Real Interview Skills: How Drama Prepares Hiring Managers Better
Hiring the right people is one of the most important decisions a manager makes—but how often are they actually trained to interview well?
Many hiring managers are promoted into their roles with little or no training on how to conduct effective, fair and inclusive interviews. In fast-paced sectors like hospitality, retail and customer service, interviews are often squeezed in between shifts, rushed, or overly reliant on gut feel.
At ted Learning, we deliver real, practical interview skills training using professional actors—so hiring managers can practise, reflect, and improve in a safe, high-impact environment.
Why drama-based training works
Our interview training isn’t about theory or endless checklists. It’s about real people, real questions, and real challenges.
We use experienced actors to play candidates in fully immersive scenarios, allowing managers to:
- Practise structured interviews
- Observe and reflect on their body language and tone
- Explore unconscious bias and assumption
- Learn to build rapport while staying objective
It’s live. It’s engaging. And it’s tailored to the real interview pressures your managers face.
Focus on hospitality—but relevant everywhere
In the hospitality sector, time is tight and the stakes are high. Team members need to be the right fit, quickly. Our drama-based interview skills training has helped clients like Côte Brasserie improve consistency in hiring and reduce unconscious bias.
But this approach works in any industry:
- Retail: Train managers to hire with confidence and brand alignment.
- Education: Help teams identify values-led candidates.
- Finance: Explore subtle bias and improve candidate experience.
- Public Sector: Strengthen structured interviewing and reduce risk.
What it looks like in practice
In a typical session, managers will:
- Observe a poorly run interview scene and analyse what went wrong
- Run their own interviews with actors playing a range of candidate types
- Receive structured feedback from the actors and facilitator
- Practise again, applying what they’ve learned
It’s practical, personalised, and powerful.
What clients say
“Our team loved how real it felt. It wasn’t just theory—it was proper practice, with feedback that stuck.”
— Learning & Development Manager, National Hospitality Brand
“It gave us a clear, consistent model—and more confidence in interviews across our stores.”
— Regional Manager, Retail Client
Outcomes you can expect:
- Improved consistency in hiring across teams
- Better candidate experience and employer brand
- Greater confidence and capability in interviewers
- Reduction in hiring bias and poor-fit recruits
About the Author
Justin Smth Essex
Justin is the Group MD of Squaricle Group & the founder of ted Learning.
He specialises in designing and delivering training in customer service, equality and diversity, management fundamentals, team building & presentation skills.
Justin is the key account manager across our portfolio. He works with our clients to ensure the programmes we deliver are tailored to their specific needs and are dramatically different, engaging and fun. He works with the fantastic team at ted Learning to ensure everything we do is on brand and delivers what our clients and learners need.
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