Your first round interview with L’Oréal What to expect & how to prepare

These notes are designed to help you understand what to expect from your forthcoming interview and prepare effectively for it. If you have further questions please call us directly.

What role are we talking about? Because we are focused on individuals, we sometimes meet interesting people without having a specific vacancy in mind. Be ready for an open conversation with the person you meet about what the best role for you might be.

Who will I meet? Usually you will meet one of our HR team in your first meeting with L’Oréal. Sometimes line managers participate in first round interviews alongside HR so you could be interviewing with two people

What does L’Oréal look for? You will need to be an exceptional achiever in your field with a strong track record of excellent performance. You will also have the ambition and flexibility to want to work in a diverse environment with international prospects. Alongside your professional skills and experience, do you recognise yourself in the following description?

You set yourself and your team demanding goals. You then create the momentum to demolish obstacles and achieve your objectives against the odds, with a hands-on approach if necessary. Because of your obsessive focus on quality and attention to detail, you don’t compromise standards even when your need for speed is completely fulfilled.

You are an entrepreneur and will continue to be in a multinational organisation. You’re comfortable defining your own role and taking risks in order to create success. You take the initiative to balance exceeding your goals with an active lifestyle. Your passion for your projects gives you the energy to succeed without structures or processes in a fluid, fast paced environment.

You value innovation as a business strategy. You constantly imagine new solutions and approaches to problems. You seek contact with consumers to keep you open minded and up to the minute with current trends. For you, flexibility is a way of life.

Your role as a leader means that you create a compelling vision and then communicate it with style and charisma. You’re comfortable debating ideas directly with senior management and defending your point of view. You thrive on the challenge that managing in a diverse, international environment brings.

Finally you are in touch with our profession through your sensitivity to our products and our market. Your enthusiasm for the arts, design or fashion fuels your passion for our world and your fascination with beauty products and brands.

What questions will I be asked? Your interview will be competency based and we’ll be looking for evidence of when you have displayed the attributes described above in your previous experience. Alongside these competency based questions, we often ask candidates to take a look at some of our products in the interview, review advertising or discuss products or brands that they have found particularly striking.

Will I get feedback? We aim to give feedback to every experienced hire candidate that we interview.

What hints could help me prepare? You should certainly spend some time browsing our internet site at www.loreal.com in order to get a fuller picture of our organisation. As well as this, it is really valuable to visit a store where our products are sold and see the brands on shelf for yourself.