Restaurant chain Poke House is hosting a food workshop which will give career guidance and offer successful candidates a job in just two hours.
Robert Wickenden, UK country manager at Poke House, said a traditional interview process is not always suitable for the hospitality sector.
Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “Hospitality is all about interaction and environment so where better to meet potential new team members than in our stores?
“We hope that by immersing candidates into the brand concept, giving them a hands-on experience of the service and meeting wider members of the Poke House Squad, we will attract people who are eager to be a part of our journey.”
The workshop will allow candidates to network with members of the Poke House UK team including country managers, marketing managers and area managers before learning more about the industry and brand.
Guests will then take part in a food workshop where another employee will teach them how to make a poke bowl and enjoy a free meal.
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All attendees will have a casual interview with members of the Poke House team.
Up to 10 attendees are expected to be offered a job before leaving.
Wickenden said the workshop will allow for a two-way interview process.
He said: “We don’t see any pitfalls in this process and believe that it’s a fantastic way to attract the right candidates. An interview is a two-way affair: we are looking at them, but they are also looking at us.
“This is a great way to show them Poke House and the teams we have created in each store.”
The event is taking place in St Pauls, London, on 20 May and is open to 20 candidates.
Jon Dawson, group director of people development at hospitality company Lore Group, which runs Sea Containers in Southbank and One Hundred Shoreditch, said he has seen the success of similar concepts in hospitality.
Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “I recall how successful this was back in 2013 when we opened the London Edition where we hosted a similar type of introductory session.
“It helped potential hires experience the brands which ultimately delivered strong time-to-hire and retention results.”
“It’s great to see this now filtering into other parts of hospitality to allow potential employees to experience areas they may be interested in working in.”
