McDonald’s recently introduced the world’s first voice-initiated job application process, called McDonald’s Apply Thru. Now, job seekers can initiate the job application process through McDonald’s Apply Thru by talking to either Alexa or Google Assistant.
How McDonald’s Apply Thru works
The job application process begins with the applicants saying:
“Alexa, help me get a job at McDonald’s,” or, “Google, help me get a job at McDonald’s.”
Then, the job applicants need to answer a few basic questions, including their name, job of interest, and the location where they want to work.
Afterwards, the job applicants receive a text message with a hyperlink that will take the applicants to continue the rest of the application process.
Where McDonald’s Apply Thru serves
McDonald’s Apply Thru is now available in nine countries, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. It will be made available to other countries in the coming months.
Why McDonald’s Apply Thru is needed
Part of the company’s Made at McDonald’s campaign, McDonald’s Apply Thru highlights the different career paths that its associates can take after working at the fast-food chain. Additionally, McDonald’s plans to launch a career app, allowing eligible employees in the U.S. to explore other career opportunities at McDonald’s as well as those in the healthcare and IT sectors.
The hope is that the efforts can make McDonald’s a more desirable place to work. When the minimum wage is on the rise, and the unemployment rate has reached a 50-year low (3.5% in September 2019), it becomes challenging for the hospitality industry to maintain a reliable workforce. Many job seekers would instead find an eight-to-five job in an office than working at a McDonald’s.
McDonald’s has also taken several initiatives to respond to consumers’ pushes for more automatic services. For example, McDonald’s recently introduced several transformational changes in its new flagship store.
In addition to forming a new partnership in food delivery, the fast-food giant is also testing plant-based burgers and is in the process of eliminating the plastic straws in selected markets. The debut of McDonald’s Apply Thru blends well with such changes.
Other automatic services in talent acquisition
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machines can do more than just helping candidates initiate a job application. Once a job application is received, AI can perform the initial screening based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience.
AI can even conduct job interviews with the candidate, usually with structured interview questions. Then, AI can make recommendations based on an analysis of the recorded interview with the candidate, such as the word choice made by the candidates, intonations, and other nonverbal clues.
The future of job searches
As more companies are relying AI on recruiting and selecting the top talents, the process of job searching will very likely involve more automated services.
Job candidates should probably begin embracing new technologies. If they are not comfortable with answering interview questions in front of a camera, for example, they had better practice talking to their phones in a recorded video.
What do you think of McDonald’s voice-initiated job application process? How helpful would it be for McDonald’s to find the right candidates for the jobs?
Then, will the voice-initiated application process become the norm in the job search? At what point during the talent acquisition process must real HR managers involve in the process?
