Best Practices in Talent Management: How the World's Leading Corporations Manage, Develop, and Retain Top Talent

CONTEXT FOR GLOBAL TALENT MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES

The Need for Change

For most of its fifty-four years of existence, McDonald’s has been quite successful growing its business while utilizing a decentralized approach to managing its global workforce. As the size, complexity, and global character of the business have continued to grow (to more than thirty-thousand restaurants in 118 countries serving fifty-five million customers per day), however, it became increasingly apparent that sustained success requires the development of more consistent and disciplined approaches to talent management and development. In response to this recognized need, McDonald’s has taken a number of steps, starting in 2001, that have enhanced its capabilities for ...