Getting a Job at McDonald's May Be Difficult!
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Their psychological test is puzzling . . .
I’ve spent much of my life looking for work, and it’s never much fun. Recently, I applied for a job at McDonald’s. Well, hasn’t just about everybody applied for a “McJob” at “Mickey Dees” at some point in their lives? I mean, their fast-food restaurants are all over the world. Soon there will be one in Afghanistan, I’m sure.
For people who may be applying for such a job in the future, I’ve compiled a list of questions – seven out of 35 - which McDonald’s asks anyone applying for a job as a crew member. (Don’t feel so bad – Borders asks 99 of these questions, while Sears asks 72, RGIS 49 and Starbucks an excruciating 103!) Such questions don’t relate to one’s specific job skills; instead, they are more of a psychological nature, and some are rather curious.
Perhaps it is more of a personality test, used to predict a person’s behavior in particular situations. The cynic in me suggests these tests simply give the company a seemingly objective way of disqualifying people for employment, rather than age, sex, education, race or other factors, some of which could get the company in trouble.
So here are the seven questions I selected:
1. If you do not get this job, how easy will it be for you to get another one?
- Very easy
- Easy
- Difficult
- Very difficult
- I don’t know
2. How often do other people come to you with their problems?
- Never
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Frequently
- Almost always
3. While you are working, you overhear a pair of coworkers on break. The two are talking about another team member because she works too slowly. What would you be MOST likely to do?
- Tell the coworkers not to complain about another team member
- Suggest that the coworkers directly talk with the person who works too slowly
- Keep working on my own tasks and say nothing to the coworkers
- Suggest that the coworkers talk about their concerns with the supervisor
- Tell the team member that others are talking about her and she should work faster
4. How do you typically handle stress on the job (or in school)?
- I speed up to handle the extra work
- I work more slowly, but concentrate harder
- I rely on others more when I’m under stress
- Stress does not influence how I approach my work
- I don’t know
5. During the middle of a shift, you notice that your coworker, Jim, looks really upset. What action would you take?
- Ask him if there is anything you can do to help
- Leave Jim alone and give him time to cool off
- Ask Jim if he’s having family problems
- Volunteer to work during your break so Jim can have extra time to cool off
- Let your supervisor know that Jim might not be ok
6. While you are on break, a customer spills a large drink in a busy area of the restaurant. Cleaning the floors is the job of another team member, but he is taking a customer’s order. What would you do?
- Tell the other team member about the spilled drink
- Talk to the team members and agree on a plan to clean up the spill
- Clean up the spill as quickly as possible
- Warn customers about the spill until the team member has a chance to clean it up
7. I would prefer a job in which
- the work is interesting
- I am helping people
For me, these questions were not easy to answer, because too many relevant factors are not explained and, at the very least, the correct “answers” to these questions would be subjective as far as I’m concerned. Therefore, I may not be prime material for working at McDonald’s. At any rate, McDonald’s, like any other company, can do whatever it wants on such tests, and if you want to work there, you have to push the right buttons. Good luck on your job search!
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@Kosmo I have met someone with grey hair that worked at mcdonalds. An 80 year old man came out of retirement to flip burgers part time.
I'm having this same problem. I worked for 9 1/2 years in a grocery store until I moved out of the area and had to leave the company. I had a very good reputation, well liked by pretty much everybody, very loyal and dependable,...etc...etc....etc.. But When I tried to apply at another grocery store, even with these credentials apparently on this new "test" I didn't pass and "We regret to inform you that you don't match our qualifications." arrgghhh!!!!!
Thanks for the comment, wendyscraftmall. Maybe they didn't hire you because you don't have fast-food or restaurant experience. Anyway, since they're a corporation, they possibly do check credit reports. Bummer! Later!
Is it fair that a company can look at your credit score? I mean, for me, it's pretty bad, but that's because I haven't had a job that will give me enough money to continue to pay off my bills!
That's the problem with these companies is that they DO NOT realize this. If they do, they are totally overlooking it and then hiring the next person who has a better score for whatever reason.
I have applied for so many positions since my lay off in February 2011. For five years I owned and ran a live tropical fish store. In my home town, there was an opening for a manager at Payless Shoes. I was called in for an interview because of my experience with my store. Guess what? I wasn't hired. You know why? I didn't have enough experience! GIVE ME A BREAK! I know it was because of my credit!
That was so unfair.
Good luck to everyone!
Less than 100 years ago, if you wanted a job at a restaurant, all you had to do was show up, talk to the owner/manager and you would either get the job or you would not. There were no credit checks, criminal checks, lengthy application processes, government bureaucracy, and multiple interviews. We were also a much smaller country at that time. It will only get worse in the future. If people need jobs, it's better to make the process easier.
I just applied online 10-20-2011 and did not have to take the personality test....hmmm
Do any burger flippers pay a mortgage and support a family ? Worked in KFC once, all the staff lived with mom.
I wasn't hired, donnatru. At the time, I'd heard that I might be able to start at $10.00 per hour, but in the interview I soon discovered that all crew members start at minimum wage, which is $8.00 per hour in California. I'm convinced they wouldn't have hired me anyway because I'm over 50. Go into the nearest McDonald's and I'll bet you won't see one person who even has a grey hair. And if that person does have grey hair, he or she is the manager. Oh, well. Later!
were you hired?
Many of those psychological questions have a similar effect on me. If that's the case with many people, businesses should scrap all such tests. Later!
I worked for a copier sales company years ago and wanted to move into a sales position. Before they would allow a transfer, I had to take a Sales Temperament Profile Test which was supposed to measure my aptitude for sales. I can't remember the questions but on any given day I might answer the question differently.
Thorough background checks are an integral part of the business world these days. If you don't have any "blemishes" on your record, you may be okay, but if you do, you may not be able to get a job sweeping out the store! That's a very sad state of affairs for this country or any other place. Later!
Alot of companies are using psyche-evals, these days. After the first Postal Worker shooting, most companies want to know if if the person they're hiring is safe to have around.
Another fairly new thing is doing background checks for jobs that have nothing to do with money or security purposes. For example, there is a grocery store in the town where I live that requires a thorough background check before they'll hire you on.
I have the same frustration, Tammy L. Many of the psychological questions they ask for online job applications are ridiculous if not stupid. And they definitely are getting too personal. The Starbucks application is the worst. There ought to be a law against that intrusion into one's affairs. Later!
I've seen questions similar to these on other job applications. I prefer to be personally asked these questions so that I may logically explain my answers. Like "what would I do if one of my co-workers was angry". That depends on the angry co-worker. If he or she doesn't like to talk until they cool off, I would leave that person alone. I've also been asked if I would ever call in sick to work. Well of course, I'm human and humans do get sick or injured. Needless to say, I didn't get THAT job either and I didn't want it because they were getting too personal.
Thanks for sharing. It wasn't easy having a job in a fast food chain. Perhaps they also try to find a reliable worker
I hope you get the job at Borders Books, which would almost certainly be better than working with Ronald McDonald. Later!
Good Evening Kosmo
Well done, you write well. I just finished your fascinating article on the twelve serial killers. I would have left a comment there but I couldn't think of anything to say that wasn't covered by the other commentators.
McDonald's and such places have some nerve giving such tests. There nothing wrong with it, per se. Its just the pretentiousness that's annoying. You'd think this was a job with the U.N. or FBI.
I've had similar trouble. I have been trying to get a job at Borders Books for many years now. I guess I haven't scored high enough on the personality test yet.
I hope you're wrong about it being easier to get a pilot's license, Av8erprince, because I may end up working at Mickey Dees. Later!
great! there goes my last hope. even though you gave me a head start, i still won't be able to figure out the correct answers to this one.
getting a pilot's job is in fact much easier.
hi im 16 and had an interview for mcdonalds today, hope i get it, my first job :)
I worked there...
One of my first jobs was at a chain burger joint much like Mikey Dees. I think I was seventeen. It was a grueling job. At hot kitchen for hours followed by an hour of frantic work trying to clean up all the spills that had happened the previous eight hours.
The 2:30 AM "drunk rush" was particularly tough. I still have vivid memories of the whole thing.
There were nights I'd come home, go to bed, and dream about flipping burgers. Those weren't dreams though, they were nightmares.
Still, I loved the job in a way. It was great fun too, with the right people around. I certainly didn't have to pass a psych test though. Nobody could imagine someone "going postal" I guess.
Of course I'm having great fun reading and changing the questions and answers.
Great hub!
A hundred questions?!... Wow, that would drive someone crazy, wouldn't it? I can't believe they put you through such rigamarole for a minimum-wage job. Yes, the business world is not fair. Later!
In the last year, I've applied to several retail jobs that have 100-question psych tests like these. A few times I selected the hello-I'm-crazy answers just for fun. I guess they're trying to avoid hiring some lunatic who will burn down the building at the first sign of conflict.
Yes, working at a fast-food joint can be hard work, because they not only have you flip burgers and such, but do clean up work as well. Regarding Mickey Dees, they were hiring seniors but apparently stopped. Shame on them! Maybe they should be sued . . . !
my first job (1979) was at Wendy's, but I got the job because my sister worked there... times sure have changed!
By the way, we were always very busy, and it was some of the hardest work that I have ever done, and that's saying alot, because I'm a nurse
Immartin, McDonald's might actually be a good place to work, and I'm sure the experience would be valuable to lots of folks. But I'll decline the supersize; their soft drinks are expensive and nothing but sugar. Later!
I've worked at many low level jobs, but Mickey Dee's wasn't one of them. I understand, though, from some of my younger friends who worked there, they felt they learned a lot from the experience. So who knows, maybe there's more to it than we think.
Would you like to supersize this order?
Man, they give you a 200 question plus one for AT&T! They are designed to supposedly see how hard a worker you are and how honest you are.
I've been in the higher salary range, and can tell you that back stabbing occurs at all levels, but the people lower down often do it a bit less. Maybe because they have everything and nothing to lose at the same time working at a minimum wage job.
And I thought all you had to learn was "Do you want fries with that?" Nice hub! :)
Kosmo Hub Author 2 months ago
Hey, zero, McDonald's used to hire old people for part-time work. So, perhaps they've started again. Thanks for the comment. Later!