The red-haired lexicon of Wendy’s is an American tradition.
Dave Thomas founded his restaurant in Columbus, OH as an alternative to fast food chains in 1969.
He envisioned fast food, with a home-made style.
Another quick-service restaurant chain that is part of the Wendy’s Company is the well-known Arby’s franchise.
The mid-western conglomerate continues to grow and currently operates over 400 company-based restaurants.
There are an additional 5,535 franchised restaurants in the United States And internationally, 1,006 franchised restaurants serve a full menu to eagerly waiting customers.
Located on One Dave Thomas Boulevard, this global powerhouse, its square burgers and signature Frosty are sold in 38 countries.
According to the job site CareerBliss, this sandwich frontrunner rates 3.7 out of 5, based on over 39,000 anonymous employee reviews.
And over half would recommend Wendy’s Company as an inclusive workplace.
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Pros of Working for Wendy’s
As a food service dynamo, opportunities at Wendy’s range from positions in its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, and its manufacturing plant in Tenessee.
There are also more stereotypical positions for individually owned and franchised stores.
So whether you are a line cook or the CEO, there are a lot of Pros of working for Wendy’s.
1. Starting salary
Regardless of position, money is a vital component of daily life.
According to Zippia’s business site, Wendy’s is ranked third highest for crew member hourly pay.
It lists the average employee frontline worker at $12.50 per hour.
Burger newbies start as low as $19,000 with more experienced beefy chili gurus topping out around $36,000.
But most of the franchisees pay at a median rate. Something to note.
Wendy’s is also known to pay employees of different departments, such as marketing or manufacturing and production, a wide range of salaries.
Geography is another factor in Wendy’s payscale, with stores in Washington and Oregon ranking as some of the highest per-hour rates.
2. Team-minded
Wedny’s employees are quick to list strong team building as one of the best reasons for working there.
One-third of surveyed employees, rate Wendy’s as a ‘good place to work.
In fact, the burger giant recognizes that its franchise-based jobs support their community and are open to all with varied experiences and backgrounds.
3. Diversity
With a real-life female icon as its logo, Wendy’s continues the support all genders.
Over 59% are women, including 42% of executive positions.
And ethnically diverse crew members make up 46%.
This inclusive distribution is a determining factor in the fast food giant’s corporate ethos of honesty, quality, and integrity.
4. Global citizenship
With franchises and stores in over 38 countries and 12,500 employees, Wendy’s Company strives for a global approach.
Admittedly, an estimated 92% of the stores are in the United States, but Singles and Frosty’s are also popular in the Caribbean and the Middle East.
And Spanish is the most widely spoken language throughout the company at 77%.
Wendy’s is also known for its founder’s creation of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, which is the primary recipient of the company’s fundraising and donation efforts.
Donations have totaled over $200 million for the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program.
5. A good start
Most look at quick-service positions as the beginning of a career.
On average, employees at Wendy’s remain as crew members for roughly 2.7 years.
Individuals under 18 are open to crew positions.
But after your 18th birthday, you can look forward to occasional raises, bonuses, and promotions.
General managers are drawn from corporate or franchise owners.
But promotion within a store is usually based on your performance, attitude, and work quality.
6. Flexibility
Working at a fast-service restaurant offers schedule flexibility.
And Wendy’s is no different.
Many stores have early morning breakfasts and staff 24-hour drive-thru – accommodating late night shifts.
Working these various shifts adds schedule adaptability.
This is a great option for working parents, a second job, or students.
7. Dynamic Talent
Imagine getting paid to work in a fun and energetic environment that supports learning and personal growth.
Great gig. And the best benefit option is offered – free food.
For managerial and corporate, benefits include the very basics, such as health and dental.
Stock options and investment matching are offered to long-term employees.
Job hunting, even for a temporary or summer job, requires diligence.
It can be challenging.
While Wendy’s may be the perfect part-time position, there are some shortcomings.
So, if you want to join the home of the square burger, it is a good idea to research your options.
Cons of Working for Wendy’s
Wendy’s is an American fast food legend.
But not all work environments are good for all people.
1. High Turnover
Even with a reputation of success, Wendy’s crew members are known to work long hours.
And many consider the conditions highly stressful.
Workers are expected to combine stellar customer service skills, quality food preparation, and a range of unnamed duties.
Unsurprisingly, the turnover of staff at Wendy’s is high.
At the last report, it hovered around a 130% turnover rate.
So, if you prefer a more laid-back atmosphere, then working for eight hours at the Frosty Machine may not be your gig.
2. Little fiefdoms
While Wendy’s is a large corporate conglomerate.
Almost all stores are owned and governed by franchisees.
This dual-styled administration can be rewarding or lead to interpersonal conflict.
On the one hand, the Wendy’s chain pledges transparency and honesty.
However, individual management styles may, from time to time, overshadow corporate creeds.
In these environments, procedures are overruled, and workloads overwhelm.
3. Hard work
Working at Wendy’s, or any fast food franchise, usually happens early in most careers.
Many influencers cite these types of positions as pivotal in learning responsibility and dependability.
But the work is grueling.
And even minor mistakes can anger customers.
And your work-life balance may suffer.
If your outside life is a priority, fast-paced restaurants may not be your preferred industry.
4. Reputation
Wendy’s is known for its catchy phrases and unique food offerings.
Wendy’s most successful slogan was Where’s the Beef?.
This marketing campaign was credited as the proverbial ‘first shot’ and the beginning of the ‘burger wars.‘
The Wendy’s Company is also the burger place that introduced fast-food-styled meaty chili and chicken selections to its full-time carryout menu.
5. Unrelenting pressure
Hard work for minimal pay and varied shifts makes working in the quick-food arena some of the hardest of all entry-level jobs.
And while there are positive benefits, many employees find the pressure and expectations of work create a formidable and exhausting environment.
6. Rules are everywhere
To be successful in a high-paced work environment requires a well-honed process.
Rules are also the foundation of quality control.
And when serving food, quality control is key.
For a multi-national food service corporation, compliance with regulatory agencies is mandatory.
Do ongoing rules make you uncomfortable?
Then working in food service may not be a good career option.
7. A surprising level of security:
Surprisingly, the next big burger idea could catapult a small corner burger hut onto the international restaurant stage.
This could transform a small annual budget into tens of millions of dollars.
So unsurprisingly, even in the food industries, there are recipe spies.
It is an everyday truth that Wendy’s corporate secrets, as well as employees, must be protected.
This Ohio-based company is controlled by sophisticated computer systems that analyze food trends, customer data, and, of course, financial forecasts.
Security is tight.
Protecting the over 32,000 daily customers, employees and information is key.
Consequently, general access to all aspects of the Wendy’s Company far exceeds locked doors or employee badges.
14 Pros and Cons of Working for Wendy’s – Summary Table
| Pros of Working for Wendy's | Cons of Working for Wendy's |
|---|---|
| 1. Starting salary: | 1. High Turnover |
| 2. Team-minded: | 2. Little fiefdoms |
| 3. Diversity: | 3. Hard work |
| 4. Global citizenship: | 4. Reputation |
| 5. A good start: | 5. Unrelenting pressure |
| 6. Flexibility | 6. Rules are everywhere |
| 7. Dynamic Talent | 7. A surprising level of security: |
Should You Work for Wendy’s?
If you’re looking for an established company with name recognition, then Wendy’s is a top choice.
A mid-western mainstay, the hamburger giant has led fast food innovation.
Wendy’s Company trades on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Its ticker symbol is ‘WEN.’.
And in the last estimate, the comestibles conglomerate was valued at over $8.3 billion.
An established concern, the annual revenue increase reached record highs – a whopping 37.5% last year.
But as positive as it sounds, Wendy’s may not be the perfect career choice.
It’s a large company with more than a few corporate issues.
A little research may be necessary to unravel the details of the global culture, its work tactics, and its core values.
Try a few online searches.
You can check company pages and job reviews on CareerBliss or Monster.
This will give you an idea of overall employee satisfaction.
These sites are also a good source of employee opinions and pay scales.
