How Draughts ditched volume for values – and found their Ops Manager with Candid
Draughts are London’s original board game venue, with their third venue most recently opening in Stratford. Their mission is to help people reconnect in a world that’s increasingly digital & isolating, Draughts creates physical, social spaces where people can be themselves. That goes for guests and team members alike.
The Hiring Challenge: Scaling people, not just places
As they’ve grown they’ve built their team through direct applications, recommendations from current staff, or even guests who’ve experienced the vibe in our venues and want to be part of it. However, for head office or senior roles, they’ve found it harder to reach the right candidates using traditional routes, which is why they were open to trying something different in Candid.
“We were drawn to the mission. Candid seemed genuinely interested in shifting the hiring process to something more values-driven – something more human. The platform’s alignment-based approach spoke to us because at Draughts, we hire based on values, not just CVs.”
Nick Curci, Founder @ Draughts
The Solution: Hiring smarter with Candid
In interviews, Draughts ask questions that probe whether candidates naturally align with their company values. Team mindset is central to who they are, so Candid’s culture mapping approach had to be spot on. We asked Draught’s co-founder, Nick Curci, if he’d been surprised by the platforms matchmaking skills:
“The accuracy really was surprising. Out of all the applicants, only six matched through the platform’s screening, and we only progressed one to interview. But that one candidate (Sam) was the right one. That precision was really refreshing compared to the usual signal-to-noise ratio we see on other platforms.”
Nick Curci, Founder @ Draughts
A new Candid Colleague
Samuel Benzaquen Vera came through as one of the few qualified matches. His application showed a clear alignment with Draughts values, and what really stood out in the interviews was how natural and grounded he was.
“He felt like one of the team right away – someone who brings calm, confidence, and good humour even during chaos.”
Team Draughts
The First 90 days
So, how has Sam been doing since he joined team Draughts. Nick was kind enough to share: “He’s been fantastic. Honestly, he’s made several of us feel more at ease just by being around. He joined right during a hectic period – the launch of a new menu followed quickly by the Stratford site opening – so it was a trial by fire. But he’s been focused, positive, and unfazed throughout. He settled in faster than expected and already feels like a core part of the team.
Why Candid makes a difference
👉 Shorter hiring cycle – from application to offer, the process is faster and more focused 👉 Higher-quality candidates – Fewer applicants and smarter matchmaking 👉 Stronger culture alignment – new hires come in ready to contribute and thrive
In hospitality, culture is everything. Draughts knew that building a great team was the only way to maintain consistency across locations. With Candid, they’ve built a hiring process that grows with them.
Final verdict – We asked Draughts what they enjoyed more about using Candid
“The alignment-based filtering. It saved us time and gave us confidence that the shortlist we were seeing reflected people who understood who we are. The experience felt intentional – not just another job board”
Team Draughts
Ready to hire faster, better and with less stress?
Drop us a message to see how we can help your team hire with confidence.
Effective Date: 09.07.2025 Last Updated: 09.07.2025
Welcome to Candid’s Refer-a-Legend scheme – our way of rewarding you for growing a community of incredible hospitality talent.
These Terms & Conditions outline how the referral rewards work, what you need to do to qualify and the fine print we need to cover to keep things fair for everyone involved.
1. Who Can Take Part The Refer-a-Legend scheme is open to all Candid users who:
Have signed up as a candidate.
Are based in the UK.
Have a unique referral link generated by the Candid platform.
2. How It Works You complete your Candid profile.
Receive your unique referral link via email and/or in your dashboard.
You share your link with your network via WhatsApp, socials, email, text… wherever you like.
When someone signs up using your link and completes their candidate profile, it counts as a referral.
You’ll receive updates as your referrals come through, and rewards will be unlocked as you hit key milestones.
Note: Referral links must be shared organically. Paid promotion, bulk messaging or use of bots/automated scripts is not permitted.
3. Reward Milestones You’ll earn rewards based on the number of successful candidate sign-ups using your unique link:
3 Sign-ups
Community Builder badge on your candidate profile, visible to employers
5 Sign-ups
Exclusive Candid merch drop delivered to your door (UK only)
10+ Sign-ups
Upgrade to Candid Champion badge + invite to join our private community group
Referral leads to interview
Receive a £25 voucher each as a thank-you from the Candid team
4. The Small Print (But Important!)
Referrals must be genuine new users who haven’t previously registered on Candid (duplicate or spam accounts won’t be counted).
Referral links must be shared organically (e.g. through personal messages or social posts). Paid promotion, bulk messaging, or automated scripts are not allowed.
We reserve the right to monitor, verify or disqualify any referral if fraudulent or suspicious activity is detected.
Physical rewards (e.g. merch) can only be shipped within the UK. Rewards are non-transferable, have no cash value, and cannot be exchanged or resold.
The £25 voucher will be issued digitally via email. Voucher options are selected at Candid’s discretion.
A referral voucher is considered when the referred candidate is progressed by an employer via the Candid platform.
Referral milestones and reward structures may be reviewed or updated at any time. If changes occur, we’ll communicate them in advance.
Candid reserves the right to suspend or terminate the Refer-a-Legend scheme at any time. If we do, we’ll give reasonable notice via email or platform update.
We process referral data in line with our Privacy Policy. No personal information about your referrals will be shared without their consent.
5. When Will I Receive My Rewards? Badges are added to your profile automatically once a milestone is hit.
Merch and voucher rewards will be processed within 14 days of reaching your milestone.
You’ll receive an email confirmation with next steps when a reward is unlocked.
6. Data & Privacy We process your referral data in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Rest assured:
Your referrals’ data remains private
No personal information will be shared without consent
We remain GDPR-compliant and committed to protecting your data
7. Need Help or Have a Question?
We love hearing from our community!
If something’s unclear or you want to chat about your referral progress, drop us a message:
