When I was ordering my L’Oreal Age Perfect 9N Light Natural Blonde hair color back in April of 2020, I hadn’t even imagined  one day I would have the opportunity to speak at L’Oreal. That day was November 30, and although I was there to teach, encourage and inspire employees with health and wellness, I myself learned an enormous amount!

L’Oreal’s motto “Because You’re Worth It” is as powerful today as it was at it’s inception 50 years ago. Their marketing continues to speak powerfully to women. “We Stand for All Women Around the World” are the words on their homepage.  And although I use many L’Oreal products (my Voluminous mascara and Revitalift Miracle Blur have kept me fresh on Zoom!), I had never done a deep dive on the organization until this opportunity presented itself.

COVID CLEANLINESS:

One of L’Oreal’s headquarters is located in Berkeley, NJ. This was my first on-site speaking engagement since March 2020. I was told in advance that I would have to show proof of vaccination and exchange my mask for one of L’Oreal’s at the front desk. I applauded them for their efforts to continue to fight the good fight with COVID 19 and happily exchanged my mask. (Personally, I would have loved to see a branded L’Oreal mask with one of their six values and have employees pick their top value for the day – but that’s another story. :) The common areas were either closed off or had strong protocols on how to maintain the space. The COVID signage was everywhere – social distancing, how to wash your hands, spaces on the floor, etc. The environment was top notch when it came to cleanliness.

ENGAGEMENT:

Again, like many companies, L’Oreal is doing their best to get people back to the office. The NYC headquarters opened in June 2020 and L’Oreal has been very clear about getting back to the office. The interesting point from an engagement perspective, is that in the NJ office, people can take two days per week to work from home and it can be any two days of the week. The job market favors the employee at this time, so employers are doing their best to manage all the individual needs of having children, taking care of aging parents, health concerns and overall well-being. I had to step back and assess how I might feel if I came in to work hoping to meet face to face with my supervisor – only to learn this was the day she would be working from home. How much am I truly affected? Would it really impact my individual job performance? Would I be able to stay grounded and focused to complete my tasks while meeting with her on Microsoft Teams?

HEALTH AND WELLNESS:

L’Oreal’s priority is to “be open to the new trends and ideas from around the world, at any time. They believe this to be the “most effective way to be a pioneer.” Therefore, it makes sense for L’Oreal to embrace health and wellness – a decrease in stress levels, an increase in job satisfaction, and an overall sense of a culture of self-care. I spoke with a couple of employees asking them why they enjoyed working at L’Oreal. There is indeed a sense of people are cared for, the company cares for them, there is room to take on responsibility and grow, and of course, the products. :)  I completed the day feeling a sense of peace and hope. L’Oreal is doing an incredible job navigating the ever-changing workplace environment. They continue to add presentations about health and wellness, increasing the feeling that employees are truly working in a culture of self-care and empowerment.

Thank you L’Oreal for an incredible return to live events for this speaker! What a joy to work in a hybrid setting with your powerful Logitech camera following me around while Microsoft Teams shared my PowerPoint. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute my strategies for moving through the pandemic. I look forward to watching you continue to grow your culture of universalization – globalization that captures, understands, and respects differences –

because we are ALL worth it!