McDonald’s Hamburger University, located in Oak Brook, Illinois, is the premier training ground for the company’s employees, providing training to nearly 5,000 employees each year. The university has 19 full-time professors from around the world and can accommodate over 28 different languages. The curriculum includes customer safety and courtesy, business strategies, and marketing standards, which are customized for each region. Those who attend Hamburger University for managerial careers are eligible to receive college credit for their work.
The McDonald’s corporation employs over a million people worldwide in any given year. Training is provided to all employees, from cashiers to corporate workers, but the only training facility many McDonald’s employees seek out is Hamburger University. The American branch of Hamburger University is considered the premier training ground for employees, an 80-acre campus located in Oak Brook, Illinois. The university’s US branch provides training to nearly 5,000 employees each year in all aspects of business, including information for crew, management and executives. But like the company it serves, Hamburger University had humble beginnings.
Since its inception in 1961, Hamburger University has provided training to over 80,000 managers, middle managers and owner/operators in the McDonald’s community. On the other hand, the original Hamburger University class consisted of 14 students. The original Hamburger University training facility was located in the basement of a McDonalds in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. In 1983, $40 million was allocated to build the current facility. Hamburger University class participants continue to manage the nearly 31,000 locations worldwide.
The faculty at Hamburger University is made up of 19 full-time professors from around the world, each with prior experience operating restaurants. In addition to these professors, Hamburger University employs translators to allow them to reach a wider audience. Currently, Hamburger University facilities can accommodate over 28 different languages. Although Hamburger University’s American campus was the first and largest, there are several satellite campuses located around the world, including Sydney, Australia; Munich, Germany; London, England; Tokyo, Japan; and Hong Kong, China.
Hamburger University classes teach a standard curriculum describing customer safety and courtesy, as well as business strategies and marketing standards. While the courses may be the same, each pattern can be customized for the region it is used in. For example, while the courtesy standards for McDonald’s in the United States may specify a verbal greeting, those in Japan require the employee to bow. University students are trained and tested on these standards, including written, oral and practical tests. Assessments by teachers also occur, and a follow-up assessment at the student’s store by a mystery shopper may also occur.
Unlike other employee training programs, those who attend Hamburger University for managerial careers are eligible to receive college credit for their work through a decision made by the American Council on Education. Most business training programs equal about 21 college credit hours, or an average semester, and credits are transferable to public and private two- and four-year colleges. In addition to proving its dedication to its employees’ future, McDonald’s also provides educational assistance to its employees as part of the standard benefits package.
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