Cleanliness is next to Godliness’ - an example of an organization that follows this adage strictly is Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. Managing a brand like McDonald’s may seem like an overwhelming task, but not for this company. With numerous opportunities for professional growth, a fun and flexible environment and employees feeling empowered at their job, there is no turning back for this institution, which ranks #42 in the Great Place to Work® Institute’s Study.
What started as a western concept has now become a household name in India, says Amit Jatia, Managing Director, McDonald’s India (West & South). “McDonald’s worldwide is well known for the high degree of respect that it gives to local culture. McDonald’s has successfully mastered the mantra of Globalization. Keeping its global promise of Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (QSC&V) intact, it has managed to cater to local preferences as well. In India, McDonald’s has re-engineered its menu to suit the Indian palate.”
The brand communication adopted by McDonald’s is always conceptualized keeping in mind the emotional connect with the consumer. McDonald’s India is an employer of opportunity, providing quality employment and long-term careers to the Indian people.
Employees are imparted with world-class training which allows them to provide customers with the ultimate McDonald’s experience. Every restaurant manager stands a chance to go to the Hamburger University, Australia to obtain a degree in Hamburgerolgy.
People Matters asked a few questions from Amit Jatia and Seema Arora Nambiar, Director - People Resources McDonald’s India.

In such a competitive environment for talent, what are the best practices you have for attracting and retaining talent?
Amit Jatia: Good staffing is about hiring the right person for the job. For this purpose, there are well documented systems like the Quality Hiring Process for hiring at entry level in restaurants. This process clearly recommends the required competencies, interview questions, on-the-Job assessment evaluation criteria, etc. As we move up the value chain, there are further behavioral assessments and a structured interview process is followed. This process is unexceptionally followed for each and every person likely to be a part of the McDonald’s family.

What does being a great workplace mean for you? What do you attribute this success to?
Amit Jatia: Keeping our employee value proposition of fun, flexibility and future at the core of all we do, we have successfully managed to achieve our desired objective of being an ‘Employer of Opportunity’. I would attribute this success to my entire team.
At McDonald’s, employee work is recognized regularly and appreciated through awards and rewards. Our regular training module has proved to be effective and many of our crew are now part of the senior level corporate structure. We are one of the very few companies that can boast of having over 50% of our current management team that started at the crew level!

Can you highlight one practice that makes you a great workplace?
Seema Arora Nambiar: Our value proposition to all employees is ‘Fun, Flexibility and Future is work at McDonald’s’. Through all our actions, we focus on building this value proposition across the organization and all our actions pass through the filter of our values every day and in every way. The one key practice that comes to my mind that enables our value proposition is the lack of hierarchy and our ability to speak to anyone at any level and at any time through the open door policy, feedback mechanisms and formal and informal sessions across the organization.