Illinois McDonald's Location Entices Job Applicants With New iPhone

McDonald’s found a new way to entice job applicants.

Now, new employees can get a free iPhone if they work for fast food chain for six months and “meet employment criteria,” a sign in the window of a McDonald’s in Illinois reads.

The sign went viral on Twitter since it was shared on Saturday (May 22). It’s garnered more than 31,000 retweets, more than 4,400 quote tweets and more than 226,000 likes as of Wednesday afternoon (May 26).

McDonald’s confirmed to the New York Post that the restaurant offering the deal is located in Altamont, Illinois. A spokesperson told the publication that “franchisees around the country are offering various incentives around hiring but this is not a corporate backed initiative."

The New York Post also noted that the now-viral incentive comes at a time that many restaurants and businesses are scrambling to hire enough workers. Particularly, as summer approaches and pandemic restrictions lift.

That leads many employers to come up with new ways to attract people to apply for jobs — McDonald's is far from alone (though other companies aren't necessarily offering iPhones).

One restaurant in San Diego, for example, pledged a $200 hiring bonus after two months of working there.

A Texas trucking company will offer $14,000 a week — $56,000 a month — to attract new employees.

Photo: Getty Images