Background

Offering competitive prices and quality products, Lidl NI credits its success as Northern Ireland’s favourite discounter to its dedicated and committed workforce.

What Lidl Northern Ireland did

With growing market share and expansion, Lidl’s recruitment needs increased significantly and, with employment prospects at all time low in Northern Ireland, it decided to address both of these issues.

The ‘Getting into Retail’ programme was launched in 2014 and initiated by Lidl NI’s Regional Director and Executive Team in order to tackle youth employability. Working collaboratively with The Prince’s Trust, the programme gives at risk and hard to reach young people a platform to develop both personally and professionally. Participants follow a robust programme involving interviews, inductions, training, mentoring with high performing Lidl employees and progression monitoring. All participants are given opportunities to develop tangible skills such as CV writing and successful participants are given employment contracts with the retailer.

Members of the Senior Management team actively involve themselves in this initiative through programme promotion, involvement in the recruitment interviews and selection, monitoring progress, celebrating success with participants and equipping store teams through support and training.

Impacts and outcomes

• 67 young people supported on the programme since 2014
• 32 young people offered posts
• 23 young people are currently still employed with the retailer
• Over £20,000 invested in each cycle by Lidl – two cycles run each year

To find out more, email leah.mcconnell@lidl.ie