Category: Human Resources

Early Careers, Human Resources, Undergraduate, United Kingdom

The Networks at JLR create a sense of community

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

Q: What position did you start in and what is your position now? Please describe your current responsibilities. 

I am currently on the HR (People Experience) undergraduate programme, working in the Performance and Reward Transformation team. Currently, I am primarily focused on supporting my team as we navigate and implement changes to JLR’s performance and recognition approaches.

Q: Are you involved in any other projects / networks? If so, please describe what they are and what your contributions are. 

At JLR I am a part of both the Christian network and GEN (Gender Equality Network). Although JLR is such a big company, these networks really help to create a sense of community and help you meet a variety of people from across the company. Also, networks provide you with the chance to engage with exciting opportunities, for example this week I am attending a GEN conference where Erin Baker will be a guest speaker.

Q: What do you like about working here?

JLR has undoubtedly proven to be a place where I can grow both professionally and personally. My manager actively encourages my team to maintain a healthy work-life balance and there is the flexibility to work from home if needed. Additionally, the nature of my role allows me to collaborate with a diverse range of departments and individuals beyond my immediate team – allowing me to broaden my network within the organisation. Furthermore, I really like that there is a strong early careers community at JLR. With a significant number of early career professionals, they have an influential presence at JLR.

Q: What are your career aspirations? Do you feel that you get the necessary support from your management / department to help achieve your learning & development goal? 

At this stage in my career, being an undergraduate and at the very beginning of my professional journey, I am in the fortunate position to be able to explore different career paths. What is great about JLR’s programme is that there is the opportunity to shadow different teams that you are interested in. Therefore, while I am a part of the Performance and Reward Transformation team, I am able to get exposure from many different areas within HR, to explore which department is of greatest interest to myself. My manger and Cohort Lead are incredibly supportive and help to facilitate any interest of mine.

Q: Describe your team / department, and what makes it stand out from our competition? 

I am a part of the ‘Performance and Reward Transformation’ team which sits within the ‘My Recognition and Global Mobility’ team. My team is responsible for the change that occurs within the performance, recognition and pay spaces. At JLR HR is divided into numerous specialised departments, each dedicated to specific areas of expertise. This means that I am able to focus on a particular HR aspect that truly interests me and gain a comprehensive understanding of it. Having said this, if I wanted a more general understanding there is the flexibility to support other teams if I wanted to.

Q: Tell us 3 interesting facts about yourself.

– In my free time I like to go to the gym
– My very first car was a Toyota Aygo (hopefully my next will be a Range Rover Sport 😊)
– I am currently learning French

Q: What hints and tips can you share with the potential candidates who are going through the application / interview process? 

During the interview, be yourself and provide honest responses. Authenticity shines through and will leave a positive impression on your interviewers. Highlight your genuine enthusiasm for the role and your true motivations for wanting to work at JLR.

Early Careers, Human Resources, People, Undergraduate

Human Resources Undergraduate – Joe Thompson

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

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.

Early Careers, Human Resources, People, Undergraduate

Human Resources Undergraduate – Yasmin Froud

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

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

During the first couple of weeks of my placement, I largely spent time shadowing my line manager to immerse me in the business, in order to contextualise myself with the way in which the business operates, the key workstreams, customer groups and the culture of the business, alongside being introduced to some key contacts. Since starting, I have seen my role develop in terms of responsibility, autonomy and the level of independence and trust put into me by my team. Initially, I received a lot of guidance and support to check that everything was going okay, whereas nine months in, I am instead receiving advice where needed, due to my development in the role. Now, I feel able to perform in my role off my own initiative, with support there as and when required from the relevant people, having built relationships with various stakeholders in the business.

How would you describe a typical working day?

Every day is different for me. Some days I will be working in the office, some meeting colleagues at our different sites, and some a combination of both! The office is a relaxed environment with hot-desking facilities, so you can work alongside a different team member each day. The OneHR collaboration space is an easy casual meeting area, to take discussions away from the desks, helping to break up the day which keeps everyone active and engaged. I undertake a variety of tasks throughout the week, making my role very diverse, including desk-based tasks and working with my customer groups, Global Corporate Functions, alongside my team.

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

I worked on a project to create excellence awards for one of the corporate functions. I was proud to be part of this project because I knew it was to make a difference to individuals within the function, and ensure they are recognised for their positive behaviours in the workplace. As part of this, I developed the awards alongside employees from the function, and communicated with the leadership team and key stakeholders to gain support and momentum ready for the awards to be implemented in the coming months.

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

The best things about my experience on the Undergraduate Programme at Jaguar Land Rover is the exposure to real business problems. It has given me an insight into the diverse activities undertaken by the function for an international business. This opportunity has exceeded my expectations in terms of the autonomy and responsibility placed upon me, but also the support network available to deal with any challenges. The most significant difference, was that I expected an extremely corporate environment, when in fact everyone is welcoming and it is a great environment to work in.