HR Generalist - Corporate Review

Working as a HR Generalist Intern, no two days are ever the same! There is a wide range of tasks in order to provide support throughout the whole employee lifecycle, from recruitment all the way to Reward and Benefits. You will have the opportunity to work with specialist HR teams, members of the Executive Leadership Team, and external stakeholders, making this a very people focused role. You may find yourself updating HR systems, arranging interviews, or even creating bespoke PowerPoints and communications to be sent out to the wider business. This role will allow you to showcase, strengthen and expand your skillset through invaluable operational experience. Busy, but very rewarding!

My role has enabled me to develop through a realistic and hands-on experience – providing exposure to many different opportunities and tasks. I have learned to balance and prioritise an ever-growing workload through organisational growth and time management, allowing me to meet numerous deadlines. I have been given the platform to demonstrate and voice my interests, alongside areas in which I would like to develop; my line managers have been extremely accommodating and aided my progression through giving me projects in relation to this. The overall L’Oréal learning offer has expansive options to allow exploration into different courses to suit an array of interests and skills of all levels.

There is a very high level of responsibility in this position - you are trusted to carry out tasks that have a direct impact on, not only the business, but the employees within. Helping to find the next upcoming talent for new apprenticeship positions; processing promotions and salary uplifts; ensuring new candidates are shortlisted to Hiring Managers in time. These are just a few examples of the responsibilities that you will have as a HR Generalist Intern.

Throughout my internship, there has always been support readily available should I need it. I have weekly 1:1 meetings with both my line manager and members of my team to catch up on work and ensure that any questions I may have can be discussed. These meetings are very useful and valuable during busy periods when it can be difficult to catch up with one another. I also have open communication lines with my team outside of meetings, and know where and who to contact should I ever need any guidance. It is reassuring to know this support is there, however, I feel it is essential to work on initiative - problem solving is greatly encouraged and an example of one of the skills I have developed. The Emerging Talent team are also very supportive and ensure that the Intern cohort are kept updated and given opportunities to enhance their experience.

As my internship has been virtual, I think it is commendable that L'Oréal has still clearly and effectively conveyed the company culture and atmosphere. Understandably it has been a different experience in comparison to if I had been working from the office, but everyone I have met and worked with has been friendly, helpful, and showed a genuine interest. I also feel as though company initiatives have been communicated well, there was a great emphasis on Citizens Day across the whole business getting everyone involved. I also think the work that the Ethnicity and Multiculturalism Committee do is brilliant, there is a lot of work that goes into sharing and educating on important topics and events throughout the year.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement year, and I am grateful for all of the opportunities given to me to develop and better understand a HR Generalist role. Undoubtedly, it has been incredibly busy and hard work at times, but the position is also very rewarding and I take pride knowing I have delivered to a high standard. Due to COVID and remote working I do think the experience is perhaps slightly different to what it could have been under normal circumstances, I do feel networking is a little harder when not in an office environment. However, I still got to meet and work with such a diverse group of people, and be involved with incredibly interesting projects that received great feedback!

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I think primarily what is really important when applying for any role is that you have a genuine interest in the position and the company. This is key because not only will your assessors/interviewers pick up on it, but if you aren't truly driven by the job description then you are unlikely to connect with the role - you want to make sure the role is a good fit for you as well! There is a lot of really accessible information about L'Oréal online, definitely do your research and come prepared as it will show you are interested. Try and think of relevant experience you have that connects you to the role you are applying for.