CIPD supports 'ice-breaking' dance tactics at B&Q job interviews, despite union fury

09 January 2007 08:22This article first appeared in Personnel Today magazine. Subscribe online and save 20%.

Dancing at job interviews has been backed by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), despite furious trade union protests.

GMB officials have threatened to dance outside B&Q stores in protest at the DIY chain asking job applicants to bop along to a Jackson 5 track.

The Norwich B&Q store was recruiting store-based staff and described the dancing as an "ice-breaker" that went down well with most applicants.

The union said asking potential employees to dance to disco classic Blame it on the Boogie over tea and coffee before answering formal questions was "demeaning and irrelevant".

But, in a surprise move, the CIPD insisted the dancing was a clever way of judging the personalities of the interviewees - and backed an increase in the practice.

Nicola Monson, CIPD research associate, told Personnel Today: "Companies are beginning to look further than just the skills and competencies to do the job. This is a creative and innovative way of checking that people have the right attitude to fit in with the company's culture. Other HR staff could definitely take lessons from this."

But the GMB insisted it would fight firms asking interviewees to dance. "If they don't stop this nonsense then we will stage singing and dancing demonstrations outside their shops," a union spokesman said.

A B&Q statement said: "This practice is not a formal part of our recruitment policy, but our stores are encouraged to make sure candidates are relaxed before the interview process."

bookmark it! diggit! reddit! To top

COMMENTS

CIPD Supports 'ice-breaking' dance tactics at B&Q job interviews.

Although I can see the point behind this tactic, I think that in the case of some people it would make them even more nervous than they were before they arrived at the interview. Some people just don't like to dance, let alone in a situation where they are already under stress. The theory behind the principle is good - relax candidates before getting into an in-depth formal interview - but could a different form of ice breaker be employed? I have found that word games are a good way of relaxing people without making them feel silly. If it were me in that situation, I would feel highly embarrassed at being asked to dance at a job interview (and I love dancing).
I have however, been involved in word games, which I found put me at ease and I actually quite enjoyed. So the idea in principle is good, but maybe dancing is not quite the right thing for everybody. Perhaps a happy medium could be found between the idea in principle and practice.

Kathrine

10 Jan 2007

This is not innovative recruitment practice

I was astounded to discover that the CIPD actually condoned dancing as an ice breaker as part of the recruitment process. The CIPD is a credible institution that should be working hard to promote good recruitment practice by using rational, measured and non discriminatory recruitment methods. I couldn't agree more with the GMB that this is exercise was “demeaning and irrelevant”.

Richard Frettingham

10 Jan 2007