McDonald’s Goes Modern Using Alexa and Google Assistant to Take Job Applications

Getting a job at McDonald’s just got a whole lot simpler. Using artificial intelligence, applicants to McDonald’s can now initiate an application as quickly as they can say, “OK, Google, help me get a job at McDonald’s.”

McDonald’s new Apply Thru technology is the first of its kind, bringing in a new generation of employees. With Apply Thru, McDonald’s hopes to make the application process less difficult via ease-of-access recruiting.

“We just would not be able to build a better McDonald's without constantly challenging our thinking on how we meet and recruit future hires,” says Joy Silmon, owner and operator of five McDonald’s stores throughout Dallas-Fort Worth. “McDonald's has created Apply Thru, which is the world's first voice-initiated application process, making it seemingly super easy to get a job now through voice activation.”

Apply Thru is available on any electronic device that has Alexa or Google Assistant. The application process itself takes about five minutes.

To begin, the applicant asks Google Assistant or Alexa to “help me get a job at McDonald’s.” A voice guide then asks questions regarding the applicant’s name, area of interest and location. Then the applicant receives a text message with a link to continue the application.

“With artificial intelligence evolving the way that it is, we have to change with the time,” Silmon says. “We, as McDonald's, we're a global brand. And we want to lead the way and meet future hires on their terms. And we do that now through a simple text and voice activation. I can't imagine it being any easier than that.”

All McDonald’s employees are encouraged to participate in the Archway to Opportunities program, where they can receive opportunities to either earn a high school diploma or receive upfront college assistance.

“What we're looking to do is not just provide a job, but provide opportunities that will enhance the lives of our employees,” Silmon says

McDonald’s is seeking to fill more than 1,600 positions in DFW and more than 20,000 in the state of Texas.