McDonald’s partners with ForceSelect to create new opportunities for armed forces

During a six month pilot, McDonald's aims to employ 10 ex-service men and women, working closely with ForceSelect to match the skills of ex-service personnel to opportunities within the company. This includes restaurant vacancies, head office jobs and even franchise opportunities - a chance for people to own one or more McDonald's restaurants. David Fairhurst, chief people officer, McDonald's UK & Northern Europe, commented: "We are very excited about the potential of the scheme. Our approach to recruitment is based on qualities, rather than qualifications - providing opportunities for people from all different backgrounds. With the strong work ethic and commitment displayed by service men and women, we've always recognised the transferable and valuable skills people leaving the armed forces can bring to our business. "Our new partnership with ForceSelect means we can build on the success we've already had welcoming ex-service men and women into McDonald's through our standard recruitment channels. "We will aim to deepen our understanding of the varied skills ex-service personnel can bring to our workplace, and subsequently offer even more people leaving the armed forces the chance to utilise their experience in a different way - either as a long-term career or a stepping stone to other things." The ForceSelect relationship will enable McDonald's to build its knowledge of the skills and experiences of people leaving the armed forces and understand how to support new recruits in their transition into civilian employment. This includes offering work trials to potential employees, as well as providing information about the roles, training and career prospects available at McDonald's.