Lowe Lintas makes bold HR play outside metros

The agency has instituted an Apprenticeship Programme (LLAP), an 18-month course starting August 1, 2012, to tap talent from the smaller cities

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | June 13, 2012

Lowe Lintas + Partners has always supported budding talent in the marketing communication industry, be it hosting the latest edition of Portfolio Night 10 or conducting courses in affiliation with leading educational institutes. The objective has always been to identify and train the best talent available that eventually contributes towards the growth of the marketing communication industry.

Keeping this in mind, Lowe Lintas + Partners has instituted the Lowe Lintas Apprenticeship Programme (LLAP), an 18-month course starting August 1, 2012, for freshers keen to make their mark in marketing communications.

Moving away from the beaten track of recruiting from ranked B-schools, Lowe Lintas took a different route and tapped into the potential from institutes and colleges in smaller cities like Aligarh, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Jakhama, Mangalore, Ranchi and Shillong. Graduate and post-graduate students with backgrounds as varied as computer science, physics, commerce, dentistry, management, economics, engineering and journalism were invited to participate.

The institutes were evaluated basis the faculty and management focus on the overall development of students, opportunities for self-expression provided, and where students were focused on achieving excellence rather than a singular emphasis on placements.

Of the total applicants, 25 students will get a chance to train for 18 months at Lowe Lintas + Partners. Basis their performance and ability to excel on the job, these apprentices stand a chance to secure a permanent job at Lowe Lintas + Partners. During their apprenticeship the students will be provided with a stipend along with accommodation in Mumbai.

Joseph George, CEO, Lowe Lintas + Partners, said, “This is an important and exciting talent initiative for the company which is investing a significant amount of time and resources in this course. The programme will be intensive, practical, and represents an absolutely unique opportunity to tap into the tremendous potential of the smaller cities of India. The group of students finally selected will represent extreme diversity – different academic pursuits, varied socio-economic backgrounds, and come from different parts of the country with personalities and interests that are divergent. But what is common is the hunger to achieve, the willingness to put their all into this programme with the unshakeable belief that they will succeed.”

More than 3,000 students participated in the selection. The selection procedure was rigorous and involved a variety of techniques. Written tests for flexibility in ideas, fluency of thought, grammar, logic in communication and creative expression were administered. This was followed by multiple rounds of interviews – group interviews, in-depth personal interviews and panel interviews with business and creative heads – before the final selection was made.

"On the job training interspersed with frequent classroom sessions on a wide range of topics related to creative thinking, branding, consumer insight generation, advertising appreciation, and design combined with reading assignments, and hands-on experience on live accounts with an exposure to sales, ensure a packed 18 months,” said Michelle Suradkar, HR Director, Lowe Lintas + Partners.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

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