As we all know, hiring is a strategic process, mostly held in a formal and serious environment to evaluate the potential of a candidate. But Yum! Brand’s Taco Bell is changing the whole game by bringing in some innovative hiring strategies this summer in the US. Taco Bell is planning to throw ‘hiring parties’ at their 600 company-owned outlets in different parts of the US. Well, we have all heard of job fairs, but parties for hiring? That is definitely a first.
At these hiring parties, prospective candidates can enjoy free meals, games and photo props with on-the-spot interviews. The candidates will also be able to interact with employees already working at Taco Bell. The only thing that they need to bring with them is a learning attitude.
This is not the first time Taco Bell is throwing such parties. To test the waters, the Company organised such events at four locations in the state of Indiana last summer. Almost 75 people attended the parties, out of which 40 people were hired by Taco Bell. Encouraged by the great response, the Company has now decided to organise such parties on a large scale between 22 and 27 April.
Rajendra Mehta
“Such hiring strategies may work at the entry level or for freshers, but may not work for experienced candidates”
This strategy can prove to be a great weapon to hire people in large numbers and also enhance employee experience. The hiring parties demonstrate the culture of the Company to the candidates.
As of now, Yum! Brands has only started this initiative in the US, but looking at the response that it got last year, it may turn out to be a great hiring strategy to control the turnover rates and conduct large-scale hiring.
Will this formula work in India, where hiring people is not such a big deal, given that so many are out there looking for jobs? Or will the Indian audience get attracted by such hiring techniques?
According to Rajendra Mehta, chief people officer, DHFL, hiring is a very strategic thing. It needs a formal environment to understand the attributes and behaviour of a candidate.
“Such hiring strategies may work at the entry level or for freshers, but may not work for experienced candidates,” says Mehta. He also points out that it may be still fine for people who will be looking for their first job, but for those who are already employed, it will raise a serious issue if their current managers come to know that they are attending such parties.
“But it may vary from sector to sector. In my industry, people will not even bother to go and attend such parties,” shares Mehta.
Biplob Banerjee
“I think this is a very well-thought-out initiative and Indian companies can also try the same. It will allow the candidates to experience fun at hiring”
But giving a totally different perspective, Biplob Banerjee, chief people officer, Allied Blenders and Distillers, who previously worked with Jubilant Foodworks says that such parties will create a lighter mood, which will help the candidates show their real selves with no filters.
“I think this is a very well-thought-out initiative and Indian companies can also try the same. It will allow the candidates to experience fun at hiring,” says Banerjee. In India, generally fast- food companies try to attract talent by differentiating their policies from others. Minimum wages, compensation, growth path and global exposure are some of the common formulae that fast-food companies use. For instance, Starbucks was the first company to roll out the five-day work policy, which was something unique and attractive then. According to Banerjee, this will allow the Company to not only show its culture to the candidate, but also create a unique candidate experience.
‘Not just for frontliners, the hiring party initiative can also work for managerial positions in India,” mentions Banerjee.
He also feels that companies, such as Zomato and Swiggy have disrupted the hiring techniques by introducing technology. “People can upload their documents and get relevant information about the job and enrol in teams. So, we need to bring such ideas to the table to create an impact,” explains Banerjee.
Indian companies can also get inspired by Taco Bell’s unique hiring formula and come up with innovative ways for large-scale hiring. Not only will these create a buzz about how innovative the company is but convey how much fun it would be to work with such companies.
A mass communication graduate Kartikay is a quick learner. A fresh bake, yet a prolific writer, he is always keen to learn and discover new things. He is an easy going gallivanted and just likes to chill out when he is not chasing news. He loves watching movies as well.
