My First 6 Days in Beiersdorf Nigeria by Abosede Adeniran

January 15th 2018 marked the beginning of my Beiersdorf journey – learning about core values, company culture and gaining friends among colleagues.

Starting this story from the beginning- when the recruiting process started. I was informed by a senior colleague that a company was looking to fill the role of a HRBP (HR Business Partner) for its Production Centre and he was of the opinion that it would be a great opportunity for me. After some considerations, major being the opportunity to build from scratch, I asked to be considered along with other candidates. Shortly after, I have received a call from a nice lady from HR saying that my resume grabbed her attention and would like to do an online assessment test for the HRBP role. After passing the online test rounds of interviews began. First I spoke with the Head of HR in Nigeria, afterward the Country Manager and subsequently the HR Director in Kenya and finally, the Vice President of my region in Dubai. After each round of interviews, I was more impressed by the level of professionalism and details they paid to me. At each stage, I was asked about my professional experience as well as what motivates me. I found this particularly interesting because it showed that the company was looking to hire a well-rounded person. By the time the interviews were over, I had learnt so much about Beiersdorf and its core values. I wondered about exactly how these core values translated to the daily activities of the business.

On the 15th of January 2018, I arrived at the Corporate Office in my skirt suite ready for the new and exciting challenge. The entire team gave me a warm welcome – back then it seemed too good to be true! Even my HR contact from Kenya joined me here in order to guide me through the high-level details and her expectations for my position. In addition, I was immediately appointed to my buddy that helped me to get around the office, relaxation areas and also to meet new colleagues.

My first round of introduction finished slightly before noon, just one time for collective “planking”. At first, I was surprised that everyone in the office needs to “plank” but in few moments I understood that this activity is a part of our commitment to wellness initiative. Although I came in my skirt suite this did not save me from physical activity on the first day. During my very long 1 minute plank, I remembered the many different questions I was asked during the interview to assess my response to such an environment and it’s uncommon activities.

Planking was not a one off activity, every time I was in the corporate office we all, Country Manager inclusive, had to take time off to stretch and re-focus. The dedication of the leadership team to this activity was un-paralleled.

The first working week passed and I already felt integrated into the team and spent my first weekend with them. We spent time creating even stronger bonds within the team over a pleasant quarterly team walk. Although being eager to guide my team, in one moment of the walk I decided to shift my strategy and lead the team from behind.

After only one week of working at Beiersdorf I was able to say that I was glad to join such a great team. The atmosphere was filled with so much passion for the brand and caring for people. I was sure I had made the right choice. I saw that the core values were not merely posted on the walls but interwoven into the daily activities. More importantly, I made a decision during that walk to ensure that the spirit of the team is preserved. I strongly believe that as the HRBP, I would play a huge part in this. For starters, I intend to build the employer brand so much that no other applicant would ask twice for the company’s name. As you can already imagine, by the end of my first week, I was already so well integrated into the team, it felt like I had been there 3 months.

In January 2018, Abosede joint Beiersdorf’s affiliate in Lagos, Nigeria as Human Resources Business Partner. With the words “After the first few hours, you become family,” she once described her first days with the company thus hinting at her passion for showcasing Beiersdorf as an employer of choice. As a member of Beiersdorf’s LinkedIn editorial team, she enriches our global career stories by providing insights into the great spirit and working environment of Beiersdorf Nigeria.