How Dan Murphy’s embraced on-the-spot interviews and advice on how you can adapt the initiative for your organisation. 

How long should a candidate dedicate to the interview process? If they were applying for a Christmas Casual position at Dan Murphy’s during hiring week, the answer is ten minutes (give or take travel time).  

Between September 5-12, Dan Murphy’s invited candidates over the age of eighteen to come into the store for a ten minute interview with the store’s manager. Its aim was to fill 2200 positions in its 258 stores. 

Dan Murphy’s isn’t the only brand embracing the quick interview. Earlier this year, Fashion retailer Decjuba held a one-day hiring event where candidates could participate in a three-minute interview, no resume required. Other brands arranging on-the-spot interviews include Lorna Jane, Bonds Strandbags, Nandos and Starbucks – to name a few. 

While Dan Murphy’s didn’t reach its hiring target, the team gleaned useful learnings about removing bureaucracy from the hiring process. 

HRM spoke to Siobhan Pelc, Dan Murphy’s General Manager of People, about her learnings and advice from the quick interviews. 

Why the quick interview? 

HR leaders are well-acquainted with labour shortages, especially those working those in retail and hospitality. 

Inviting potential candidates to take part in an on-the-spot interview removes some of that unintentional bureaucracy that comes with recruitment by speeding up the process and removing time spent reviewing and waiting on both sides. 

And time has never been more of the essence. 

“It’s an applicant’s market,” says Pelc. “[On-the-spot interviews ] remove the need for candidates to apply online and have to wait to hear back from us.

“This has huge appeal for candidates who are looking for work now.”     

Pelc says Dan Murphy’s saw a significant uptick in the number of applicants thanks to the initiative. 

“We had stores that had been looking for team members for months without success,” she says. “After Hiring Week, they were able to find many new team members.” 

In fact, thanks to the ease of applying, some stores had queues of candidates waiting to interview before opening hours, she says. 

What can you ask in ten minutes? 

It might seem somewhat mind-boggling to hire someone within ten minutes of meeting them. The key, says Pelc, is homing in on their enthusiasm and attitude. 

Some questions you could ask to gauge their suitability include: 

• What are you passionate about? 
• What do you think an average day at work might look like?
• What would you like to learn more about? 
• Are you happy to work in a customer-facing role? 

“We wanted to make sure the applicant could bring passion and enthusiasm,” says Pelc. “Ensuring cultural and team fit is critical. Everything else can be taught.”  

Thinking outside the traditional recruitment box 

Want to speed up recruitment and get more enthusiastic employees on the shop or restaurant floor? On-the-spot or walk-in interviews may well be the solution. 

“There are absolutely candidates out there, even in such a tight talent market. We just need to think differently about how we connect with them,” says Pelc. 

As well as advertising on-the-spot interviews, hiring managers could also host career fairs where potential employees can hear about the perks to joining the company. For example, Strandbags offers new-starters free bags, employee discounts and a paid day off on their birthday.  

“There are absolutely candidates out there, even in such a tight talent market. We just need to think differently about how we connect with them.” – Siobhan Pelc, Dan Murphy’s General Manager of People. 

Another move that could open up your pool of applicants is to remove resume requirements for roles that don’t require prior experience. Take The Body Shop; in 2019 the retailer removed mandatory requirements for resumes, references, job experience or background checks for all Christmas casual positions. And the move has paid off in spades, with the company reporting higher retention, loyalty and productivity, with many employees staying with the company past the busy holiday period.  

Tips for success 

Pelc also recommends opting for in-person interviews over virtual or recorded ones, where possible. 

“In-person interviews were a hit with our applicants as it allowed them to connect directly with the leader and team they might work with,” she says.

All in all, Pelc says hiring week has allowed Dan Murphy’s to rethink recruitment processes. 

“The success of hiring week has gotten us thinking about how we recruit our store teams and how we can improve our processes for a better candidate experience.”