Hoofddorp, 27 March 2018 - Starting May 1, Dutch recruitment agency YoungCapital will offer candidates an alcoholic beverage or a joint in order to calm their nerves during job interviews. YoungCapital hopes that this measure will make the candidates feel more at ease and bring out the best in them. “If this is what the candidates want, we’ll make it happen,” says Hugo de Koning, founder of YoungCapital.

Candidates who apply at Dutch recruitment agency YoungCapital are often very young. For many of them, this will probably be their first ever job interview. As a result, they’re usually very nervous. “Youngsters often put an enormous pressure on themselves,” De Koning explains. “They’re afraid to disappoint themselves and others around them. They need to perform well. But this usually means they simply shut down completely.”

This year, YoungCapital enlisted the help of a youth panel to try and find a solution for this ‘nerve problem’. The brainstorm showed that applicants liked the idea of a shot of alcohol or a joint. “At first, we were very hesitant,” says De Koning. “We didn’t want people applying while under the influence.” YoungCapital held a poll among their entire database of 2,7 million candidates: ‘What helps you to relax during a job interview? Listen to music, yoga exercises or alcohol?’ More than 200,000 candidates voted. A large majority of them chose an alcoholic beverage or a joint.

A short testing period revealed that candidates were indeed more relaxed. Especially after 0,3 grams of marijuana. Recruiter Joëlle Valk explains: “It surprised me how positive these youngsters were about our idea. I was skeptical at first, but after a few test interviews, I was absolutely convinced. The conversations were more natural. Candidates are obviously not wasted after just one shot. But they are more relaxed.”

As soon as YoungCapital receives their liquor license, the project, called ‘One Shot’, will go live. This will probably be on May 1. After that, candidates can take a shot of alcohol or smoke a joint. As long as they show their ID first, of course. De Koning: “We move with the times. As a candidate you only have one shot to make a good impression. And we would like to help them achieve this.”

Read in Dutch