UK mobile operator O2 has successfully recruited 56 new team members for new-look flagship stores in London and Manchester.

Back in February Recruiter reported about how O2 had been using branded ads, online testing, video interviewing and assessment centres in which paid actors interacted with candidates to help recruit a new type of employee for the new-look stores.

The ‘stores of the future’ aim to provide a different experience from a traditional ‘mobile phone shop’. They feature relaxation areas and interactive ‘inspire zones’ where customers can try out the latest technology, including virtual reality apps, wearables, smartphones, tablets and connected home devices.

In an update on progress regarding recruitment for the stores, O2 revealed 500 applicants took partner cut-e’s online assessments measuring candidates’ creativity, communication skills and style of interacting with customers and colleagues. The best candidates were invited to submit a short video of themselves answering strengths-based questions devised by cut-e. Finally, 78 external and internal candidates were then invited to face-to-face assessment events, which took place in special pop-up stores in London and Manchester.

Candidates also took part in activities such as showing off the Google ecosystem, demonstrating a Star Wars BB-8 droid and diagnosing a customer problem via Skype. They also completed an interactive quiz to test their passion for technology, and a teamwork exercise. The result was 56 job offers were accepted.

Commenting on the successful recruitment drive, Ross Crook, vice president of service delivery at recruitment process outsourcing provider Cielo, which handles O2’s managerial and specialist recruitment, said: “We had a 98% acceptance rate when we offered the roles and we successfully recruited a diverse mix of new employees.

“The revenues, engagement levels and retention rates at the two new stores have all been remarkably high. This whole recruitment experience has had a very beneficial impact on O2’s business, its brand and its culture.”

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