McDonald’s enlists Alexa and Google to help job seekers
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McDonald’s Corp will let job seekers start an application by using voice commands with Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s Assistant.
If users say, “Alexa, help me get a job at McDonald’s,” Alexa will ask which country they want to work in and play McDonald’s catchy “I’m lovin’ it” jingle. After that, users can share their phone number and get a link to continue the application process. Alexa also shares some facts about working for the company, such as how it can lead to jobs in other fields.
The function is available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. McDonald’s is also exploring adding the feature in other markets. It’s not yet available through Apple’s Siri.
Applications by voice — dubbed McDonald’s Apply Thru — are also part of a broader effort to use technology to streamline every part of the restaurant, said David Fairhurst, McDonald’s executive vice president and chief people officer.
For customers, that means digital ordering kiosks and mobile ordering; for employees, it means online scheduling and virtual reality games to train store managers.
The move is an unusual one. While some job recruitment companies have built voice-recognition systems on Google and Amazon’s platforms, but both companies say McDonald’s is the first direct employer to use its platform in this way. McDonald’s developed the technology itself.
