Unconscious Bias Training Now Mandatory for Corporate Recruiters and Trainers

Redefining Hiring Practices to Build Stronger, More Diverse Teams

As one of the largest employers in the world, McDonald’s is no stranger to competition for talent; we find education and training to be vital for our future competitiveness. That’s why at this year’s MAKERS Conference we announced our commitment to put all of our recruitment teams and select agencies through ‘Food For Thought, Beyond Bias’ training.

“I am thrilled that McDonald’s has committed to institute unconscious bias training, specialized for our recruitment teams and our agency partners,” said Melanie Steinbach, Vice President and Chief Talent Officer, McDonald’s Corporate.  “We know that to create a diverse organization, we need to develop a bias-free hiring environment. By acknowledging and mitigating against our unconscious biases within the recruitment process, we will create a dynamic and resilient organization.”

This education portfolio, created by the McDonald’s Global Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement team, is firmly centered in our core belief that, “Our Unconscious Bias can slow us down; moving ‘Beyond Bias’ speeds us up”.  Unconscious Bias can negatively impact the potential feel-good moments between McDonald’s employees and their teams, as well as with our customers. They are the stereotypes – both negative and positive – that exist in our subconscious and affect our behavior: how we work better together, the level at which we are committed to lead, and our ability to move fast and be customer obsessed.

The MAKERS conference is a renowned global women's leadership event that brings together a diverse group of men, women and allies to explore ways to accelerate the movement for change. MAKERS is known as a place to share compelling videos, have provocative conversations, and celebrate pledges for change and equality from some of the most powerful names in business, entertainment, tech, and finance, making it the perfect avenue to announce our latest step in the fight for equality in the workplace.

“I’m proud that McDonald’s is a part of the MAKERS community and have been inspired by the stories of incredible women - and men – at this year’s 2019 conference,” said Wendy Lewis, Vice President and Chief Global Diversity Officer, McDonald’s Corporation. “The commitment to provide our Unconscious Bias training to our talent recruitment partners signals our ongoing efforts to a build a better McDonald’s. We look forward to supporting MAKERS and the Sheros and Heros who are working to empower, advance and advocate for equity for all of us.”

For more information on our Diversity and Inclusion efforts, click here.