Early Careers, Human Resources, People, Undergraduate

Human Resources Undergraduate – Joe Thompson

How have you seen your role develop since you first started?

I spent the first couple of weeks being given inductions to all the varying functions within Human Resources and I had a number of one-to-one meetings with the members of my direct team. With the support of my line manager, I was then slowly introduced to the projects which my team were involved in. Now, seven months into my placement, I see myself contributing increasingly more, taking ownership of many tasks and even projects.

What was a project you were proud to be part of?

Developing capability frameworks for the organisation and improving the process of recruitment, onboarding and retention of undergraduates. I have also enjoyed hosting focus groups and liaising with internal stakeholders as well as with external companies in order to effectively investigate the area. I also worked on a project around workforce planning, identifying the critical skills required in the business for the future. As part of this project, I particularly enjoyed being given the responsibility of leading a Brexit analysis, where I examined raw retention and application figures to establish trends for future initiatives.

How would you describe the undergraduate community at Jaguar Land Rover?

Through the initial Facebook group, networking lunches and regular social events; it is fair to say that there is certainly an undergraduate community feel at Jaguar Land Rover. I personally live with three other undergraduates from different business areas, two of whom I became friends with originally through the Facebook group set up by the business.

What’s the best thing about being part of the Undergraduate Programme?

I personally believe the best thing about the placement is that not only do you enhance your employability through varied work on such a prestigious brand, but there is also the added prospect of it being a stepping stone onto the graduate scheme.

How would you describe your placement to a friend?

It’s an exciting, tough and tremendously rewarding opportunity to develop myself both technically and interpersonally, largely contributing to enriching my overall employability.