Companies Turn Recruitment Into High-Stakes Competitions

Yumi Liberman, now 24, recently secured a marketing management traineeship with L’Oréal after standing on stage in London before 300 spectators. Rather than singing or dancing, she and two partners pitched a haircare app concept at the UK final of Brandstorm, an international business competition hosted by the cosmetics giant. Although only the top global team receives guaranteed employment, Liberman impressed senior executives enough to earn a place on the traineeship program.

These X Factor-style recruitment drives offer companies significant publicity and help them discover talent that might not otherwise apply. However, the model raises questions about fairness in an era of elevated youth unemployment. In the UK, the youth unemployment rate stands at 16.2%, significantly higher than the national average of 4.9%.

L’Oréal noted that its competition attracted 380,000 applicants globally this year, a 58% increase from the previous year. Yet, with only a handful of winners, the vast majority receive no tangible benefit. The company argues the format effectively broadens their recruitment pool.

Critics, however, warn of potential inequity. Melissa Alcruz, a former MTV marketer, participated in an internal promotion competition she described as a “bake-off.” Despite winning the role, she criticized the process for demanding substantial unpaid work outside her full-time duties, calling it intimidating even for experienced professionals.

Katrina Collier, a former recruitment consultant, highlighted concerns about “economic discrimination.” She argued that requiring candidates to invest months of free time disadvantages those without financial support, potentially excluding talented individuals from lower-income backgrounds.

Jamie Kohn of Gartner observed that while competition-based hiring is likely permanent because it simplifies candidate evaluation, employers should provide feedback to help all participants grow. Psychologist Amanda Potter added that such formats may favor extroverts, potentially skewing workforce diversity.

Liberman, who lives with severe dyslexia, countered that traditional assessments would have been more difficult for her. She emphasized that the competition allowed her to bypass periods of unemployment that have affected many of her equally qualified peers.