Stories

Mon, 07 Sep 2026

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 'I performed on stage to get my first job' - the firms turning recruitment into competitions

Applicants have to pitch their ideas on stage in front of a panel of judges and an audience. But is this exciting or unfair?

* Yumi Liberman, a 24-year-old with severe dyslexia, won a full-time job with L'Oreal after pitching her business idea in the company's Brandstorm competition.
* The competition, which has been running for over two decades, attracts thousands of applicants worldwide but only offers jobs to a select few.
* Critics argue that such competitions can create economic discrimination and favor those from financially strong backgrounds who have the time and resources to participate.
* Psychologist Amanda Potter also suggests that recruiting via competition events tends to favor extroverts and may discourage quieter personality types from applying.
* However, Liberman argues that she benefited from going through a formal competition structure and was able to avoid unemployment after finishing university.
* L'Oreal claims that the Brandstorm competition helps attract a wider range of potential recruits, including those who might not have considered working for the company otherwise.