WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A new-to-Butler County business is hiring up to 450 people ahead of its debut next month, but don’t expect the same old interview process.
Topgolf, which will open its first Ohio location in late July at the Streets of West Chester, is rounding out its staff. Instead of traditional job interviews, however, leaders are holding so-called recruitment events, complete with team-building challenges, panel discussions and more. It’s part of what makes the company unique, said Kevin Kraft, Topgolf director of operations. He told WCPO that the company, which offers 26 other locations worldwide and more in the works, is looking to offer a different hiring experience.
“It’s not the same old, boring sit-down, answer 25 questions in an hour. We like to say you audition for your position with Topgolf,” Kraft said. “There will be a very brief interview process, and the rest of the time we play games, we do some team-building activities — things like that to keep you up and moving. I consider Topgolf a lifestyle, so we’re looking for like-minded people who are a culture fit more than anything else.”
The 450 tally includes full- and part-time staff. Because the facility is both a golf and entertainment venue, servers, kitchen staff and bartenders make up the bulk of the positions.
The Butler County facility, which sits within view of Interstate 75, will feature four bars and a restaurant, which will serve up predominantly made-from-scratch cuisine, Kraft said, like pulled pork sliders, burgers, crab cakes and flatbreads. There will also be also live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, a rooftop terrace and free games like pool, foosball and shuffleboard.
On the golf side, there will be 102 bays on three levels. Balls are outfitted with microchip technology, and players can select from a variety of games in which they score points for hitting into targets. The facility will also offer leagues, lessons and tournaments.
Annie Winegardner, Topgolf West Chester marketing manager, said roughly 70 percent of their patrons are non-golfers, or those unlikely to set foot on a traditional green.
“We introduce the game to so many people who’d never go to a green-grass golf course,” Kraft said. “I don’t want to say we’re going to replace (the traditional game), but I think it’s what people want. You can come and play Topgolf for an hour at a time, whereas 18 holes on a golf course could take eight hours of your day from start to finish.
“I think it’s a really unique concept, and that’s why there’s such a buzz about Topgolf and why we’re growing,” he said
Topgolf is included in the second phase of the Streets of West Chester development, a 170,000-square-foot lifestyle center. It’s joined by Main Event Entertainment, a combination of bowling alley, gravity rope course and laser-tag arena that opened in May.
The Topgolf facility is 65,000 square feet. Kraft declined to disclose their local investment.
“The impact is in the jobs,” Kraft said. “To any community, 450 jobs is a huge impact. Golf in Ohio has held real steady over the past several years, whereas in other states it’s on a decline. West Chester is an up-and-coming community, and we really saw an opportunity there. It’s a pretty unique place to be.”
Hiring events
Topgolf recruitment events are scheduled for today through June 29, and July 2, July 5 and July 6 at the Holiday Inn on Muhlhauser Road. More dates could be added.
A complete listing is available at http://topgolf.com/us/company/careers.
