When we think of staff working in a fast food restaurant we might be forgiven for thinking of a teenager with a look that says he or she would rather be anywhere else than serving us our burgers.
In the huge market of fast food restaurants, particularly in the U.S., demand is high and choosing workers with more energy seems the obvious solution.
But a new report suggests differently. Fast food restaurants are now leaning toward a more mature group of employees that are more likely to show up to work on time and offer a friendly face.
According to a report by Bloomberg News, fast food chains such as McDonald’s are planning to make older people the focus of its hiring.
Fast food chains are posting job ads in churches, senior community centers and even on the AARP website, the largest U.S. non-profit which helps to guide and empower the over 50s in their lifestyle choices.
Friendly communication
According to the article these companies are realizing that senior citizens are more likely to have a different kind of work ethic and certain service skills that is often lacking in a teenage worker.
The two things teenagers lack nowadays are being on time and friendly communication with both staff and customers, according to the article.
There is the factor of people living longer and therefore healthier in their old age; many are not quite ready to retire but want a part time job to bolster their retirement fund or get them out of the house.
Stevenson Williams is a 63-year-old retired construction worker, who told Bloomberg he got bored of being retired.
“It’s fun for a while, not getting up, not having to punch a clock, not having to get out of bed and grind every day. But after working all your life, sitting around got old. There’s only so many trips to Walmart you can take.”
Stevenson now manages a Church’s Chicken in South Carolina.
‘They can be disrespectful’
“I just enjoy Church’s Chicken. I enjoy the atmosphere, I enjoy the people,” he added.
Stevenson Williams says he often needs to teach his younger employees basic manners. “A lot of times with the younger kids now, they can be very disrespectful. So you have to coach them and tell them this is your job.”
Find out more about this shift in the workplace in the video below.
[arve url=”https://youtu.be/v2DnZ1I4kH0″ /]
These companies are hiring senior citizens with decades of experience and paying them the minimum wage. What do you think of this move toward an older workforce?
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