NOTE: Dutch staffing firm YoungCapital issued a press release and twitter post on April 1 saying this was an April’s Fool’s joke and not true.

Dutch recruitment firm YoungCapital announced it is planning to offer job candidates a marijuana cigarette or shot of an alcoholic beverage in order for them to feel more relaxed during the job interview.

“If this is what the candidates want, we will make it happen, “Hugo de Koning, founder of YoungCapital, said.

De Koning noted many of YoungCapital’s candidates are very young and going through their first job interview — making them nervous. “Youngsters often put an enormous pressure on themselves,” he said. “They’re afraid to disappoint themselves and others around them. They need to perform well. But this usually means they simply shut down completely.”

The Netherlands has a policy of toleration regarding soft drugs. While the sale of soft drugs is a criminal offence, the Public Prosecution Service does not prosecute establishments such as coffee shops for this offence. Neither does the Public Prosecution Service prosecute members of the public for possession of small quantities of soft drugs (defined as no more than 5 grams of marijuana).

YoungCapital conducted a poll of its 2.7 million-candidate database to find out what would make job candidates relax, and a majority of respondents chose an alcoholic beverage or a marijuana cigarette. De Koning said the firm was concerned about people applying for jobs under the influence and was hesitant, but a short testing period found that candidates were indeed more relaxed, especially after 0.3 grams of marijuana.

“It surprised me how positive these youngsters were about our idea,” YoungCapital Recruiter Joël Valk said. “I was sceptical at first, but after a few test interviews, I was absolutely convinced. The conversations were more natural. Candidates are obviously not wasted after just one shot. But they are more relaxed.”

YoungCapital calls the program “One Shot” and plans to take it live once it receives a liquor license, with the target date of 1 May. All candidates will be able to take a shot of alcohol or smoke a marijuana cigarette after that — once they show their ID.

De Koning said, “As a candidate you only have one shot to make a good impression. We are happy to help you.”

The company posted a video of its idea online.

In SIA’s 2017 report on the Largest Staffing Firms in the Netherlands, Young Capital was identified as the fastest growing staffing firm in the Dutch market with annual revenues of €187 million and annual growth of 59% between 2015 and 2016. The company, like a number of Dutch staffing firms also provides training and career coaching services.