Innovative Recruiting Strategies Include Inviting Family Members to Interviews

With the ongoing difficulties that many organizations are facing in candidate attraction and hiring in the wake of the “Great Resignation”, some recruitment leaders are exploring some innovative recruiting methods and “out of the box” strategies to give them an edge in the competition for the best talent. 

One interesting, and I think unique, example of one such a strategy is being explored at Mars Wrigley Company.  Mars Wrigley is a large, privately held company and is the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolate, chewing gum, mints, and fruity confections. Mars Wrigley employs approximately 30,000 Associates globally and has operations in approximately 70 countries. 

At Mars Wrigley Australia, recruitment leaders have implemented a practice they call a ‘Loved One Interview’, a step in the recruitment process that will give prospective employees the option to bring their loved ones into the interview process to ensure the company is the right fit for them as an employer.  

Mars Wrigley looked at data showing that 74 per cent of working adults said they rely on their partner/spouse’s opinion when deciding to move jobs. Additionally, “softer” aspects of fit for a job/employer like company culture and work/life balance are more important for candidates than in the past, and the thought is that about these considerations and factors where candidates lean on family and loved ones to consider. 

The ‘Loved One Interview’ is conducted as a virtual interview – and candidates are asked whether they or their family members/loved ones have any questions for Mars Wrigley interviewers regarding the kind of support for flexibility the company provides and if the candidates are looking for specific answers on that front. Mars Wrigley says that the information provided in the Loved One Interview will not impact the success or rejection of the application but is designed to ensure candidates feel confident that Mars Wrigley is the right fit for them. 

For the company, they hope that this extra step in the hiring process will showcase that ‘family values’ are important to the organization in every sense, for all types of families and circumstances. 

A spokesperson for Mars Wrigley commented that “We want to provide employment opportunities that are fulfilling, yet flexible and aligned with the personal lives of each of our Associates – by opening up the interview process to loved ones we’re ensuring candidates have all the information they need when embarking on the next chapter of their career and life.” 

It is a very interesting approach, and we will follow the story to see what impact it has for Mars Wrigley Australia recruitment and employee success.

You can listen to the audio version of this story on the Workplace Minute show, please visit hrhappyhour.net.