Cotton On Group has found a solution to increased staffing needs over the Christmas period, ragtrader.com.au can reveal.
The retail giant recruited 4,500 staff in just three weeks through a dedicated recruitment drive in October.
Cotton On Group head of recruitment Jo Barr revealed events were held across key Australian cities, along with interviews in remote areas.
"In the past, we recruited on a brand by brand basis for peak periods," she said. "This was the first time we did it for all Cotton On Group brands under one umbrella."
Potential candidates were invited to attend local recruitment events, with 30 people per group every 30 minutes over a 10 hour day.
The first test for candidates involved upselling Cotton On Foundation products, which drives revenue for the company's charitable projects.
The second stage involved selling and recommending products based on set customer profiles.
The final hurdle took on a 'speed dating' model, with candidates matched to local team members for individual Cotton On brands.
The full process involved screening candidates for behaviour and suitability to Cotton On's workplace culture.
Unsuccessful applicants were offered Cotton On vouchers and merchandise for their efforts, with successful applicants receiving instructions to complete final contracts online.
"It took four weeks of proper planning and we can't wait to make it even bigger and better next year," Barr said of the successful initiative.
"We also plan to run miniature versions of this campaign throughout the year outside of Christmas."
The execution involved conference calls, meetings, location scouting and dispatching recruitment packs to each region.
"This is a new format for the team because prior to this, candidates would have to apply for multiple roles across multiple brands," Barr said.
"It was an operational challenge to execute a project of this size and scale, but it came together to deliver an excellent result for our team."