Get off the bench to get a job

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A well-drafted resume, crisp formal outfit and impeccable confidence are the usual requirements for a job interview. But companies are throwing away the hiring rule book to incorporate challenging tasks that may make the process easy for the more adventurous, but a little difficult for the go-by-the-rules guy.

When Heineken, a leading premium beer brand, needed an intern for its event and sponsorship marketing team, they decided to do things differently. They drew up a shortlist of interviewees and invited the young hopefuls to Amsterdam to see what they were really made of — while secretly filming the process. The result — a behind-the-scenes video demonstrating the resourcefulness of young job-seekers as they were forced to respond to extraordinary circumstances — reviving the boss as he ‘blacks-out’ during the interview; and helping rescue a stranded employee from the roof after a ‘fire-alert’.
Cyril Charzat, global brand director at Heineken, believes the process helped them filter the best candidates. “The winner demonstrated the qualities we value at our company — creativity, spontaneity and passion. We want to encourage young adults to get out of their comfort zone, and through innovation of thought and skill, they can experience success.”
Even luxury car brand Rolls Royce decided to shake things up a bit when they offered youngsters between the ages of 16 and 24 an opportunity to work with them — provided they pass a gruelling four-year apprenticeship. Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, says, “It demonstrates our commitment to the development and training of young people in the manufacturing industry.”
While the trend is fast picking up internationally, it will be a while before it makes an impression on home turf, believes Mr Sunil Dutt, VP HR at Wadhwa Group. “Things are changing in India too, but at a slower pace. Firstly it needs to add value to the recruitment process and offer something that a regular Q&A cannot do. But for starters, a resume does not hold much importance as it used to. With professional CV writers minting money in the market, it is no longer a true representation of the individual,” he says.