If you’ve turned on your TV in the past twenty years, you’ve probably noticed that reality TV has invaded our cultural landscape as well as our daily lives. From Survivor to Dragon’s Den, people around the world love to consume these shows that feature ordinary people constantly filmed to provide pure entertainment. Whether you prefer romance, fashion, or cooking, there’s something for everyone, hours upon hours of programming. These shows inspire group viewing parties, lively debates, and even corporate events that foster the development of authentic relationships between employees.
Since 2008, the Noovo television network has been broadcasting Un souper presque parfait, the Quebec adaptation of the British show Come Dine with Me, which quickly attracted a loyal following. In this show, five strangers host dinner. Each host prepares a menu consisting of a starter, a main course, and a dessert. When the guests finish their dishes, they vote on the quality of the food, the host’s skills, and the overall atmosphere of the evening. After the final dinner, the host shares the results of the vote, and the person with the highest score wins a cash prize and the right to boast about their supposed superiority in front of the other participants. This simple and unpredictable show has been broadcast non-stop for thirteen seasons now. It has provided hours of entertainment for Quebec viewers and also inspired the partners of Recruit Action.
Domenic and François thought that creating a cooking challenge similar to the one on the show would be a great opportunity to connect their employees. François explains, “We’re always looking for new activities for employees that aren’t directly work-related. We wanted the event to bring the team deeper into their relationships in a completely different environment than work. We believed that a dinner at each employee’s home could be fun and would provide a great opportunity to build strong, authentic human connections.” Ultimately, the partners hoped the challenge would take the work out of the equation and expose a more personal side of each of their colleagues that isn’t typically showcased in the office.
Domenic and François decided to organize a dinner every month at the home of a different employee following these guidelines:
- Each employee creates and serves a cocktail, an appetizer, a main course and a dessert;
- The meal budget should not exceed $300;
- The host has two hours to prepare the meal and thirty minutes to welcome the guests.
To keep the spirit of the show alive, the partners asked the team members to film the dinners and give their hosts ratings at the end of each meal.
Recruitment specialist Maryse Laverdière had just started her job at Recruit Action when she was tasked with the challenge. The event was a bit stressful for her, and she was worried about having to be the first to welcome her colleagues. Fortunately, she was chosen last and had plenty of time to plan her meal and observe how her colleagues approached the task. This experience allowed Maryse to learn more about her team members than she ever imagined. She said, “I learned that I had a lot more in common with my team than I thought, and we connected on a different level, which wouldn’t have happened in the office.” For example, her colleagues’ impressions changed when she walked into their homes and sat at their tables. She said: “It made me feel very comfortable with my colleagues, and I’ve never worked for a company that’s done something like this before.”
Partner Kristyn Oleskewyz felt the dinner challenge was a great way to develop and maintain a strong bond with her team. “I got to know everyone’s sense of humor, as well as how they handled the stress of the situation.” She learned that the team doesn’t take things too seriously and works well under pressure, as creating a cocktail reception and three-course meal for six people is no easy task. She said, “It was an amazing, albeit stressful, experience having to prepare a meal to share with colleagues; it allowed me to learn more about each person’s personality.”
Marie-Hélène Paquin, a Human Resources and Recruitment Advisor, still talks about her meal with the Recruit Action team. People thought the idea was so great that they replicated it with their friends. Marie-Hélène realized that everyone’s dinner reflected their personalities. For example, some chose to be bold and cook something they’d never prepared before, while others decided to present their signature meals, which they were comfortable with. Marie-Hélène felt that François’s dinner was the one where the team laughed the most. “He put us at ease because the atmosphere he created was simple and relaxed.” Marie-Hélène doesn’t live in Montreal, so she’s not physically close to the team. However, the dinner allowed her to get to know her team personally and have fun with them. She now feels like the people she works with are more like friends than colleagues.
Everyone at Recruit Action believes the cooking challenge was a success and that every employee thoroughly enjoyed it. Domenic hoped his idea would create an experience that employees would talk about for years to come, and it seems he achieved his goal. Since the start of the pandemic, Recruit Action employees have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to repeat the activity with their new recruitment team members. An event like this, held outside of the office, has changed the way employees perceive each other, altered the nature of their relationships, and the way they work together. Domenic and François are delighted with how their team rose to the challenge and helped each other succeed. Australian chef Skye Gyngell once said, “Cooking is not about being the best cook, but rather sharing the table with family and friends.” » And the Recruit Action culinary challenge proved that you’re more than just an employee when you work for Recruit Action. You’re part of the family.
