McDonald’s Malaysia engages with young people on social media platforms to present a variety of job opportunities for them to consider with the company. The top fast service restaurant operator in Malaysia is using an inventive and captivating strategy to attract young people who are actively looking for work by publishing an original drama series on Instagram Reels.
According to Melati Abdul Hai, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of McDonald’s Malaysia, McDonald’s has decided to immerse in the youths’ “routine” and find new ways to express the McDonald’s culture, values and myriad of opportunities available in the company. Knowing that social media is a popular medium, the company is driving interest and encouraging applications with the release of a nine-episode mini drama series entitled “Kau Sundaeku”.
“We are always looking for ways to constantly be in touch with the youth of our nation. The light-hearted, fun-to-watch drama series on Instagram is undoubtedly new and refreshing. We want to be able to better connect with the younger generation to showcase the exciting career opportunities and pathways that the Mekdi family can offer,” added Melati.
McDonald’s has continually been acknowledged as a top employer for Malaysians over the years. The most recent honour received by McDonald’s was the Best Employer Award and Best of the Best Employer Award 2021 from Kincentric, a global provider of HR consultancy services. Prior to that, from 2014 to 2018, McDonald’s received Aon’s Best Employer Award five times in a row. Additionally, McDonald’s was named the Best Employer for Women in 2015 and the Best Employer for Generation Y in 2013, highlighting the company’s commitment to the fundamental principles of inclusion and diversity.
McDonald’s makes large investments in a range of training programmes to get young people ready for jobs in the food and beverage sector. As an illustration, consider the McDonald’s Vocational Apprenticeship Programme, an 18-month industry-focused training programme that includes 70% practical training in McDonald’s restaurants and 30% classroom instruction. Under the National Dual Training System (NDTS) established by the Ministry, McDonald’s Malaysia and the Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia (MoHR) collaborated to create this effective program. Since 2018, more than 3,500 young people from diverse backgrounds have been able to obtain experience and find work in the food and beverage industry thanks to McDonald’s Vocational Apprenticeship Programme.
“Our training programmes are targeted at youths to steer them into a positive career trajectory and to help them grow as a contributing member of society. The youths in Malaysia are the future of our country and increasing youth employment will benefit our economy in the long run,” said Melati.
McDonald’s has pledged to invest a total of RM1.35 billion over the following few years to open up to 500 outlets in Malaysia as part of its Vision 2026 initiative. By 2026, the business anticipates that this development will have given Malaysians access to more than 50,000 job opportunities, including 15,000 new apprentices under the McDonald’s Vocational Apprenticeship Programme.
The nine-episode mini drama series entitled “Kau Sundaeku will be released on Instagram Reels from 21 December 2022, with each episode being one-minute long. The slice of life drama series revolves around a restaurant manager and three crew members from diverse backgrounds who find a home and the sense of belonging working at McDonald’s. The series features an ensembled cast including Rasyiqah Johan and Zafira Natasya Yong who were Top 10 finalists of the Beauty Pageant show Dewi Remaja, as well as Adam Aliff Tay and Subhasree Uiaramuthu, among others.
