McDonalds

Welcome Game
Case Study

Friendly
AMAZING
Simple
Happy

Enjoyable
EXCITING
Interesting FUN WELCOMING
Brilliant
The Challenge
Within the UK McDonalds employs over 110,000 people across 1,250
restaurants. Over 50% of new hires are under 21 years of age and this may
be their first job.

McDonalds believes that new starters must feel valued, confident and engaged
right from the start. Its vital that a new hires first experience equips them with the
knowledge, confidence and enthusiasm to stay with McDonalds as an effective
employee.

A vital element of the onboarding process is the Welcome Meeting, where groups
of new hires are introduced to McDonalds by a People Manager. Previously the
meeting had had a strong focus on policies and procedures, however, it was felt
that this emphasis needed to shift to creating great customer experiences.

McDonalds wanted this meeting be to learner-led, engaging, effective and

easy to deliver. They wanted participants to discuss new ideas and concepts
rather than being lectured to. But how do you do this across 1,250 locations?

What We Did
McDonalds asked Focus Games Ltd
to develop The Welcome Game, a
board game designed to catalyse
learner-led discussions about key
customer experience and customer
service issues.

The Welcome Game sits within

a programme of online, face-to-
face and on-the-job activities. This
allows the programme to address
different learning styles and appeal
to all audiences. It takes a building
block approach to learning, with each
element reinforcing and expanding on
the last. This ensures that new starters
are not bombarded with information
and therefore find it easier to process
and retain.

The game gives new starters the warm welcome that theyre
expected to offer McDonalds customers. It encourages them
to let their personalities shine, have fun and make it special
for others which are the vital ingredients for creating great
customer experiences.
 Results
96%
Feel confident
How would you rate the Welcome Meeting activity [board game]?
interacting with 77% good or excellent
customers

35%
Increase in the number of
How did you feel when you played the Game?

67% felt excited and enthusiastic

new starters who feel
prepared for their first
shift How well do you think the updated Crew Welcome
Programme helps new starters to understand their role
in creating a great customer experience compared to the
previous programme?

84% They have a much better understanding

Testimoni Comments
als
I like the questions on the board game
A great welcome helps new employees to feel Much more relevant information added
valued, supported and connected to the business. Very interactive and a good ice breaker
It also sets their expectations and prepares them
Gets new starters interacting with each other
for their new role. rather than switching off

The Welcome Game is a key resource helping to New crew love getting involved and helps
them open up too
make this happen at McDonalds. The game is
engaging, informative and Not expecting a board game so they seem
facilitates communication, pleasantly surprised
which in turn helps to I couldn Its fun to do, it
t wait t Was ver
start wo o y breaks the ice and
improve confidence, rk after interact
competence and playing ive and its informative
. made m
commitment of employees e feel
part of
a team.
from their very first shift.
Positive
Lovely
Importantly, its fun
experience, set
and this puts new arn
the atmosphere Fun way to le
employees at ease give
of working at about how to
and sets the tone ence
McDonald's. a good experi
for what they can to customers
.
expect from
their job at
McDonalds. Even th
ou g h I w I got told everything I
nervous as
I could needed to know and was
stop sm n ot
- McDonalds iling. prepared and confident for
Restaurants Ltd my first shift.
Why Board Games?
If you want to improve frontline performance you must persuade people to think and behave differently.

When were young, we learn by

playing. Its natural. But when we get
older, we learn by sitting in a room
staring at a screen or a book. Why
did that seem like a good idea?

So, what if we could make games

that help adults learn serious
subjects in a naturally more
engaging way? Well, weve been
doing just that since 2004.

We create interactive board

games that deliver an engaging
and effective face-to-face
learning experience. Our
games are easy to play, yet
sophisticated. They change
thinking and behaviour in a way
weve been hardwired to understand
since childhood.

Our games improve frontline performance

by giving staff the knowledge, skills and
confidence to change the way they work.

We create bespoke games that are 100% relevant to

your organisation. Each bespoke game delivers the same messages and stimulates the same
discussions across your organisation. Because games manage themselves you dont always need
specialist trainers or facilitators to run sessions. Everything you need for a group session is in the
box. Games work as standalone activities or can be woven into workshops and blended learning
programmes.

About Focus Games Ltd

Weve been creating bespoke serious games since 2004. Weve developed
over 40 different board games, and online games, that are played by many
thousands of people in companies, hospitals, schools and universities across
the world.

www.focusgames.com @FocusGames
The White Studios | Templeton Business Centre | Glasgow | G40 1DA | [email protected] | 0141 554 5476