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When Hungry Jack’s invited us to join their “Work a Shift” initiative — an annual program where head office staff and suppliers step into a real restaurant role for a day — we said yes without hesitation.
Not just because it sounded fun (it was). But because it’s exactly the kind of thing more organisations should be doing.
Ivan and I spent the day shoulder to shoulder with crew members, learning firsthand what it takes to make Hungry Jack’s tick. From operations to customer service, from prep to pressure, it was non-stop — and we walked away with sore feet and a new level of respect.
Here’s what stood out.
QSR is no joke.
This is a tough industry. The pace is fast, the expectations are high, and there’s nowhere to hide. The best crew members have grit, speed, and a commitment to doing things properly — even when it’s the middle of a lunch rush and orders are flying in.
What makes it work? Two things stood out:
Leadership and teamwork.
Leadership on the floor is constant.
There’s real decision-making going on every minute — prioritising orders, managing staff, training new team members, keeping standards high. The pathway from team member to manager is clear at HJs, and it’s built on real capability.
It reminded us that strong leadership in this environment isn’t about titles. It’s about trust, timing, and teaching on the fly.
Teamwork is everything.
Your shift experience hinges on who’s on it with you. A good team makes the day fly. A poor one? You feel every minute. We saw incredible examples of support, banter, and shared focus that made the toughest moments feel doable.
Culture doesn’t sit in a strategy document — it lives in those real-time moments between people.
And this is why research matters.
When you’re building an EVP — especially in an environment as dynamic as QSR — it’s not enough to guess what matters to your people. You have to ask, listen, and see it for yourself.
At Exsona, our research approach blends deep listening with lived experience. We want to know:
- Why do people choose to work here?
- What makes them stay?
- What lights them up — and what drains them?
You can’t build a meaningful EVP without answers to those questions. And sometimes, the best way to find them is to suit up and jump in.
Ivan and I had an awesome time. We got stuck in, asked a million questions, and gained a truckload of insights. We saw the pride, the pressure, the systems, the soft skills — all in action.
And it’s already shaping how we think about the EVP we’re developing for Hungry Jack’s.
Big thanks to the crew, the managers, and the customers who kept the orders coming. We’ll be back. And next time… we might even be faster on the fry station.
