McDonald’s hopes grandparents will serve up your burgers and fries this summer

Ahead of a push to hire about 250,000 employees for the summer months, McDonald’s has partnered with the AARP in hopes of connecting with a “growing, yet underutilized workforce.”

The fast-food corporation hopes this partnership with the nonprofit interest group for people over 50 will help the independent franchisees hire and maintain “an age diverse workforce,” according to a McDonald’s news release.

“McDonald’s (MCD) hopes that the new recruitment tactic will attract workers for breakfast and lunch shifts, in particular,” CNN reported. “Now, McDonald’s tends to attract younger workers who either can’t work mornings because of school, or prefer not to start early in the day. Hiring older workers is also a way to attract talent as US unemployment, now at 3.8%, hovers near all-time lows.”

The AARP and AARP Foundation will help connect older people to McDonald’s jobs ranging from “morning to management roles,” according to the release.

These are “positions that older workers are especially well suited for because of their so-called ‘soft’ skills, McDonald’s and AARP say,” according to USA Today. Those skills include interacting with customers and being timely.

“For the first time ever, five generations are now working together under the Arches. Together with our franchisees we have a responsibility to each generation to provide opportunity, flexibility and resources for wherever they are on their career journey,” McDonald’s U.S. Chief People Officer Melissa Kersey said in the release.

“Thanks, in part, to our new collaboration with AARP and AARP Foundation we’re looking to position McDonald’s as a place where people at every stage of working life can see themselves grow and thrive while bringing stability and a different perspective that everyone can learn from,” she continued.

These jobs will be featured on AARP’s job board, “which only includes employers who are committed to an age-diverse workforce and looking for experienced talent,” according to the news release.

The partnership also includes a pilot program that ensures job candidates are a good match for the open positions.

“This process will help McDonald’s and its independent franchisees, who opt into the program, hire a multi-generational workforce for their restaurants allowing older Americans access to the educational and career benefits available to McDonald’s employees as they re-enter the workforce,” the release states.

This program is starting in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and North Carolina — but will be nationwide later this summer.

This story was originally published April 30, 2019 at 1:51 PM.