Speed dating move over, it's time for the speed interview

© Ion Chiosea – 123RF.com

Lulaway CEO Jake Willis says Lulaway and three other employers gathered to speed interview 227 potential candidates for jobs. “This type of interview process was experimental for everyone involved, but has worked really well and 129 people walked off with jobs on the day.”

Lulaway organised the pioneering event to facilitate placements at host employers in the most efficient way possible.

Why speed interviewing?

Willis says speed interviewing and the concepts supporting it emanate directly from the social phenomenon known as speed dating. “Speed dating is a modern-day dating process that helps singles rapidly screen several potential dates. Similarly, speed interviewing is a fast-paced event, where hiring managers can meet multiple candidates in a short period of time.”

Speed interviewing originated so employers could meet and screen candidates without investing the huge amount of time and personnel resources that is usually involved in the traditional interview process. While speed interviewing is becoming increasingly popular in developed countries, the model has not been widely adopted in South Africa yet.

Willis says speed interviewing has the potential to remove one of the most unsolvable and crippling socio-economic barriers facing South African work-seekers. “Speed interviewing offers a simple way to eliminate obstacles as it brings several candidates and employers to one place.”

“The process has the potential to create much-needed efficiencies in the entry-level labour market on both the supply and demand side. Normally, we’d face huge challenges to get people to one interview. They certainly cannot afford to go to four interviews. This means we must send them to various employers at enormous cost, while trying to balance the scheduling requirements of employers and work-seekers.

“While speed interviewing normally involves one employer with multiple work-seekers, we have taken it a step further and invited three employers in the same industry to the same event. This is to limit the travel costs for the work-seeker to the bare minimum,” continues Willis.

Willis believes speed interviewing can play an instrumental role in removing one of the greatest barriers to sustainable economic inclusion. “We hope to see this model becoming a standard methodology in the local entry-level recruitment environment. It takes into consideration the economic limitations of work-seekers and creates a win/win solution for all parties.”