“Come on, we’re trying to get closer to the target!” » Halle Carpentier, in the 13th in Paris, a small group of about ten people plays with ping-pong balls. The goal, to pass the ball with a maximum of three rebounds per person, while collectively approaching a cardboard box, where the ball must end its course. A fairly classic variant of the famous ping-pong game, except that these are somewhat special participants: on the one hand, recruiters from the hotel and restaurant sector, and on the other , candidates, all anonymous, as part of the operation “From the stadium to employment”, organized Tuesday, September 27 by Pôle emploi Paris.
The day begins with physical training, a 30-minute warm-up. Then tests or rather sports games allow decision-makers to gauge the personal qualities of potential applicants, without costume or interview. At noon, everyone has lunch together, always in the greatest secrecy of identities. And finally, the afternoon takes place a classic job dating.
“Building skills” with sport
Among our small group of people trying to collectively hit a target, Ahmed caused a stir. He just made a whole series of rebounds that triggered admiring “ohs” and “ahs”. But be careful, don’t get me wrong, warns Stéphane Crusoé, director of the Cardinet agency, one of the three Parisian agencies involved in the organization of the event: “The spirit is not about competition. The idea is to do team or individual events that return know-how. There is no game. »
“We have designed workshops to try to bring out skills through physical activity”, adds Stéphane Lelong, director of the development center of the table tennis federation, asked to prepare the event. Complementarity, solidarity, teamwork will be the qualities scrutinized during these fun and serious workshops. “It’s hyper-innovative,” enthuses Sophie, discreetly taken aside, and whose mission is to recruit a dozen or so people for the Citadines group.
“It changes the usual interviews”
Big Mama, Le Groupe Bertrand, Burger King, Sofitel, Doki Doki, KFC… In all, 17 companies are on site, offering around 80 offers for 108 candidates. Ilena, from the Ascott group, is looking for around twenty people and has already spotted two candidates: “They are nice, they have the profile”
The recruiter appreciates the friendly aspect of the meeting. “It changes from the usual interviews, and it allows you to have contact without knowing who is who, I find that not bad,” she says with a smile. Job seekers seem equally enthusiastic. “Sometimes you’re demoralized because you can’t find a job, and that really relaxes you, it’s great,” says Denisse, who has been looking for two months and has never worked in the hotel and catering industry.
60 to 70% return to work after 6 months
Thanks to the operation, Denisse will perhaps have a better chance of finding a job in the sector than if she had sent her CV without specific experience. “It gives everyone a chance”, sums up Carole Bacchini, regional director of Pole emploi Paris, who remarks that “everyone plays the game, it’s the case to say it! »
The From stadium to employment operation began in France in 2019, but this is the first time that a sectoral event has been organised, in this case here with recruiters from the hotel and catering industry. It is also the first time in Paris that we have tried ping-pong, whereas the first episodes involved exclusively athletics.
These sports meetings seem rather effective, since job seekers were for 60 to 70% of them and they returned to work six months after the operation. At the end of the day, Quessiet is full of hope: “Dupont has my CV, they said they were going to call me back, I hope it will pass. »