My Mom always said if you did not love to get up and go to work each day, it was time to change jobs!
Now you may ask what does this have to do with food quality? Well, in my studies of the importance of the emotional quotient of employees, it was proven that more patients died on a hospital ward where the nurses were unhappy versus a ward where the nurses were happy. So, it can be concluded that happy working employees can lead to better results.
Now how does that relate to McDonald’s quality control? Well, we can have the best Alberta beef, Ontario apples and chicken, or New Brunswick potatoes, but if the employees working in all those factories are not happy… well, who knows what could happen?!
Throughout the past year, this was something that surprised me on every visit. Not only the top brass welcomed us, but so many employees were so happy to see and share with us.
The Cargill (beef and chicken) employees are actually called “stakeholders” because there role is so important in the success of their company.
In Edmonton, Patty a 26-year veteran at Cargill said it best “I am proud to make these burgers and want them to be the best burgers because my children and grandchildren will eat them.”
In London, I spoke to a “cutter” (or what I would call a specialist in removing every morsel of meat from a chicken with the precision of a surgeon) who has proudly worked in the plant for over 20 years. (Note: I randomly choose him, he was not a spokesperson.)
In Grand Falls, NB , I was on the harvester with a bunch of lovely ladies who spend there fall separating potatoes from rocks and dirt … they were so happy and once I started speaking French with them, I think they would have kept me all day and told me even more stories.
These are just a sample of the happy people we saw working in the McDonald’s supplier factories we visited. Are you happy?
I worked at McDonald’s during my teenage years and I have to say that they really do have one of the best training programs for employees. The lessons I learned from working there have carried me throughout my professional career, the biggest one being “find something to do or someone will find something for you to do” which usually meant it would be a job I didn’t like!
Now, my full time ‘job’ is being a SAHM and I still do my best to keep myself busy. The kids help me there! My part time job is as a professional photographer and I make sure to get all my work done during my allotted work time to make sure my clients stay happy!
It’s all good!
I was very impressed at how positive and friendly and happy everyone was, from behind-the-counter to the upper levels of management. From the workers in the field, Mr. Cote for example, to the scientists and lab technologists.
I also loved how they encourage & promote employees from within and how the classes at Hamburger University have different levels of employees in all the same classes.
I would never discourage my children from working at McDonald’s, I actually would encourage them.