Job-seekers flock to McDonald’s as eatery supersizes hiring

CREST HILL — A flurry of job seekers descended Tuesday on the McDonald’s at 1704 Plainfield Road to apply for some of the 50,000 jobs being offered by the company nationwide during the one-day hiring event.

“It’s an opportunity for everybody,” said Annette Reyna, 43, of Joliet, who has been looking for work for six months. “We need jobs. Especially in these times — it’s hard to find jobs.”

She said her husband found a job last month, but she needs to work to help pay the mortgage.

Quinton Terry, 19, of Joliet, was laid off from his warehouse job in Elwood about six months ago and has been looking for work ever since.

“I feel I can be an asset to McDonald’s, and I really like to work a lot,” he said as he waited for a friend to finish filling out an application.

About 50-60 applications were submitted in the first 2.5 hours, said manager Dennis Rosenwinkel. Job seekers filling out applications were sprinkled at tables throughout the restaurant during the morning rush.

Elsie Abrokwah, 23, and her brother, Daniel Abrokwah, 20, both of Joliet, came to the United States from Ghana about three months ago to go to school; she wants to be a nurse, he wants to be an accountant.

Ghana does not have any McDonald’s, but the siblings knew about the fast-food restaurant from the Internet. They have been eating at the Crest Hill location since arriving in Joliet. Daniel likes the “fried potatoes” (french fries). Elsie is a hamburger fan.

“We came here to eat, that’s how we heard about McDonald’s hiring,” Elsie said. “We said, ‘Let’s give it a try.’”

Suzanne Arias, job developer at Trinity Services in New Lenox, was at the McDonald’s with two job-seeking Trinity clients, Cynthia Thur, 22, of Lockport, and Brandon O’Connor, 20, of Elwood.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Arias said of the hiring day. “I hope we get some placements. It’s very hard to find a job in this economy, but I know things are opening up.”

McDonald’s Rosenwinkel said the Crest Hill restaurant was looking to hire six to 10 part- and full-time workers.

“I think it’s an awesome thing,” Rosenwinkel said of hiring event orchestrated by the company and its almost 14,000 U.S. restaurants. “It will get the economy going and help people out.”

Applicants were given quick on-the-spot interviews Tuesday and were informed they would hear back within a week if they were selected for second interviews, Rosenwinkel said.

During Tuesday’s interviews, Rosenwinkel said he was looking for applicants with high energy, good eye contact and smiles.

Rosenwinkel has been with the company for 30 years. He started working as a cook at a Bolingbrook McDonald’s when he was in high school.

“It’s a good company, very stable,” he said. “And with the economy being the way it is, I still have a job. That’s the thing. Nowadays, if you’re with a company five years, you’re lucky.”

McDonald’s estimates that its one-day hiring event will lead to $518 million more in wages and salaries in the coming year; more than $41.5 million for training; $54 million more in payroll taxes; and $1.4 billion more in annual spending using a statistical multiplier effect for the 50,000 new workers.

“Our national hiring event is an opportunity to invite more people across the country to join our team, and learn that a McJob is one with career growth and endless possibilities,” said Jan Fields, president of McDonald’s USA.