On 1 Year Anniversary, New MHQ Proves a Draw for Talent

A year ago this month we opened our new headquarters in Chicago’s vibrant West Loop, signaling another big step in our journey to build a better McDonald’s. The new MHQ – with its sleek architecture, desirable location and energetic vibe on par with any tech company – was poised to attract attention to McDonald’s as a growing business on the move in more ways than one.

And so it did, especially from talented job applicants. Today, on the one-year anniversary of MHQ, indicators tracked by the company show an increasingly large pool of top talent vying for positions at the home office.

Since announcing the move, McDonald’s corporate office has attracted nearly 200,000 job applicants, a sizable increase. 

Activity on LinkedIn demonstrated pronounced interest, too. In the last year, McDonald’s job ads and updates performed at more than 4 times the typical engagement of other companies. 

Joshua Secrest, Senior Director, Global Talent Attraction at McDonald’s, credits the success to the company’s business momentum, as well as the new world-class environment that’s revitalizing the McDonald’s employee experience.

“We believe our move to Chicago alongside our tremendous business initiatives and results have positioned us as not only one of the premiere employers in Chicago, but in the country,” Secrest said. 

“We are now attracting diverse top talent from all over the world from other top employers.  Our move to Chicago is consistently cited as major reason for consideration from our recent hires.”

West Loop residents and businesses have witnessed the rapid results at a local level firsthand.

 “McDonald’s and their employees made an impact as soon as they arrived and continue to give back to our community in many ways,” said Armando Chacon, president of West Central Association, the neighborhood chamber of commerce, and a real estate executive.

“McDonalds has been a boost to the continual growth and excitement that has turned the West Loop into one of the most vibrant and exciting neighborhoods in the city.”

To learn more about joining our corporate team, visit careers.mcdonalds.com