Placement Year Review at Lidl

The Role

Role Description

The placement gives an overall look at the organisation: from stacking the shelves, to running the store, from experiencing the warehouse to property. There's a real mix of work environments and tasks to give an overview of the company as a whole.

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I have really enjoyed the placement and if I had my time again I would definitely choose Lidl. There were times when I became bored and unchallenged by the role but its down to you to push yourself in the direction you want to go.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I was lucky in that the majority of staff I came across, in store, warehouse, property etc, were all really friendly and welcoming. A few were resentful due to the experiences placement students have (i.e. head office, warehouse) as they haven't experienced them. It was nice to be able to inform the staff of why things are done in a certain way.

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Both my head office contact and district manager were available to help me if I had any questions, queries or problems I couldn't solve myself.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

In-store there is no time to be bored. There is a constant flow of tasks to be done due to staffing levels which keeps the workplace interesting. The jump from Sales to Property is a large one as the workplace seems less pressured.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Responsibility is given from Day 1, even little things like checking the quality of fruit and veg and dates on meat and poultry. Within a few months I was taking keys home for the store and the safe, and carrying out the management responsibilities throughout the shift. At first its very daunting to delegate tasks out to people who are older than you and more experienced but it becomes like second nature with practice. Independent tasks were assigned to me throughout my District Manager training and whilst in Property, both areas of which I have no experience. Trust is put in you from Day 1 and in turn they expect a lot.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I think the skills I have learnt will remain with me throughout life and be taken to any employment after the year. They are invaluable and I feel my skills would not have been developed the same had I been successful anywhere else. Confidence, communication, numeracy, time management, people management, health and safety, conflict and disputes - all these can now be transferred to either a different post inside Lidl or externally with another company.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There's never a dull moment in store due to the low numbers of staff, the customers, the general day to day tasks that need to be carried out and the staff you work with. Ideally you'd be placed in stores like I was where everyone got on well and you could have banter with your colleagues.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I think the organisation of the placement was overall well organised. The placement book contains all the information for both myself and my superiors, but not enough people had copies of the book before I arrived, so they were unprepared and didn't really know what to do with me sometimes. Some of the regions had different experiences and chances to others, but on the whole I was impressed with how smooth things ran.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I think the company has invested a lot of time, effort and money in to myself throughout the 48weeks. Store management took their time to train me up to a high standard following procedure in a relatively short space of time. Lidl invested the time and money in to me and helped me obtain a personal alcohol licence which can be used outside of Lidl also. Activity reports documenting everyday experiences helped me to develop my communication and working with numerous teams and departments greatly helped my confidence increase massively.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

• National Travel
• Company Parties/Events
• Above 25 days holiday

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Lidl is a fast paced retailer, and offers many challenging roles. I couldn't imagine not working there to be honest and I would love to join again after I have graduated, with the overall aim of becoming a District Manager of 4-5 stores.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The regular Placement Student meetings held at Leatherhead were really beneficial as it gave us all chance to meet, discuss any problems, share concerns or worries and socialise with people who are experiencing the same things.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I lived at home and commuted to both store and warehouse and regional offices so I found the salary really really good. Travel costs are covered also.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Again I lived at home so socialised on the weekends as there wasn't time for a social life around working hours.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Regular meetings at Leatherhead with the other placement students were really good. Christmas parties held by stores and districts were really good too, as were the District Manager christmas parties where the senior management teams attend. I regret not attending these as it would have given me more time to network and socialise with senior management.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

Forget what you know of Lidl now and apply for the real management responsibilties, the experience and the salary. Lidl pay well so they expect a lot in return. Worth taking the chance.

Review 20/25 for Lidl

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