Alberto de Unzurrunzaga, Director of Human Resources at McDonald’s Spain, recently joined McDonald’s franchisor Justo Aznar to discuss some facts about the fast-food chain. “We do serve our food fast, but how fast you eat it is up to you,” they said in defense of the world’s most popular restaurant chain. McDonald’s was founded by Ray Kroc in California in 1955. The franchise now boasts over 36,000 establishments in 119 countries. “We didn’t invent the idea of the franchise, but we were the ones who made it global: we grow thanks to partners who bring in their own capital,” they explained to students enrolled in the Master’s Degree Program in Personnel Management for Organizations.

McDonald’s currently employs 1.9 million people, 25,000 of whom work in Spain’s 500 restaurants. “Globally, we serve 70 million people in our 36,000 restaurants every day,” Unzurrunzaga said.

He believes that the key to the franchise’s success is no secret. “It’s quality, speed. And good value for the money.” Besides providing information, Unzurrunzaga also took the opportunity to dispel a few myths. He said, “Seventy-five percent of our suppliers are Spanish, and we buy from 30,000 farms, not from just one megaproducer. The meat we sell in Spain is 100% Spanish.”

McDonald’s is the world’s fourth best-known brand and the best-known restaurant. “Eighty percent of the negative news stories that affect our reputation come from outside the company. Only 20% stem from internal problems,” Unzurrunzaga asserted.

Another hallmark of the chain’s business strategy is the stress it places on professional development. “We hire minimally qualified people and they eventually become managers of small and medium-sized businesses,” Unzurrunzaga said. “Our restaurants have an average of 45 to 50 employees and annual revenue of about two million euros.” In fact, the business’s success is based on developing otherwise under-qualified employees. “But we’re a multinational company, so a certain level of English is necessary. And that’s still a problem here in Spain,” he said.

The greatest obstacle to McDonald’s expansion in Spain is the lack of market unity. “We have 52 collective agreements and eight different pay grades,” Unzurrunzaga said. “The salary in Gipuzkoa and Navarre is about twice what it is in Albacete.” Ninety-two percent of employees are on indefinite contracts, and 80% work part-time, since 60% of our sales occur on the weekend. “We’re very flexible. We mainly hire students and homemakers looking for part-time work. The problem isn’t working just a few hours. It’s being able to work as many hours as you want,” Unzurrunzaga said.

Justo Aznar: A Franchisor’s Story

Justo Aznar, a McDonald’s franchisor and owner of two restaurants, gave the master’s students an overview of the day-to-day management of his establishments. He also discussed the shift he made in his personal life in his mid-thirties so he could spend more time with his loved ones. “I knew that my first priority had to be my family,” he said. “Family is the most important business of all.” “Being a McDonald’s franchisor isn’t just about having economic resources. It requires extensive knowledge of the company at every level. That’s why you have to go through thorough training before you can open a franchise,” he explained. “We are what we believe,” he said, paraphrasing Wayne Dyer.

He urged the students to be tenacious by saying, “The success of a business venture can depend somewhat on chance or luck, but it’s basically achieved with the support of a human team. A business’s greatest asset is its people. That’s why McDonald’s does more than just seek financial success. It creates prosperity and jobs wherever it goes and has made a corporate commitment to give something back to society for all the contributions from the customers who buy our products.” Aznar himself lives out this commitment by acting as Vice President of the Valencia Ronald McDonald House, which provides help to the needy.