McDonald's UK & Ireland CEO Interns, New Menu & British Food

Note: For transparency, McDonald’s have previously sponsored Jimmy’s Jobs and have been strong supporters of the show. What’s really going on inside McDonald’s? Jimmy sits down with the new UK & Ireland CEO, Lauren Schultz, inside McDonald’s HQ — with a live restaurant running behind them — to break down how one of the world’s biggest brands actually operates. They cover: The real reason McDonald’s keeps changing the menu Why UK restaurants are the busiest in the world What it’s actually like working there And why they’re now hiring thousands of young people Lauren also explains the Youth Confidence Index, why Gen Z are misunderstood at work, and how McDonald’s is trying to solve the “first job” crisis with paid work placements. Plus: menu experiments, AI vs creativity, and what it takes to run a £6M restaurant. 00:00 Intro: Inside McDonald’s HQ 01:01 The Daily Rush (Breakfast → Late Night) 02:18 First Months as CEO 03:56 The First 90 Days Playbook 05:27 Reinventing a 50-Year Brand 06:43 Why the Menu Keeps Changing 08:41 How McDonald’s Tests New Ideas 10:52 The Youth Confidence Crisis 13:52 Inside the Paid Work Experience Scheme 17:16 How Tech Is Changing Jobs 21:04 Creating “Magic Moments” in Restaurants 23:06 How Much Freedom Franchisees Really Have 24:12 Why McDonald’s Service Feels Different 24:35 What They Look for When Hiring (3 C’s) 26:22 Creativity vs AI 27:58 How She Got Into Marketing 30:33 The Happy Meal Turnaround 31:19 Why the First Job Matters So Much 34:39 Expanding the Work Experience Programme 36:01 Raising Kids With Work Ethic 39:43 British Food Taste Test 43:08 Pub Culture & Final Thoughts **********

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McDonald's UK & Ireland CEO Interns, New Menu & British Food is an episode from Jimmy's Jobs of the Future by Boxlight Creative Studio.

This episode is 46:48 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2026.

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