Sofitel So Singapore launches interactive recruitment campaign

Casting event seeks to fill 75 roles.

In a release, Sofitel So Singapore announced that an interactive recruitment drive, in the style of a glamorous Hollywood ‘casting call’, to fill 75 roles throughout the hotel, from housekeeping and food & beverage, to guest relations and reservations.

Aiming to attract Singaporeans seeking a coveted role in the first luxury boutique hotel of its kind in the country, the campaign will offer a taste of life as a Sofitel So Ambassador, the company said.

Participants will experience games, food and beverage tastings, photo booths, trendy music and a chance to interact with the hotel’s pre-opening team throughout the course of the recruitment cycle.

Beyond an affinity with the high-end hotel market, Sofitel So Ambassadors will need to have a passion for Singapore, as General Manager Tony Chisholm explains, “To create the boutique luxury experience that will be Sofitel So Singapore, we need enthusiasts with an obsession for Singapore as a destination. We are endeavouring to offer our guests the best of Singapore and the opportunity to feel the energy of this incredible city within the hotel itself.”

Set to change the face of the luxury hotel scene on the island, Sofitel So Singapore is housed in a landmark heritage building in the heart of the CBD. The 134-room property promises to be the city’s most exciting new hotel, combining the playful luxury of the Sofitel So label with the very best of Singapore. As a key strategic property for the brand, it marks the Asia-focus of the world’s only French hotel group.

Stages

Sofitel’s innovative recruitment process began online and progresses through three stages. Each stage of the process includes a set of activities designed to identify the right candidates that embody the five characteristics of all Sofitel So Ambassadors: playful, dynamic, sociable, creative and stylish.

In Stage 1, applicants were invited to submit their resume online with their preferred position via email, or social networks- Facebook or LinkedIn. A custom Facebook application was created to showcase all vacant positions as well as testimonials from the team. “So Careers” simple but easy-to-use interface allowed candidates to find general information on the property, and watch a short message from the General Manager to potential candidates as well. Once interested users submitted their resumes online, they receive a special e-invite to an RSVP-only casting event held on 10th and 11th October at the state-of-the-art At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy.

In Stage 2 at the venue, the event will be themed around Sofitel So’s brand pillars - Gastronomy, Culture and Design. With the help of the Pre-Opening team to run the event, Director of Casting and Coaching Gabrielle Choy, hopes to “empower interested candidates into understanding and embracing the uniqueness of the So attitude and brand. For example, we hire candidates based on attitude not skill. Hence, if you have passion but no experience, you may still be a part of the ‘So’ team as we believe that having a team of diverse individuals to inspire, motivate and learn from is an important factor in a work environment”.

150 shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a third selection stage for an evening of group and team building activities. Sofitel So Singapore will be asking applicants ‘Are you So…?’ by assessing candidates on soft skills and behaviours through interactive games such as mazes, human ladders and stimulating group tasks. Concluding with a fabulous ‘Red Carpet’ welcome, the evening will be styled as an informal cocktails & canapés event with energetic “speed dating interviews”.

Sofitel Career Opportunities

Sofitel Luxury Hotels offers its Ambassadors an extremely compelling opportunity for growth and development. VP of Human Resources Sofitel Asia-Pacific, Dirk-Jan Rijks, highlights how “every Sofitel Ambassador creates their own Magnifique Journey with a vision of progression over a minimum two year period through the tailored Sofitel Ambassador program, ensuring that an opportunity with Sofitel So Singapore is the path to a career with the organisation. Training and Talent development plays a key role in each Ambassador’s growth plan over the course of their tenure with the company.”

Sofitel Ambassadors have a passport to travel the world during their career; as part of Accor, the world’s largest hotel group, they have the advantage on internal development and promotion. Over 65% of the current Sofitel So Singapore PreOpening team is made up of internal transfers. In addition to training and development opportunities, Sofitel So Singapore Ambassadors are promised a handsome starting salary and benefits which encourage a rewarding working environment, such as birthday leave. To help attract a stylish team, Sofitel So Singapore has commissioned a renowned local designer to develop a fashionable uniform for staff – yet to be unveiled.