STAFFING FIRM TO OFFER CANDIDATES A MARIJUANA CIGARETTE OR SHOT OF ALCOHOL BEFORE INTERVIEW

Dutch staffing firm YoungCapital announced today it is planning to offer job candidates a marijuana cigarette or shot of an alcoholic beverage in order for them to feel more relaxed during the job interview.

“If this is what the candidates want, we will make it happen,” said Hugo de Koning, founder of YoungCapital.

De Koning noted many of YoungCapital’s candidates are very young and going through their first job interview — making them nervous. “Youngsters often put an enormous pressure on themselves,” he said. “They’re afraid to disappoint themselves and others around them. They need to perform well. But this usually means they simply shut down completely.”

YoungCapital conducted a poll of its 2.7 million-candidate database to find out what would make job candidates relax, and a majority of respondents chose an alcoholic beverage or a marijuana cigarette. De Koning said the firm was concerned about people applying for jobs under the influence and was hesitant, but a short testing period found that candidates were indeed more relaxed, especially after 0.3 grams of marijuana.

“It surprised me how positive these youngsters were about our idea,” YoungCapital Recruiter Jo?l Valk said. “I was skeptical at first, but after a few test interviews, I was absolutely convinced. The conversations were more natural. Candidates are obviously not wasted after just one shot. But they are more relaxed.”

YoungCapital calls the program “One Shot” and plans to take it live once it receives a liquor license, likely on May 1. All candidates will be able to take a shot of alcohol or smoke a marijuana cigarette after that — once they show their ID.

The company posted a video of its idea online.

In the US, the legal landscape regarding marijuana is more tricky; marijuana is legal in some form in 31 states and the District of Columbia, according to Governing.com. And eight states have allowed marijuana for recreational use. However, marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

Drug testing is also common in the US for employees. On the other hand, the landscape is changing with marijuana staffing firms and job boards emerging.