L'Oreal

Graduate jobs explained

L’Oréal was ranked 9 in the 2011 Guardian UK 300 list of graduate employers and 25 in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers in 2011-12.

Management traineee programme

Graduates join the company’s one-year management trainee programme, during which trainees typically have three different placements lasting four months each.

There are three graduate intakes each year, in January, June and September. Up to 40 new trainees are taken on, in one of four different functions:

• Commercial: based in London, in the national account management team, which works with large clients such as major retailers. Responsibilities include liaising and negotiating with clients, communicating with other areas of the business on behalf of clients, working with clients on new product launches, monitoring sales, and analysing competitor activities.
• Finance: based in London. Responsibilities include analysis, financial control, financial management, financial reporting, and presenting key information to managers.
• Marketing: based in London. Responsibilities include assessing and developing new launch plans, building supply chain relationships, monitoring brand performance, sales forecasting, and working with creative and design agencies.
• Supply chain: based in London, with the possibility of a rotation in Manchester or Nottingham. Responsibilities include developing distribution strategies, managing product availability, and product planning.

Working overseas

As well as travel within the UK, there can be opportunities for overseas travel during the graduate programme. While this is not guaranteed, the global nature of the business means that some overseas roles may come up; previous graduates have been sent to places such as Australia, Ireland and France for weeks or even months at a time. Shorter trips abroad for conferences and meetings are also possible.

Work experience explained

L’Oréal takes on around 60 work experience students each year. It runs two main kinds of work experience:

• Three-month summer internships, starting each June.
• 12-month industrial placements, which start in June and September each year.

There are also some six-month placements available; dates for these vary.

Undergraduate internships can be in any area of the business, including commercial, finance, marketing, PR and sales.

Minimum entry criteria

Applicants must:

• Be a student for the duration of the placement, and return to university afterwards.
• Be on track for a 2.1 in any degree discipline.
• Be ambitious, creative and enthusiastic.

For some internships there may also be a minimum UCAS points requirement.

Salary

Interns receive a salary of £18,000 pa.

Getting onto the graduate programme

If interns perform well, they can be offered places on the graduate programme. According to the company, 28 per cent of its global graduate intake are former interns.

The ‘Brandstorm’ competition

While not work experience per se, the company’s Brandstorm competition also gives students an insight into the consumer goods industry.

Teams of up to three students from universities around the world compete to create a top marketing strategy for one of the company’s products. The winning team receives a trip worth €10,000 to the destination of their choice, while the first runners-up win a trip worth €5,000, and the second runners-up a trip worth €2,500.

Participants could be offered an internship or a position on the graduate scheme; between 2005 and 2010, L’Oréal recruited around 12 trainees from the competition.

Training and development

On joining L’Oréal, graduates have a week-long induction to introduce them to the business and allow them to start networking with other graduates. The induction usually includes:

• The ‘discovery’ seminar, which involves learning about the company and industry.
• Introductory meetings with a line manager and department colleagues.
• Social events.

First-year training

On-the-job training comprises a large proportion of the training received by graduates at L’Oréal, as the company believes that hands-on experience is the best way for people to learn. However, this is also complemented by formal training programmes, with at least 12 days of the graduate scheme dedicated to seminars on technical and professional skills. 80 per cent of training is delivered in-house by members of staff.

A total of 124,914 hours of training were delivered in 2010.

Some graduates also receive training towards accreditation by a relevant professional body such as the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), but this depends on the programme joined.

Support and guidance

Graduates are assigned mentors to help guide them through the training programme, usually staff from their business line who have been through a similar experience. There is also support from line managers and HR sponsors, who are in touch on a regular basis to help address any issues and manage career development.

New members of staff are given their own personalised ‘meeting programme’ when they join, enabling them to meet specialists and senior colleagues in their business area for advice.

Follow-up and integration track (FIT)

Graduates continue to receive support after the graduate scheme ends: all new employees are supported by the company’s two-year follow-up and integration track (FIT) programme. This is a global scheme designed to provide new joiners with all the help and guidance they need to settle into their new role and plan their career within the company. It is personalised to reflect the needs of each individual, and involves both on-the-job and formal training.

Long-term training opportunities

Ongoing training is a key priority for L’Oréal. According to its 2010 financial report, the company allocated €14,119,000 for the ‘continuing education’ of its employees for the year. A total of 124,914 hours of training were delivered across the group, with 57 per cent of all staff and 72 per cent of managers receiving training.

2010 also saw the introduction of the company’s ‘my learning’ platform, an online system due to be rolled out to 45,000 members of staff in 56 countries by the end of 2011. The platform, available in 18 languages, provides access to a range of online training and resources. Courses cover areas such as:

• IT
• Languages
• Management skills
• Professional skills
• Technical knowledge.