Scaling AI Recruiting at McDonald’s

“McHire wasn’t just a launch—it was a shift in how hiring happens at scale. Even in high-turnover environments, we proved that empathy and clarity can lead the way—and that AI, when done right, empowers human decisions.” “Where McHire came to life—between project calls, kid drop-offs, and late-night testing sessions. Real innovation doesn’t always happen on whiteboards. Sometimes, it happens at a desk covered in Happy Meal toys and heart.”

- Damara Carlentine

Case Study

  • McDonald’s, one of the world’s largest employers, was struggling with high-volume hourly hiring that overwhelmed restaurant managers and created inconsistent candidate experiences. Hiring managers had no centralized tool to manage candidate communication, interview scheduling, or screening. The process was fragmented and time-consuming, leading to long time-to-hire, lost candidates, and operational friction.

  • As the Product Lead, in my first 90 days, I used the Listen - Strategize - Execute framework to launch McHire - a fully customized, AI-powered recruiting platform built specifically from the ground up in partnership with Paradox.

    • 60% improvement in time-to-hire

    • Significant reduction in workload via automation

    • Full rollout to nationwide franchise network

    • Boosted McDonald’s employer brand perception

    • Referenced globally as a best-in-class HR tech transformation

    • Learn how to build trust with stakeholders and teams

    • Learn how to define the right problem before the wrong MVP

    • Learn how to execute, measure, and reflect without losing your team’s soul

    • Learn why empathy isn’t soft—it’s strategy