McDonald's chooses resident blogger for company intranet
November 11, 2008
OAK BROOK, Ill. — McDonald's has announced that Amanda Wilson, a McDonald's manager in Canada, has been voted as the resident blogger on StationM, McDonald's online crew community.
StationM allows crew across North America to comment and rate each post on the site's blog, upload pictures on the photo wall and have easy access to news and information about McDonald's. The network has more than 13,000 registered users posting on the multilingual (English, French and Spanish) platform.
"StationM offers a forum for crew to share their views and communicate with each other in a way that is relevant to them," said George Hradecky, StationM Program Manager. "Through the site, we're also able to gather important feedback — on such topics as training and career development, incentive programs and benefits — to gain insight on their needs, which helps us become more responsive as a company."
Wilson was recently selected by the company's restaurant employees through an online vote to be the site's resident blogger for the year. As one of its most active members since its launch, the 20-year-old from Okotoks, Alberta, Canada, garnered the most support among her peers after submitting a video entry highlighting why she felt compelled to serve as moderator for this unique social network.
While she will remain a restaurant manager, her new role includes sharing news about the McDonald's system, celebrating the achievements of restaurant staff, fielding questions related to different departments and functions within the company, sharing best practices with regards to customer service and soliciting crew input to foster a new level of engagement and strengthen the sense of community among employees.
Wilson recently returned from training for her new role at the McDonald's home office in Oak Brook, Ill. During her visit, Wilson was given a tour of McDonald's test kitchen, where she learned about ingredients, flavors and the process of creating menu items from concept to marketplace. She also toured McDonald's Innovation Center, where she learned how menu items are tested and deployed throughout McDonald's restaurants worldwide, and she was given insight on some of the new technology and equipment McDonald's is looking at to further operational efficiencies.
One of Wilson's first assignments is to interview McDonald's restaurant manager and mother of three, Crystal Hanson, who joined the company's Moms' Quality Correspondents program, a group of everyday moms who go behind the scenes to learn more about McDonald's menu items and share what they learn onwww.mcdonaldsmoms.com.