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SCMP Reporter

WHILE PASSION for the job may be regarded as an ideal attribute by many employers, at  L'Oreal Hong Kong it is an absolute must.

Being fired up about the beauty industry is a vital element in being accepted into the company's graduate trainee programme.

'Students always ask what qualities or traits I look for, and while a good academic result is definitely an asset, we want people who are passionate about what they do,' said human resources manager Kitty Yip. 'Passion is very important. We don't want to hire people who look at this as just a job.

'We offer this programme for graduates because we think that young people are the future stars of the company, and we want to groom their potential talent to help them become top managers.'

Last year, the programme attracted more than 800 applicants vying for only 10 places. This year, the company expects a similar number, with 10 to 12 places available.

L'Oreal encourages men and women to apply for the positions, and believes both are equally suitable - and important - to the business.

'Despite preconceptions some people may have that beauty is for girls, we had an equal number of male and female applicants last year, and the positions available were filled 50-50,' Ms Yip said.

The company raises awareness of the L'Oreal opportunity through presentations at university campuses and an online international competition. The e-Strat Challenge gives teams of three students the opportunity to act as the decision-makers of a virtual global cosmetics company. L'Oreal  also places advertisements in the print media and on a joint university website.

The e-Strat competition resulted in  the hire of several employees. Paddy Hung, a key account executive in the consumer products division, recently completed the graduate trainee programme.

'I heard about the e-Strat Challenge through L'Oreal's campus presentation, and I wanted to be part of the game. I reached the final six and received a phone call from the company asking me to attend an interview for the programme, and I was successful.

'I received three other graduate trainee offers,  but I chose L'Oreal because the company has premium and luxury products. And as an international company, it has high exposure. I also believe the industry is very interesting, with a lot of innovation, excitement and opportunities,' he said.

The training programme takes nine months. Last year, it attracted mostly graduates from business disciplines, such as marketing, business administration and accounting.

'In addition to the disciplines of last year, we have openings this year for logistics and finance graduates and, of course, we also welcome communications graduates,' Ms Yip said.

The selection process involves a first and second interview with the human resources department, and a third and final interview with the managers of the appropriate department. Each interview can last up to 11/2 hours.

The company also does psychometric testing to gain a better understanding of an individual's personality and thinking, which is not always easy to determine at an interview, Ms Yip said.

'It gives us a good  understanding of their personality and helps us train and develop them according to their strengths and weaknesses. We find the test useful. Although there is no right or wrong answer, it indicates their preferred way of doing things.'

The successful applicants are then placed in one of two distinct cores, marketing and sales, or   back office, which includes operations, logistics and customer service. The training is different for each core.

The marketing and sales core involves a variety of jobs that are rotated, including customer sales and customer relationship management, marketing planning and strategy, merchandising, and working with key accounts.

L'Oreal has a portfolio of 17 international brands, and training is determined by whether the trainee is working with a consumer or a luxury brand.

'They also receive basic business training, media relations, presentation and communications skills. We also provide them with overall company knowledge so they get to understand the different divisions and functions of the departments,' Ms Yip said.

Back-office core training involves much of the same basic business skills and company training, but also includes visiting the warehouses and working in the customer service department to gain  an understanding of operations.

During the training period, the company assesses the individual's talents and determines which position would be most suitable while remaining flexible about career paths.

'After they complete their training, trainees are placed in one of L'Oreal Hong Kong's three divisions,' Ms Yip said.

'If later they express an interest in other areas, and we believe the move to be appropriate, it is easy to arrange a transfer, because all of our business units deal with the cosmetic and beauty industry. The skills are easily transferred.

'For graduate trainees, the career opportunities are never-ending. They can be cross-functional or cross-divisional, and transfer is possible between countries. The company emphasises mobility, flexibility and new ways to tackle business and competition.'

Beauty and the best Plus...

Ability to demonstrate knowledge about the industry and local market conditions

An understanding of the company and its products

Excellent communication skills

Innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship and a determination to achieve

Sensitivity to beauty



Passion for beauty drives L'Oreal