Expanding Into Corporate Affairs & Communications

How did you find out about the organisation?​

I found out about L&K Asia via attending a physical career fair at my university. You Hong, a senior Graduate Trainee seemed very approachable and friendly at the booth, so I took the step forward to ask him more about the company and the Graduate Trainee Programme and the rest was history.​

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What made you join?​

The organisation’s sourcing role for one of the largest retail chain in the world piqued my interest to learn more about the business. I felt there was much to be discovered about our supply chain activities to understand what contributes to our smooth operations given the huge scale of our production volumes. Most importantly, I am curious and stand with the company's mission statement - producing quality products at the lowest costs possible. Furthermore, I like that the Graduate Trainee Programme provides me exposure to experience different roles within the company via rotations, equipping an Accounting graduate like myself with different perspectives to better grasp the business model and find a role that suits me the best.​

Which rotations have you been in?​

My rotations include Home Textiles Merchandising, Human Resources, Sportswear Product Development and finally Corporate Affairs and Communications. ​

Home Textiles Merchandising​

My day-to-day job scope includes sending and tracking samples that are sent to and received from important stakeholders like our factories and buyers. In preparation for negotiation, I also assisted by updating information such as quantity and styles for the SOV so that the merchandisers can readily review information with the buyers. ​

Human Resources ​

I was attached to Learning and Development (L&D) , as well as helping out Talent Acquisition (TA).  ​

For L&D, some staple tasks include maintaining the SuccessFactors learning classes (e.g., creating and scheduling e-learning lessons for our colleagues.) I was more heavily involved in projects here, such as researching for apt and beneficial Linkedin courses for our colleagues for a structured programme. Another one involved test-running and troubleshooting a Macro programme for extracting statistics related to Linkedin learning, in which I had an opportunity to collaborate with a German L&D from LINT. ​

In TA, apart from screening job applicants and scheduling interviews,  I had a part to play in preparing collaterals for a digital career booth that I was tasked to set up. I gained a better understanding of how a TA specialist interacts with potential candidates via attending at career fair at LaSalle - definitely reward to be able to share my experience and understanding with the young students. ​

Sportswear Product Development ​

To let me develop my aptitude for research and creativity, my manager Betty provided me the avenue in supporting a range of research into new trends, innovations and product ideas. Not only was it fun and novel to see what flashy sports apparel is currently popular,  it was definitely an enriching and valuable to be able to analyse what new elements (e.g fabric technology) our competitors are incorporating into their products. My essential tasks also include preparing for walkthrough presentations in the showroom to showcase our upcoming products for each selection to our operational directors and occasionally buyers. I also provide support in terms of tracking status of product development workflow and providing updates from stakeholders. ​

Corporate Affairs and Communications​

There are 2 aspects to my final rotation - firstly Corporate Communication which functions to convey information and one of my focus areas is to generate content for internal and external communication. This includes writing on and taking pictures for corporate events and news to be published on Intranet and Linkedin, as well as hosting Lunchtime Connect as an informative session for different departments. I also performing analysis on social media statistics through social listening tools in order to benchmark against our competitors, as well as  increase and improve our engagement KPIs. Maintaining the intranet and content outlets like the pantry TV is also part of my responsibilities. ​

For Corporate Affairs, it is exciting for me to be able to deep-dive into political communication and analysis to assess the impact of government policy and regulation on the organization’s operations and informing internal stakeholders of the latest developments. I find the work to be more impactful as there is potential for me to better value-add to organisation by conducting due diligence in my research for recommendations and strategies, which will translate into policy operationalisation. I also support in advocacy and networking to engage government stakeholders to influence policies that align with the company goals, as well as CSR work to build company reputation and image. ​

Wen Chong, first from the right, with Corporate Affairs & Communications & Sustainability​

How did you feel about the Graduate Trainee Programme?​

I like that the Graduate Trainee Programme provides us full flexibility into charting our own paths. We are able to experience a role for an apt period of 8 months and based on what we skillets prefer to develop on or seek to learn, we can specify the role we are keen to go into next. This way, we can establish the inter-connectivity amongst the different departments to gain a better understanding of the business, which can also better prepare us for future roles. We are also not restricted by what we studied in university and are free to explore different areas of interest for our overall development. 

What are the key highlights?​

Supplier Roadshow ​

During my rotation in Sportswear Product Development, my GM Ariana gave me an opportunity to support in the coordination of the supplier roadshow she was in charge of. As we were hosting our huge pool of suppliers over the span of 2 days, I was tasked to ensure logistics and facilities were adequate for smooth running of the event. Facilitating the movement of suppliers and stakeholders, as well as the programme flow was also crucial that everything goes according to schedule. It was also through this event that I got to interact with my Graduate Trainee juniors who had just joined us for a few days, and better understood their working style via some delegating tasks to them. Most importantly, this was the perfect chance to catch a glimpse of an enriching exchange between our suppliers and our commercial teams like Sourcing and Product Development. ​

Co-hosting a unique Townhall when CEO of Lidl International and Head of Purchasing visited Singapore ​

Stakeholder management is an important aspect of Corporate Affairs and Communications and I gained valuable experience being involved in my first ever townhall hosting the CEO of Lidl International Kenneth McGrath and Board member, Christoph Pohl. I played a part in ensuring their sharing went smoothly first understanding the business content that was prepared so that I can confidently navigate the presentation according to their speech and references. I was grateful to learn alongside Sab, Manager for IT Service & Support in providing appropriate preparation for this event and knowing how to respond quickly to interruptions or changes in plans. Overall, I think the event went rather smoothly with smiles on our guests' faces captured in the group photo! ​

Making a tiktok ​

Within the same department, I also got to try my hand at generating market materials for our buyers, who specifically requested for a Tiktok video to showcase our upcoming products. As such, I had to put on a different thinking cap outside of my usual job scope to come up with a storyboard that best fits our conceptual themes. It was an ad-hoc project that allowed me to unleash my creativity, by experimenting with different angles, movements and soundtracks. It was a good first hands-on experience to learn how popular social media tools Tiktok appeals to audience as well as video-editing for such content using Capcut. It felt like a win for me as another buyer requested for a second Tiktok video too after seeing the first! ​

What have you experience about the culture?​

I like the warm and open environment in the company - the friends and colleagues always greet you with smiles whenever you meet them in the pantry or along the corridors. No matter what your role, title or experience level is, the people here are passionate about their work and are more than happy to share about what they do with you. ​

There is also a vibrant and diverse culture here - we are always enthusiastic about the different activities  (big or small, regardless of race, religion or gender) we have throughout the year, such as Pride Month and festivities like Hari Raya Puasa. Personally, I look forward to having a good time with my colleagues at futsal every week - not only is it healthy to sweat it out but also a great way to bond with them. Since we have offshore offices such as in Vietnam, Bangladesh, this gives us opportunities to go beyond just our local office to get to know them as well through various events and collaborations, which is an eye-opening experience. ​

The culture here is also flexible in working benefits such as being able to plan work-from-home arrangements and not mandatory to produce medical certificate when you are sick for 1-2 days. This is really possible due to the trust we have between the reporting managers and the employee - being able to gain convenience and leeway yet able produce quality work. ​

Secondly, create a community with your  fellow GTs! Whether the GTs are my seniors, juniors or peers, they have been my pillar of support for the past 2 years. It may not be easy to transit into working life once you have graduated, and they are the ones who can offer you help professionally or emotionally whenever you are facing difficulties. They are also a source of laughter and joy, be it at every catch-up session or company event. I am grateful to have a strong bond with them as they have been there for me every step of the way. ​

The third advice would be to develop an open and big-picture mindset.  ​

Find the bigger purpose behind any task assigned, no matter how granular or regular it may seem. By understanding the intention of a task, you will find motivation and even a better way to challenge the process. ​

Don't be afraid of challenges and step out of your comfort zone! There may be  ad-hoc projects for you to take on, apart from your day-to-day work. Although it may seem like an increase in workload, as long as expectations and the schedule are properly communicated with your reporting line managers, I think they will be more than happy to support in your endeavours. This is a good opportunity to acquire new skillsets and pushes you think out of the box to problem-solve, in which you really "level up" after its completion. ​

What makes you passionate?​

As I'm also part of the Social Committee that organises activities for the company, I make it a point to participate in most of these events. There are a few memorable ones but I think the one that stood out most to me was the Oktoberfest in 2022. This is because we are used to seeing certain staple events occurring yearly such as Chinese New Year, National Day etc, but Oktoberfest was more unique as it showcases the organization’s German roots. I recalled helping with the decoration - white and blue wallpapers and balloons were abound. Our colleagues were fully immersed in the occasion as some of them were donned in traditional German costumes. We also had the chance to enjoy authentic German cuisine and beer tap with our colleagues. It was a joyous occasion as we unwind and chatted with our colleagues over good food and drinks. ​

There was also an Amazing Race held shortly after our SG office move. I felt this was a rather fun event as it was rather big-scale as the race involved colleagues our offshore offices as well. Hence we had a day of fun with our colleagues albeit virtually, as we got to see them in pictures of different checkpoints at iconic locations. There was also bonding and teamwork involved as we had to coordinate how the checkpoints are assigned to each member as some tasks may be easier to complete due to factors like location, size of team and so on. I felt this made all of us gel together in an enjoyable way to know about one another. ​

Chinese New Year celebration is an event I look forward to annually, as it symbolises the fresh start of the year for all of us. It will always be a bustling "reunion" with our colleagues through a traditional lou-hei and lively lion dance. There will also be a series of events within the celebration period itself, with workshops such as Chinese Greetings Calligraphy, Fortune Cat making, and they vary from year to year so we can anticipate a fun celebratory mood. ​

What advices would you like to share to others to make the most of their Graduate Trainee Programme at Lidl & Kaufland Asia? ​

To my fellow and budding GTs:  Firstly I would say to take ownership of your Graduate Trainee journey in Lidl & Kaufland Asia from Day 1. I think it's okay if you do not have somewhere in mind to go right at the start but you can always identify some present strengths and areas of improvements, and proceed from there. Personally, I think via completing tasks of different nature, length and difficulty in different teams and functions, one can then find his or her inclination and passion towards certain roles. Your mentors and managers are always here to help you as well - so do always get their feedback to improve! Always stay curious and ask questions to learn more. ​

Take the chance to also talk to people from different departments and not to shy away from opportunities, especially from functions you are really interested in. As mentioned earlier, the people in L&K Asia are really approachable, and are always welcome to your buzzing questions. By talking to colleagues from different teams, I felt I actually understood their roles better and this helps in connecting the dots of how our business operates. Even though you may not enter their team, you would have gained a valuable nugget of knowledge and appreciation of how our colleagues play his or her part in the organisation. ​

I think after doing all the above, it will really be the right time to voice out where to go next to inch closer to your goals and targets and how you can value-add to the next team! ​