Placement Student

I saw Lidl was growing and thought the placement would be great exposure for me, and so applied for the placement year and started in September 2018. I started in Logistics, then time in HR in the Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) and Head Office, and spent time in store as Shift Manager. I then asked to come back to the RDC to work in Learning & Development – I was grateful to be listened to.

Working at Lidl has been great. I didn’t feel like a placement student, I felt like part of the team. I was doing so many different things and met amazing people and spoke to other departments to understand Lidl. Your future plans and aspirations are taken into consideration and the support is unreal and has been great! I would have never imagined the professional and personal development I have had at Lidl.

During the interview process, I went to an assessment centre and spoke to various people e.g. placement students and Head of Departments. I felt very comfortable and it felt more like having a conversation instead of an interview.

My biggest challenge has been going from a flexible way of working with assignments at university to working with more of a routine at work. It has prepared me for life after university and helped me with organisation skills. My proudest moment at Lidl was when I worked in Head Office in L&D and I created a story board for diversity in assessment centres. I was given two weeks to complete the task and at the end I presented the project back to the placement students and experience exchanged with the other placement students.

The office atmosphere is different between Head Office and Regional Distribution Centres (RDCs). In the RDCs, it feels like a small family in each department whereas in Head Office, it’s one big family and there is no hierarchy.

There are lots of activities outside of work e.g. we went bowling at the beginning of the placement, Christmas events and summer team events. There is always something going on and it’s great to make friends through these events too. There are also many charity events to raise money for our charity partners and reduce waste.

The culture is a positive environment and rewarding – motivation is unreal. Lidl has a positive approach and recognises that employees have families and have a life outside work and the direction the company is heading is amazing. In store, leadership is emphasised and all positions have ownership; people have pride in their work.

The placement is great to open your eyes in many different ways and gives you great life experience to set your expectations higher. Lidl is fast paced but is a lot of fun and you will learn how to prioritise, delegate your work during a managerial role as well as supporting your team.

You will need a passion for Lidl and passion for your own progression. You will need a can-do attitude; it can be difficult and drive is important and Lidl will provide the rest - training and development. Your background doesn’t matter - everyone is welcome at Lidl, just bring those qualities.