Candidate Resource Hub

KFC The Colonel restaurent

In recent times we have all been challenged in a way that many of us have never experienced.

At KFC, we’re continuing to hire with a blend of virtual and in-person interviewing and on-boarding.

KFC Reception desk

Our Blended Interview Process

Throughout the entire hiring process, you’ll work with the same Talent Acquisition Specialist. Our TA Specialists are available to field any questions or concerns you might have—including accessibility needs. We will work to ensure you have precisely what is needed throughout your interview process.

Our interview process consists of four stages. We've outlined these below.

Read some tips for remote interviewing

01

Our First Call

The first stage of our interviewing process is an introductory call with a TA Specialist. We’ll use this time to learn more about your experience, share more information about the role, and leave time to answer questions about the company, the team, and the role.

02

Meeting The Hiring Manager

Next, you'll virtually meet with your hiring manager through Microsoft Teams. The hiring manager will use this time to share a bit of themselves and their background and give you an opportunity to take them through the experiences and achievements on your CV. We always love to hear about your interests outside of work, and you’ll find our hiring managers are always keen to talk about theirs.

03

The Restaurant Support Centre Experience

The Restaurant Support Centre, our corporate head office, is based on the Northern Beaches in Sydney. If you get through to the final round of interviews with KFC, you’ll be invited (if you live in Sydney), for an in-person interview with the department lead and you will have an opportunity to meet with the hiring manager and a member of the team for a coffee. We’ll show you around the place so you get a feel for our office and if you’re lucky, the Test Kitchen might have some delicious chicken you can try!

04

Feedback

After successfully completing the interview process, your interviewers will consolidate feedback, and if there's a good fit between your skills and experiences with the open role we will extend an offer. You will receive a call from your TA Specialist with feedback regardless of the outcome of your application.

Our Heart-Led Culture And How We Recruit

At KFC, we all have the ability to lead in our roles, whether we manage a team or not. Our intent is to lead through courage and humility and supporting and developing others. These values stand in contrast to winning at all costs and letting fear hold us back from being our best selves.

KFC team at an ceremony

When we hire, we seek people whose intent aligns with leading with humility and love. We believe in and seek in candidates a focus on personal growth through authenticity; transforming through continual learning and development; being reliable and dependable; and achieving with a focus on excellence not perfection. We also look for those who believe in bringing those around them on this growth journey. At KFC we do this through relating to others on a deeper level; a genuine encouragement of others; developing others through coaching and feedback; and a compassion and understanding for others.

Pre-Boarding And Onboarding

If you have been successful in your application, the next step in the process is pre-boarding followed by on-boarding.

As soon as your offer is accepted, the People & Culture team steps in to help guide you through the necessary steps leading up to your first day. A few days prior to your start date, your line manager will give you a call to confirm details of your first day and share with you a copy of your day one agenda.

pictures of new employees at KFC during their pre-boarding and onboarding

Day 1 - Onboarding

Day one at KFC starts with an on-boarding session with someone in our awesome IT Support Team to ensure you have the hardware and login details you need to set you up for success. Once your tech is set up, we’ll point you to all the paperwork you need to complete, and you’ll meet some key people in the business to familiarise yourself with some of our people processes and systems. You’ll get a chance to meet your team over a lunch at the Restaurant Support Centre, or a virtual lunch if you’re working remotely. 

Day 2 - Restaurant Training

Every new starter at the Restaurant Support Centre will complete Restaurant training. The time you spend in Restaurant is dependent on your new role but will usually be between 1-2 weeks (our senior leaders spend 6 weeks in Restaurant and by the end of their time, they are certified to lead a shift!).

You will receive an official Team Member uniform and learn everything from front of house, which includes serving customers and packing orders to back of house, which includes cooking our famous chicken and Drive Thru if available at your Restaurant. You will spend time with the Restaurant General Manager to understand what goes into their role, and get an appreciation for the fun, but often challenging, environment of our Restaurants.

Beyond Restaurant Training

Now that you have an appreciation for our Restaurants, handover and on-boarding into your role begins, either at the Restaurant Support Centre or virtually through Microsoft Teams. You will meet your key stakeholders across the business, get up to speed on the projects and business strategies you’ll be involved in, and you’ll meet our agency partners, suppliers and franchisees as appropriate for your role. You will continue to be on-boarded through the KFC Building People Capability Cycle and the culture and ways of working at KFC.

Working From Home

After your on-boarding, you're off and running with plenty of people and resources to support you along the way. Our people have the choice to work from our Restaurant Support Centre or home.

At KFC, we are committed to meaningfully preserving flexibility in our future of work. Every decision we make will be grounded in creating a more engaging, inclusive, inspiring and meaningful workplace for all.

We’re committed to operating in a flexible and hybrid work environment that gives the flexibility to work remotely while leveraging time in the corporate Restaurant Support Centre for creating, collaborating, celebrating and building community.

Tips For Remote Interviewing

KFC branding and decoration on their van

Here are some tips for interviewing at KFC:

  • Download Microsoft Teams to your desktop and join a few minutes early to test your video and sound
  • Find a quiet location where you won’t be interrupted, with a good internet connection
  • Do some research to get a good feel for our company, values, and culture
  • Come prepared with some examples to share from your past achievements and experience
  • Familiarise yourself with behavioural interviewing and the STAR response method
  • Jot down some questions you’d like to ask to get a feel for our culture and the scope of the role you’re interviewing for, after all, an interview is a 2-way street! We want to find the best person for our open roles, but it’s equally vital that it’s the right career move for you
  • Use a computer or laptop, rather than your phone. However, if you must use your phone, prop it up against something so the interviewer can see you fully without the picture moving around. We’d rather see your whole face than just your eyebrows!
  • Use headphones, if you’ve got some, to minimise any background noise