to working at McDonald’s, specifically.
Sample answer:
“I’ve always associated McDonald’s with good, wholesome food that people love the world over. I know that McDonald’s has an eighty-year long history of quality service and now has restaurants in 120 different countries.
I like that the company focuses so much on bringing people good, affordable food that they can rely on, no matter where they are. I love to help customers from all walks of life; no matter who they are and where they’re from, I want them to have a great experience.
I’d love to learn more about McDonald’s growth. What can you tell me about the company’s future goals?”
Related: How to Answer: What Do You Know About Us?
3. How Would You Describe Great Customer Service?
The interviewer wants to know if you can solve problems in a friendly manner while also setting expectations for customers to prevent disappointment.
Sample answer:
“When I ran my own drink stand as a kid, one woman told me she didn’t drink refined sugar, so she couldn’t buy anything from me. I told her to return the following day, where I had freshly squeezed orange juice waiting for her.
That’s what customer service means to me: I stayed friendly, solved her problem, managed her expectations, and understood my own product.
Ultimately, it wasn’t my orange juice that secured a loyal customer that day, it was my commitment to customer service.”
Related: How to Answer: Give An Example Of Great Customer Service
4. How Do You Handle Stress?
The interviewer wants to know if you can handle the stresses of the McDonald’s workplace while staying positive and understanding what you’re like to work with.
Sample answer:
“I believe stress is an unavoidable part of work, but it’s something that often pushes you to be better.
When I worked at the bookstore, we used inventory software older than I was. It One day, the software just stopped working in the middle of a busy day. Customers couldn’t check out, and we couldn’t input any of the stock.
It was stressful, but that’s what drove me to find a solution. I spoke to customers first and made sure that they felt taken care of. Then, I found the support number for the software and got an IT person on the line. We had the system back up and the customers happily checked out in no time.
Overall, I’m very solution-oriented when it comes to stress.”
Related: How to Answer: How Do You Handle Stress?
5. What Skills Would You Like to Improve?
The interviewer wants to know if you can self-assess honestly and work to improve yourself.
Sample answer:
“I’d really like to improve my listening skill. Often, I’m so focused on solving problems and getting things done that I can miss what people are actually trying to say.
But listening is crucial when it comes to teamwork and customer service. If you don’t know how to really listen to what people tell you, you can miss a lot of important information.
I’ve been reading a lot of books and practicing active listening to get better. I’d love to hone my listening skills by working at McDonald’s. With the right help and enough practice, I know that I can become a great listener.”
Related: How to Answer: What Skills Are You Looking to Improve?
Other Questions to Expect
Every job interview has a mix of questions, so you can expect a few traditional or generic questions that aren’t directly related to the company or the role.
Here are a few of the most popular:
- What qualifies you for this position?
- How would you define quality service?
- How would you describe yourself?
- How do you approach work?
- What kind of relationship do you have with your coworkers?
- How did you hear about the position?
- What would you say to a customer who received the wrong order?
- What excites you about food service?
- How would you handle a disgruntled customer?
- What are your expectations in terms of salary?
Don’t Give Up!
Memorizing the most common McDonald’s job interview questions doesn’t always land you the job.
However, if you’re interested in working at McDonald’s, many similar fast-food chains have regular opportunities, such as Burger King, Wendy’s, Subway, and Taco Bell.