Sofitel So Singapore"s casting call

SINGAPORE – In the style of a glamorous Hollywood ‘casting call’, the soon to open Sofitel So Singapore is calling out candidates who are passionate about Singapore, to join its team. With 75 roles to fill throughout the hotel, from housekeeping and food beverage, to guest relations and reservations, the casting event will highlight Sofitel So’s brand personality and pillars, and allow candidates to experience first-hand.

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. 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.

The Application Process

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”.

Stage 1: Online applications are currently open till October 9, 2013. Interested candidates can do so via Facebook, LinkedIn and e-mail.

Stage 2: Sofitel So Singapore Mass Recruitment Casting Event will take place at At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy on October 10, 2013 from 5pm to 9pm and October 11, 2013 from 5pm to 9pm.  

Stage 3: The final Casting Call and Assesment Center will place at At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy on November 1, 2013 from 4pm to 9pm and November 2, 2013 from 12pm to 5pm.

Sofitel So Singapore"s casting call