Blog: Ever been interviewed in a moving car?

Employer Branding

Ever been interviewed in a moving car?

If anybody thought that interviews could certainly not be taken in cars then they have been proven wrong.
Ever been interviewed in a moving car?

During most preliminary interviews, the interviewers are made to feel extremely comfortable. In some instances, especially the stress interviews, the interviewees are put in a spot by the interviewer and tested if the candidate would or would not break during the interview. But have you ever come across an interview which you would categorize as wacky? 

At least, that is the sense that you might get when you watch this advertisement wherein the Mercedes-Benz Lisbon Hub had invited the candidates who had applied for the Speed Date interview with their CEO, Alexander Vaz.

Surprise one

The interview has no official setting, rather, the office itself refers to Mercedes Benz C63 AMG. If anybody thought that interviews could certainly not be taken in cars then they have been proven wrong. Once the candidates step into the car, Vaz greets them and welcomes them to the ‘office’, which is the car itself. As soon as Vaz asks the first question, the driver puts the foot on the accelerator and the car zooms ahead.

What is interesting?

The candidates' expressions as they begin to sit in the car are something to look forward to. The driver who introduces himself as Pedro asks them how they are doing, to which one of the candidates answers, “It is my birthday, and I have a party tonight.” Despite the uncommon setting, the anxiety that the candidates experience is evident.

The other instance in the process where the things become even more interesting is when the candidates actually attempt to answer the question. The car is already moving at an accelerated speed, taking turns here and there, and all the candidate is at most able to do is try to grapple with the speed and agility with which it is moving. Undoubtedly, not just them, but anybody in their situation would find it difficult to stabilize their mind, comprehend the question and then answer it.

A possible way to determine a cultural fit

When you look at the interview, it tickles your mind, and you think whether you would have come up with something as wacky as this? There was an instance where during an interview process for a beer brand, the interviewer fakes feeling sick because they wanted to test the candidate's reaction. Possibly, here too, Mercedes-Benz was interested in qualities other than the technical skills. Maybe, they were looking for a culture fit? Considering, people who have the requisite skills and also have a strong affinity for the brand are most likely to get selected, it is possible that the questions which they would have asked the candidates after the experience, would better help in determining the cultural fit.

The marriage of product promotion and employer branding

What stands out though is leveraging the Mercedes-Benz brand to attract people for the interview. Here, the company brand helps symbolize the culture (speed, agility, and technology in this case), and attract future employees. Possibly, other brands could take a cue and try something as offbeat as this.

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Topics: Employer Branding, Talent Acquisition, Recruitment

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