Delivering on the Promise of Delivery and Snaplications

McDonald’s modern approach to recruiting – Snaplications – is back. For Millennial job seekers, this is good news since according to a recent survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of McDonald’s, 67 percent of Millennials will look for a seasonal job.

Knowing more than half of hires at company-owned restaurants are under 24 years old, McDonald’s utilizes Snapchat as a recruitment tool to meet potential job seekers where they are – their phones. ‘Snaplications,’ a term coined by McDonald’s, is a first-to-market hiring tool in the U.S. that allows job seekers to be served an ad and opportunity to begin the application process for a job at a McDonald’s restaurant through the Snapchat app. Snaplications run through November 28.

 

“We saw significant engagement with Snaplications in the summer, and we’re excited to bring it back knowing young job seekers are on the job hunt again.” said Juan Marcos, chief people officer, McDonald’s USA. “McDonald’s and its independent franchisees are committed to being America’s best first job by providing flexible schedules, professional skills, and education. A part of that commitment also includes delivering easy and enjoyable ways for potential crew members to join the restaurant teams.”
 
While only three percent of U.S. recruiters are using Snapchat, McDonald’s approach with Snapchat paid off during the summer hiring period. The company saw a 35 percent increase in application flow and a 30 percent traffic increase to the careers page due to the combined efforts of Snaplications and the larger marketing campaign.
 
While many will use extra money from a seasonal job to buy someone a gift or treat themselves, others are looking to learn new skills they can take with them to another job, according to the McDonald’s survey – such as people skills (37 percent), patience and customer service (31 percent), time management (23 percent) and quick math (10 percent).
 
“These transferable skills are a staple at McDonald’s restaurants and set people up for success, whether they stay with the brand or further their careers elsewhere,” Marcos added.
 
McDonald’s and its independent franchisees strive to offer a work environment that sets people up for success at their McDonald’s and beyond …with education programs such as Archways to Opportunity^®, which gives eligible employees in participating restaurants an opportunity to earn a high school diploma, receive upfront tuition assistance for college courses, access academic advising courses, and learn English as a second language.
 

Russo’s Restaurants, which includes Russo’s New York Pizzeria as well as Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, recently appointed award-winning Vincenzo “Enzo” Lavecchia, top photo, as corporate chef, where he will lead menu expansion, staff development and more. The new corporate chef will spend time at every Russo’s Restaurants location training managers on proper food preparation and culinary techniques. A native of Italy, Lavecchia will ensure each Italian-inspired dish is as authentic as possible by passing his skills and knowledge on to each location’s kitchen team.

“When I was growing up, the most popular room in the house was the kitchen,” said Lavecchia. “I feel very lucky to be making a living doing something I love. Being able to share my experiences and skills with other talented chefs has always been a dream of mine, so I can’t wait to bring my experiences and authentic Italian cooking to Texas and beyond.”

A two-time world champion pizza maker and a three-time United Arab Emirates pizza champion, Lavecchia is no stranger to the kitchen. His strong background in the culinary industry includes more than six years experience working as a head chef at Eataly and Ronda Locatelli in Dubai. Lavecchia piqued his culinary interest at a young age at home in Italy, where he grew up learning how to create a wide variety of Italian dishes. While attending Armando Perotti catering school, he learned the importance of adding a signature twist to dishes without compromising authenticity.

“This was an incredibly important decision and we couldn’t have made a more solid choice for the role of corporate chef,” said Chef Anthony Russo, owner and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “We wanted someone with both a strong culinary background and a lifelong passion for cooking – Enzo gives us that and more.”

Russo’s Restaurants is a 47-location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants is composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 30-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally.