LVMH Casts Wide Net With Third Edition of Recruitment Fair
PARIS — LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is casting its net ever wider in the search for young talents.
Faced with a chronic shortage of skilled workers, the world’s biggest luxury group on Wednesday kicked off the third edition of its “You and ME” recruitment roadshow, drawing a record 3,000 people to the opening day event at the Carreau du Temple in Paris.
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In a bid to reach more potential candidates, LVMH advertised the initiative with a poster campaign in the Paris subway and enlisted the help of more than a dozen influencers to drum up engagement.
LVMH, which owns brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Sephora and Tiffany & Co., aims to recruit 22,000 people by the end of 2025. More than 3,500 positions, ranging from block release apprenticeships to permanent contracts, are available to be filled via the job fair, which will make four additional stops in France and three in Italy.
There are 280 skilled trades represented across the group’s 75 brands, many of which are not well known or understood. Some sectors, like retail and hospitality, have struggled to recruit since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The skills gaps have never been as important globally,” Chantal Gaemperle, group executive vice president of human resources and synergies at LVMH, told WWD.
“It is truly a strategic priority for us to have the best people,” she added, noting that the group posted strong results in the fourth quarter. “We have needs, and these needs can be met by people who perhaps haven’t considered working for us.”
The campaign displayed in outdoor advertising and newspaper ads underlines the notion of handover, portraying experienced staffers alongside an apprentice.
Alexandre Boquel, head of development for LVMH’s Métiers d’Excellence division, said the feedback has been positive. “People understand that ultimately, learning a skilled profession at LVMH also means being supported by a tutor who will complete theoretical learning through transmission in a very human, very personal way,” he said.
As usual, the fair featured stands where skilled craftspeople offered demonstrations on everything from leatherworking to cosmetics formulation. Human resources representatives were also on hand to guide potential applicants through the process.
“We really made a point of developing this support, precisely because we realize that many people are attracted to these professions but sometimes struggle with a lack of information on how to train for these jobs,” Boquel said.
“Each of our craftspeople is flanked by someone from human resources from the house who is there to explain what training programs are required, but also to help people write a CV and ace their job interviews. We even offer coaching workshops,” he said, noting that there is a dedicated app for follow-up advice.
Gaemperle put the accent on the regional initiatives, which will see the fair make stops in Orléans, a hub for leather goods manufacturing; Reims, a center for wines and spirits production; Lyon, the traditional home of the French silk industry, and Clichy-sous-Bois, an economically disadvantaged suburb of Paris that is a long-term partner of the initiative.
“Paris is home to many of our houses, but we have a lot of economic activity across the country and I think that is a strong message to put across,” Gaemperle said, noting that 64 percent of jobs generated by LVMH in France are based outside the Paris region.
“You and ME” will also alight in the Italian cities of Florence, Padua and Naples. The latter is a new addition to the circuit, and a hub for Dior’s leather goods division, as well as an important recruitment area for LVMH’s Belmond hospitality division.
Gaemperle said the message that LVMH wants to send, via influencers like vintage fashion enthusiast Zoé Hotuqui, or Emmanuelle Sits, a luxury expert known for her signature green nails, is that everyone is welcome.
“Our priority is to be able to attract, retain and grow the best talent. It’s what fuels the performance of the group and sustains our leadership position,” she said.
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