So Young, Can or Not?

April Lee is McDonald’s youngest restaurant general manager (RGM) in Singapore and in 2018, she won the Rising Star Award at the company’s inaugural Year of Restaurant General Manager Gala Awards. Many may be sceptical that she has enough experience to be a RGM, but one should consider the fact that she has been working with the company for over a decade.

It’s hard to imagine that someone her age has the maturity and fortitude to be a RGM at McDonald’s, but April has been working for the company since she was just fourteen.

Instead of seeing her age as a disadvantage, April optimistically used it as motivation to become better. Seeing herself as a young leader, she wanted to prove to her colleagues and everyone around her that she could do it. Getting all the answers was her way to doing just that. “I’m hungry for knowledge. I want to give my crew all the answers. And as a leader, I need to have an even higher level of knowledge – especially at my age, you want to give your crew a reason to respect you and build trust,” says April.

However, it was not always positive and uplifting for April. She recalls the time when she spent seven years as a crew at McDonald’s Queensway. Back then, April was doing well but slipped into complacency and became what she calls “store blind” - just going through the motions, fulfilling her duties and not bothered to learn how each restaurant is different, with different types of customers, challenges, advantages and ways to create a better customer experience. But deep down, this ITE graduate started to feel restless. She knew that she wasn’t meant to just settle for life at McDonald’s as a crew or even a first assistant manager.

Admittedly, even for someone of her age back then, taking the leap from first assistant manager to RGM can be quite daunting. But when April was a first assistant manager at McDonald’s Balestier, she realised that it was not an impossible task since she was already taking on some RGM responsibilities.

Thinking out of the (Happy Meal) box

Every store has its own set of opportunities to bring in more customers. April was excited to get involved in brainstorming sessions aimed at getting more customers into the restaurant. All it took was for her to just take a step back and think about what was in the vicinity of the restaurant and even ways to work with other businesses.

During her time at Balestier, April proposed ideas like offering discounts to nursing staff working in a nearby hospital if they visited the restaurant in their uniform. She also proposed bolder suggestions like approaching various boutique hotels in the area to invite their guests to have breakfast at McDonald’s. April beamed with pride when she shared that the ‘hospital idea’ helped her restaurant to bring in 40 more customers each day.

Now it seems like April has done it all. So what’s next for her?

She says, “Maybe I’ll become a training consultant?

Or maybe join the management team one day?”

When asked if she has considered her goals to be difficult to achieve, she replies without missing a beat.

“You must dare to dream, only then can you achieve.”

After all she has accomplished, no one will dare to doubt that she can do it.

The Backbone of Family is Support.

Jian Lee joined McDonald’s® as a crew member at the young age of fourteen as part of his school’s Work Experience Programme. He started as the shy newcomer, working at the Queensway Shopping Centre branch every day during the school holidays, before moving on to work part-time on the weekends. As a young crew member, he encountered challenges when facing customers but with his fellow crew members’ support, he proved to his then manager that he had the tenacity to be a floor manager. Finding support in his McFamily, Jian Lee kept working while he was schooling, and only stopped when he took on national service.

After national service, he wanted to continue working part-time while pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at SIM RMIT. However, he was persuaded to take up a fulltime role, which he did. With his hardworking attitude, Jian Lee was promoted to larger managerial roles that prepared him for his current role as Restaurant General Manager at the Queensway Shopping Centre branch. He had come full circle in the McDonald’s journey.

Jian Lee says he enjoys his work more than his peers in other sectors because McDonald’s provides him with flexibility that other jobs simply do not. He enjoys the fact that he is always on his feet, having fun with his crew members and customers instead of being bound to a desk. Working in McDonald’s for so many years has shown him how the McFamily supports and grooms one another to be better versions of themselves. And just as his past crew members have done for him – Jian Lee wishes to do so for the next generation.

Passion is the secret to a successful career!

Service is hard work but it can be just as rewarding. There are those like McDonald’s Restaurant General Manager, Christina Ong, who is truly passionate about her role and works tirelessly with her team to serve customers at the Resorts World Sentosa outlet, which she previously managed.

After graduating with exceptional results, she followed her heart and chose to pursue a career in McDonald’s, proving that passion is the secret to a successful career in the service industry. In 2012, Christina received the Super Star Award at the Excellent Service Award (EXSA) organised by the Restaurant Association of Singapore.

Determined to uphold the distinctive service qualities and community spirit that sets McDonald’s apart, Christina shares her thoughts on what good service means to her and what it takes to develop a strong service culture within her team.

Development!

The word, ‘development’, does not just apply to Cheryl’s portfolio. As the overall lead of the Development team responsible for ensuring a strong and visible McDonald’s restaurant presence in Singapore, Cheryl is equally passionate about developing the people in her team and setting them up for success. After all, having been in the company for 10 years, she has been a beneficiary of a system that has brought out the best in her.

Q: With your years of industry experience and being part of the McFamily, what characteristics do you think are important for this industry?

“A quote from Charles Darwin comes to mind - that it’s not the strongest of species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change. So always be open with an inquisitive mind. And remember to have fun along the way!”

Q: As a mentor, how do you help grow and develop your team members?

“I encourage my team to be engaged in the vision of our business. Growing, developing as well as retaining talent is important – people must find meaning and reason for the effort and time they put into their work. That’s why I constantly share my experiences and communicate openly with my team.”

Q: What are some of the best memories you have with your team?

“There are many! The best memories are not just about winning new leases, they are also about special moments like birthday celebrations and team bonding days where the team comes together for some fun. Being part of the McFamily means having a family that supports one another through thick and thin, working hard and playing hard together.”

The Heart of Our Business is Operations.

As a senior director of operations in Singapore’s largest F&B company, Jeffrey juggles multiple roles. From sharing insights and solutions on how to run great restaurants to ensuring the operational efficiency of the delivery business to supporting the Learning and Development culture to promoting a culture of hospitality... Jeffrey does it all with almost four decades of experience under his belt.

Q: What are your aspirations for the Operations team at McDonald’s Singapore?

“It’s about running great restaurants, driving the business and making delicious moments easy for everyone. So how can the different components of the business come together to deliver that?

To put it simply, it’s about focusing on food quality, speed, accuracy, cleanliness and hospitality - what customers experience when they visit McDonald’s.”

Q: You’ve been with McDonald’s since day one, from when the company first opened in Singapore in 1979. What does being part of the McFamily mean to you?

“It’s my second home. You could say I’ve spent more time in McDonald’s than anywhere else. Other than my family members, our McFamily folks are the closest to my heart.”

Q: What makes you feel proud about being part of the McFamily? What strikes you most in the years being with McDonald’s?

“Through the years, it’s about building my ‘families’ – my family and my McFamily.

When I started out, I was a young, single guy with limited education. I now have a happy family, a beautiful wife and two daughters living in a good home, all thanks to McDonald’s.

I’m proud to be part of a brand like McDonald’s. I’m proud to be part of the McFamily and grateful for the golden opportunities the company has given me, including the time spent in McDonald’s Malaysia and Indonesia for three and five years respectively.”

Q: What does it take to have a successful career at McDonald’s?

“Plan your work and work your plan. This is extremely critical to ensure that in our respective roles in the company, we continue to be a contributor to the business... And of course, what’s most important is Grit – the power of passion, perseverance and hard work. What truly determines success is the drive to continually improve.”

A Leader In The Making

Siva’s enthusiasm is undeniable. It’s no wonder the restaurant general manager (RGM) at McDonald’s West Coast Park has seen his career fast-tracked. Siva joined the McFamily in 2008 and was promoted to crew leader in 2009 and to trainee manager the following year. Siva continued to rise up the ranks in the coming years and became a RGM in 2014. Looking back on his journey, he says that McDonald’s recruits people who are willing to learn and that the company “puts effort to train you”.

Good Talent Wanted

Now as a RGM, his responsibilities include attracting and training talent. Doing that is not easy - Siva says that competition for manpower in Singapore’s food and beverage industry is high, coupled with the fact that good talent is hard to find.

“The hard work is not there,” he adds, saying that many younger hires he has seen tend to prefer completing a task in the easiest way possible. So if he’s a prime example of good talent, what does it take to succeed and what is it about Siva that makes him do well in McDonald’s?

“I like to learn, I like to try and find ways to improve,” he adds.

And if his crew or managers are up to it, he will reciprocate. He says he is always ready to provide his team with resources and is on hand to guide them. He doesn’t shy away from pointing out how his team members can improve. When he notices someone making a mistake, he’s quick to tell them so “they can learn from there”.

Leading By Example

Siva leads by example and hopes to inspire others to enjoy the same success he is thankful to have achieved. In 2017, he was awarded the prestigious Outstanding RGM Award as well as the People Developer Award.

“I’m very happy to see my managers going for training programmes, because this means they are leaders in the making.”

Siva believes that although he has achieved much, he still has room for one more move – to be a director. At McDonald’s, of course.