McDonald’s is among a small group of companies that It has been part of the Great Place to Work (GPTW) ranking of the best companies to work for since its inception.
“That has a special value because it goes beyond the operation of the company in a specific year, it speaks of a solid team”said the manager of Human Resources of McDonald’s, Martín Palacio, to Coffee & Business. In addition, he added: “Continuing within the highlights shows the validity; the possibility of adapting and reinventing ourselves over the decades”.
On November 18, 1991, McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in Montevideo Shopping. Currently, the company has 31 branches open in different parts of Uruguay that have a significant impact on the local economy. Not only does it generate more than two thousand direct jobs, but it also works with local suppliers: more than 80% of McDonald’s supplies are Uruguayan.
According to the GPTW report, McDonald’s is in third place among the best companies with more than 150 employees to work for in Uruguay. For Palacio, this is a source of pride and highlights the attributes on which the company focuses.
For the Human Resources manager, McDonald’s feature to highlight is what they call the coolness of service; a cultural transformation that began several years ago –it peaked in 2016– with the purpose of generating good times for employees. “It is a culture in which people are at the center,” Palacio explained.
As well promotes personal development, while promoting teamwork.
In addition to company culture, McDonald’s is differentiated by its leadership style. According to the surveys that the company made to its own employees, the credibility, closeness and openness of the leaders are the most outstanding aspects.
Against the challenge of the pandemic
“The pandemic was a very important milestone that challenged us from different places,” Palacio said.
Faced with a panorama of uncertainty, the decision they made in the firm was not to stop the business, which later allowed an earlier and healthier recovery for the organization.
But before that process, they faced the restrictions that came along with the pandemic. “With different practices we had the opportunity to continue advancing with the coolness of service, both in the internal part of the organization and with customers”, assured Palacio.
McDonald’s employees had digital tools that made remote work more natural. “The collaborators were able to live –within the situation–, a good experience”, Palacio concluded.
