Big Fish Global Consulting Group opened their unique Training Café in February 2012. The aim of the café was to provide staff, candidates and potential customers with quality coffee in a warm and friendly context. I had a chat to Michael Gauci (General Manager, Big Fish Group) on why the Café was a strategic utilization of space, and what it’s done for the business….
What are the advantages of having the Big Fish Training Café on premises?
The Big Fish café is an ideal area for promoting interdepartmental conversation. Emails and work messenger have changed the dynamic of the modern office, so it’s nice for staff to have a place to interact in person. This can alter the balance of technology and human contact in the favour of real time relationship development.
Does this ever create challenges for you in regards to “too much” chatting at times?
Sure, sometimes we feel like having a few extra coffees than we should (which wastes time and caffeine should be taken in moderation) but staff who are mature enough, do not exploit the extra benefits a company provides. For those that do, it’s a privilege they won’t experience at other organisations, so they should ensure they don’t lose it!
What has the Café done for the business?
For customers, candidates and potential close by neighbours, it is a point of difference and a chance to interact with people in a social, warm context. Our recruitment and training café is something Big Fish is very proud of and not something other recruiters’ can boast. It is a way for us to really demonstrate to our clients’ and candidates’ that we are a business driving change in the industry.
How is the Training Café a smart use of space for recruitment purposes?
It allows us to hear our candidates stories and listen to their real motivations, not get the same repetitive and robotic responses that they would outlay in a small box of a room with the heat turned on. The open-plan space helps candidates relax, giving our consultants a better chance to gauge their suitability for roles.
Staff at Big Fish Group welcome “drop ins” … so come and discover the “Big Fish difference” for yourself!
For more information on Big Fish Group, please visit the website. www.bigfishgroup.com.au
