Fast-food giant turns to Snapchat to attract millennial job seekers

McDonald’s is leveraging a hot app to encourage teens to join its workforce.



The fast-food giant is embarking on an aggressive summer hiring spree that aims to employ 250,000 restaurant employees across more than 14,000 restaurants operating in the United States. Eager to get the attention of millennials — its sweet spot — McDonald’s is taking a new approach.



The company is using Snapchat to introduce what it calls a first-to-market recruiting tool. Called “snaplications,” it allows job seekers to be served an ad and begin applying for a job at McDonald’s through the Snapchat app. McDonald’s first used the application in Australia earlier this year, and the company is also utilizing platforms including Spotify and Hulu to reach potential job seekers in a new way for the brand, according to the company.



"We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to find job seekers. We thought Snaplications was a great way to allow us to meet job seekers where they are – their phones,” said Jez Langhorn, senior director in human resources, McDonald’s USA.



When the solution launches on June 13, Snapchat users can view 10-second video ads of real McDonald's employees talking about the benefits of working at the chain. Users can then ‘swipe up’ to instantly visit the McDonald’s career webpage in Snapchat, explore opportunities, and apply to their local restaurants.



The solution specifically targets more than two third of teenagers that are estimated to be unemployed between Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.