More than 275,000 McDonald's franchisees, restaurant managers, and employees have graduated from HUs worldwide and 78,000 McDonald’s franchisees, restaurant managers and employees have graduated from the HU Oak Brook Campus. Each year, more than 5,000 students from all over the world attend the HU Oak Brook Campus – including restaurant managers, mid-managers and executives.
Foundations for success
The best people lead to the best business results. We want to ensure that we have leaders who can take McDonald’s into the future.
To be a talent magnet, we have to provide opportunities to learn and grow. We have invested significant resources in programs to address this priority, including our own learning academies—Hamburger Universities—and a Leadership Institute for McDonald's leaders around the world.
These programs are part of a comprehensive global talent management strategy designed to ensure we have high-performing, committed leaders, a diverse pool of candidates for the future and a culture that both requires and supports learning and development.
A Center for Excellence: McDonald's Leadership Institute
In mid-2006, we officially launched the McDonald’s Leadership Institute, a virtual learning community with guidance and resources to support and develop employee leadership and talent. It gives McDonald’s leaders opportunities to grow and develop through structured learning with other McDonald’s leaders, to participate in challenging development experiences, and to access a wide variety of development tools and best practices resources.
Through these opportunities, the Leadership Institute helps them develop critical leadership skills needed to address major short and long-term business challenges that are affecting the corporation.
Under the auspices of the Institute, accelerated leadership development programs for high-potential directors and officers are offered annually across all areas of the world. As of the end of 2007, 184 employees from 43 countries had participated. More than 40% of those who graduated have received promotions.
Providing educational opportunities: Hamburger Universities & other educational opportunities
Today we have seven Hamburger Universities (HUs) around the world. They are state of the art training centers for restaurant employees and corporate staff. Since its inception, Hamburger University training has emphasized consistent restaurant operations procedures, service, quality and cleanliness. The curricula is comprehensive, thought-provoking, and the perfect foundation for building a successful career.
The fact that our Oak Brook Campus HU is the only restaurant company training academy awarded college credit recommendations by the American Council on Education (ACE) is indicative of the value HUs bring to our System and our employees. ACE recommendations mean that credits earned at HU can be applied toward a college degree. 100% of the restaurant manager and mid-management curricula are eligible for a total of up to 46 credits - approximately two years of full-time college study.
Some of our local business units have partnered with external educational institutions to develop specialized programs for McDonald’s employees. For example:
- McDonald’s Germany offers Specialist of System Catering and Crew College programs, which were both developed in partnership with leading German Education organizations. Through Crew College, qualifying employees are offered training and formal qualifications in basic education and specific areas related to restaurant management. Through the Specialist of System Catering degree, restaurant employees are offered a 3-year curriculum that combines food service and business management fundamentals at one of several leading German Universities.
- McDonald’s France - Restaurant managers with 3 years’ experience can follow the V.A.E program. The V.A.E (Business Experience Validation) is a diploma equivalent to a Bachelor's degree in management earned in French business schools. It is recognized by the Ministry of National Education. The program lasts six months and includes a dedicated support coach. To date, six sessions have been completed, and 37 people have received diplomas (92% success rate). McDonald’s France hopes to expand the program across the country so more restaurant managers can benefit from it.