Placement Student Review

My work placement at Lidl was thoroughly enjoyable. I was given huge levels of responsibility and opportunity to make an impact on my region. The ability to rotate around departments allows you to see all corners of multinational business operations, and also ensures work doesn't become repetitive. The company is people focused, and the ethos of "Team Lidl" really shines through in it's staff, who were very helpful, supportive and willing to give me an insight into their daily tasks.

This varied based on the department, but was mostly positive. When in stores, the staff really appreciated a helping hand and would trust you with management level responsibilities from an early stage. In the office environments, I also felt the teams valued my opinions and input, and at times would even bypass my mentor, coming straight to me for assistance with tasks. The only area in which I felt slightly less valuable was in the warehouse. However this may have been partly due large problems with staff turnover at the time, along with the pressure the department was under.

During my time at Lidl I had two main supervisors, one based from Head Office who overseas the UK placement programme, and another in the region who assists with day to day queries and the logistics of moving around departments. I cannot express how great both of these people were in ensuring my time at Lidl was a success. They kept a constant communication stream and monitored my progress throughout. Support was offered when I required it, particularly during a period of sickness I endured, and they always seemed interested in the skills I had developed or specific projects I had worked on. I believe the support and guidance available to a placement student is one of the strongest assets of this programme.

In my opinion, as a placement student, you want to be busy. Being at a company for a limited timeframe, you have to make the biggest impact you can. I felt the programme offered almost an unlimited amount of work and responsibility, to those who wanted it. Each day I had plenty of work which was challenging, enjoyable and also significant enough to the business to help make an impact. In the departments I was exposed to, work was given at a pace to suit my current level, and increased as I improved my skills throughout the year.

From day one, starting in store, I was given responsibilities above that of a normal customer assistant. I found myself counting the safe, holding the keys and delegating tasks within the first eight weeks of the programme. As I moved into other departments and progressed through the scheme, my skills developed. As a result I was given even more responsibility. Towards the end of the placement, I led training sessions, presentations and delivered warehouse tours, to audiences including the senior management team and regional director!

Seeing such a large multinational company in action, I now have a greater understanding of the scale of operations, and the challenges faced in managing people. I also massively developed my presentation and communication skills. This will make any university presentations or talks incredibly easier in comparison to previous years. Lidl also are very open about offering dissertation support to previous placement students, something I will be sure to capitalise on during my final year of study.

In the office the atmosphere was great. Due to the nature of the placement (rotating around departments) by the end of the programme, I knew almost everyone in the distribution centre by name, and had developed great working relationships. There is still certainly a strong work ethic in the office, which I enjoyed, however as long as the job got done, I found myself laughing with colleagues on a daily basis.

At the start of the placement, every student receives a folder, which contains a calendar of events for the entire year. This highlights when you will be working in each department, along with any important projects or scheduled meetings. This was great for planning holidays and monitoring where I would be moving to next. Any meetings or training sessions I attended also felt very organised and structured.

My development was monitored every week via a progress report I would complete and send to head office. This would show an overview of my weekly movements, any skills I had developed and challenges I have faced. At the end of my time in each department, I would complete an appraisal with my line manager, to monitor my progress and development. The company also put on training sessions specifically for placement students, which developed the skills we needed to communicate in business, as well as advice on how to secure a permanent position in the future.

The graduate recruiter at Lidl keeps in frequent contact with the placement students . Options for placement students include progression on to the graduate scheme, international traineeship, other development programmes or direct entry jobs. As a previous placement student, internal vacancies are also open for application, meaning job prospects and options are wider than normal. Your departmental preferences are also taken into account when you leave the programme, so you can be contacted if a job becomes available that you may be interested in. Opportunities for jobs in store, or as a brand ambassador may also be available during your final year of study.

I personally got on very well with my fellow placement students. There were several times during the programme where all students from the UK got together for a training course or meeting in London. These nights were really fun and great chance to share our experiences with each other. (Also all hotels, food and drink were paid for by the company!) The company also hosted a Lidl fun day, a free event for employees and their families with food, drinks, fairground attractions and entertainment. Also the store I worked in had a football team which played against another Lidl store. Other social events included Christmas parties, food and drinks after regional meetings, football screenings during the World Cup etc.

I worked in the North West area and lived just outside Manchester. The cost of living was very reasonable and standard for the area. Prices for food & drink etc is also always much cheaper than in the south & London areas. If I was ever required to work in London or other areas of the country for a couple of days, accommodation, travel and food would always be paid for by Lidl.

The distribution centre I worked in is located in an industrial estate, therefore in the immediate vicinity there was nothing. However the Runcorn Distribution Centre is located between Manchester and Liverpool, two big party cities. Also the Head Office in Wimbledon is surrounded by several great bars and restaurants, some of which have a partnership with Lidl to offer discounts! The Head Office is also a short walk from the tube station, granting access to the rest of London.

At Runcorn, some of the staff took part in weekly 5-a-side football which was available for employees to play in. Also Lidl has a partnership with Clic Sargent, and hosted several charity fundraising events throughout the year, including a triathlon. The company also hosted a fun day for staff, which they could bring their families along to. The placement student also organised their own social events, including meals out and a trip to the races during our Head Office experience.