Combining the power of technology with the skillset of the WZ Method and fueling it with friendly competition was the recipe for an experience like no other at Stage Stores. Utilizing WZ’s newest simulated interviewing program, THE LINK, Stage Stores took continued education and employee engagement to the next level with their Ultimate Interviewing Championship (UIC) tournament.
WZ developed THE LINK in partnership with SIMmersion Immersive Simulations as a tool for new and experienced interviewers alike. The virtual environment allows interviewers to hone their skills in a risk-free investigative interview. To deter interviewers from primarily seeking a confession, THE LINK’s scoring system measures the development of rapport, as well as the use of implied threats or promises and other risk factors associated with an investigative interview. These experienced interviewers weren’t just focused on obtaining the truth, but more importantly, doing it the right way. Through the score-keeping and achievement system, an element of competition was generated, which many users have found appealing. Stage Stores seized on to the competition aspect in an innovative way and evolved it into their UIC tournament.
When Stage Stores introduced their Asset Protection team to THE LINK program, they simultaneously wanted a way to encourage continued interview practice and engagement amongst their team. The program’s subject, Bob Jensen, inspired a competition called “Beating Bob.” Stage Store associates were tasked with completing a successful interview with Bob at each of his three difficulty levels, with each level becoming its own round of competition. “The different competitions really pushed everyone to get in and try their hand at beating Bob,” said Brian Smith, Regional Asset Protection Manager. “Once in the program, you saw everyone really challenge themselves to get better and want to beat Bob on several levels.”
The “Beating Bob” challenges encouraged greater interactivity with the program, which in turn led to greater returns on the previous WZ training the Stage Stores AP associates had completed. To add a further element of competition and drive users to maximize their skills, a bracket was created and hints began to drop about a UIC championship belt. Team emails included links to inspiring music and montages from the Rocky films. Competitors received fighter-appropriate nicknames. Every aspect of the promotion was perfectly tied into the theme, creating a fun experience for the entire team.
For the final match of the bracket, the Stage Stores team pulled out all the stops. The two finalists, “Unstoppable” Jessika Fields and Cory “Heavy-Hands” Arnsperger, were brought to the Texas headquarters along with their managers. The corporate team made posters encouraging the players, and held a full “fight night” experience, complete with announcer, referee, and members of the sports media. Jessika and Cory had to each complete an interview with Bob on the challenge level, and when that came back as a tied score, it came down to a sudden death lightning round. Jessika, who also enjoys MMA-training outside of work, was declared the winner and awarded with a real, hand-crafted, custom-made “UIC” championship belt.
By creating a fully-realistic experience and using THE LINK’s features to their fullest, Stage Stores encouraged a greater level of engagement with their training and strengthened their team’s interviewing skills. “This was really one of the most fun continuing educations I have done,” recalls Arnsperger. “I am a firm believer that this helped me when in the field conducting interviews.” Fields, the reigning champ, echoed Arnsperger’s sentiments: “This tool is an exceptional tool for [District Asset Protection Managers] and others who conduct interviews… I have experienced success with using this tool and feel like I have made improvements in my interviewing.”
