Ihr habt euch schon immer gefragt, wie Firmen ihre Bewerbungsprozesse meistern? Auf was wird besonders geachtet und welches sind absolute No-Gos? Wir haben mit Christilla Chapelain, Human Resources Director bei Lengow, gesprochen, um genau das für euch herauszufinden. Viel Spaß beim Lesen!

Interview – Christilla Chapelain, Director Human Resources bei Lengow

OnlineMarketing.de: Please introduce yourself and your company in a few words.

Christilla Chapelain: Christilla Chapelain, HR director at Lengow. I joined Lengow in 2014 and one thing is sure: so many things have happened since! It is an exciting professional adventure in this innovating, challenging and multicultural environment. In 2014 there were 50 employees. Today, the environment is completely different, and we have 2 offices: one in Nantes with 85 people and one in Paris with 55 employees from 20 different countries. I cannot even imagine what the company will be like in 2017!  Who knows? A lot of challenges to come and great candidates to find!

I work with my team on staff recruitment, development, and consulting the management board and executives as to all personal and industry law matters.

For those who don’t know Lengow yet: Lengow was founded in 2009 and our platform helps improve online retailers’ profitability and visibility around the world on all broadcasting channels: marketplaces, comparison shopping engines, affiliate platforms and display/retargeting advertising. As the French market leader, Lengow is growing its international presence. We already support more than 3500 merchants in 45 countries across the globe.

Which recruitment channels do you use at Lengow?

To recruit international profiles, we try to adapt to each market. For example, to recruit German speakers, we have to be active on XING. We search for specific profilers and compete with numerous other businesses. It’s up to us to stand out and look for candidates.

Of course, we use traditional channels such as LinkedIn to place adverts and to find candidates directly. We also work with recruitment agencies, and use other websites like Indeed. We also work a lot with our Communication Team to showcase our work environment on our social networks (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter). It gives a great vision of our spirit and helps attract the new generation!

Most of all, we value recommendations from our employees highly. They are our best, most efficient channels!

What are typical errors in job applications?

As we are dealing with international profiles and multi-lingual candidates, applicants to Lengow sometimes claim they are fluent in a certain language, but then during the interview, struggle to hold a conversation in said language. This is a big red flag.

However, the recruitment process and candidates have changed a lot over the last few years and now we see different, original, structured or designed applications, according to profiles. There are no defined rules at Lengow. Above all, we are looking for potential and charisma.

The question is not whether there are any deal-breaking errors. Instead, I would say that we observe the way candidates carry themselves, and try to figure out their skills. If I have to give advice, it would be, ‘be yourself and learn to sell your skills efficiently and effectively.’

What is the typical application process at Lengow?

The first step is to create a clear and honest job offer. It’s important for us to give all the information about the profile we are looking for. It will help candidate to understand better our expectations.

Then our process is quite classical: a first selection based on profile. All candidates receive an answer from us, even if it’s negative. Then a second selection by phone: 15 minutes to exchange and understand the candidate expectations and clarify some points of the resume.

If that goes well, we schedule a face-to-face interview with someone from HR and the applicant’s potential new manager; for example, if the candidate is applying for the role of German Business Developer, the Team Manager will sit in on the interview. For more senior positions, our COO will be present. We want to be as transparent as possible so that the applicant knows exactly what to expect working at Lengow, and can also meet their future manager.

Give us the inside track: what does a potential candidate have to do to leave a lasting impression?

I like well-structured argumentations. I appreciate knowledge about Lengow, our competitors and the digital industry. In terms of personality, a candidate must have an overall positive attitude, and be motivated, and this has to show during the interview. It is great when a candidate has cool ideas for his/her future position, as this shows that they have already thought ahead to their potential role and can make a positive difference. I would say: ”Have fun during your interview, be confident and show us all your potential for the role!”

What leaves you speechless in an interview?

Nothing! I am a chatterbox, but it is really impressive when a candidate has a deep understanding of Lengow, our competitors and the market that we operate in.  So it is a perfect occasion to get to know the candidate better! I love to discover new profiles, experiences and talented people from various backgrounds.

What makes working at Lengow unique?

Every day is a new day! Lengow is a fast growing and international company. We have 20 nationalities working together; if you love languages and different cultures, this is really the place to be.  We are also a very young company with an average age of just 29, and there is no hierarchy within the dynamic working atmosphere. Lengow provides a working environment which thrives on individual performance. There is a real willingness on the part of the management team to work with the rest of the company to create a motivating and pleasurable working environment. Lengow’s strength lies in the diversity of our employees who all work individually to contribute to our overall development.

Thank you for the Interview.

Interesse geweckt? Hier geht’s zu den Stellenanzeigen von Lengow.

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