Twitterview with Stephanie Lilak
Today we kicked off something new for us, a “Twitterview.”
If you’re not familiar with the concept, a Twitterview means we ask the questions on Twitter (our account is @GeneralMills), and our interviewee answers them in 140 characters or less.
Each tweet ends with our hashtag of #genmillstv, so it’s easy to follow along as the conversation unfolds.
Our first Twitterview subject was Stephanie Lilak, the chief staffing officer at General Mills (also known as @GMills_Steph on Twitter).
It was a fun half-hour or so, and we’ll do another one soon!
Here’s a transcript, as it appeared online, abbreviated words and all:
Question #1: Where did you grow up, go to college, first job?
Lilak: Started life in Seattle; Spent formative years in Wisconsin where I eventually went to college at U of WI-Madison
First job was making doors in a factory on second shift; Was a main factor in landing my first HR job …
Then I had an (unpaid) HR internship at a local HMO; after graduation, joined Cooper Industries’ HRLDP program
Question #2: How long have you been at General Mills, what’s your role?
Lilak: Joined General Mills 15 years ago; Have had a number of different roles – HRM in plants, Plant Manager …
HR leader in Supply Chain, Marketing, International and now Talent Acquisition. Have been in current role 3 yrs
Lead recruiting teams for both University & Experienced Professionals; also am HR Leader for Law & HR functions
Question #3: How is recruiting structured at General Mills?
Lilak: Two main recruiting practices – University and Experienced; RMs are aligned by functions (like Finance, HR…)
Question #4: How do you identify the best candidates for jobs at General Mills?
Lilak: Sourcing strategies are built for each function; some mix of University and Experienced hires. Core schools …
Social media (like LinkedIn), employee referral (this is a really important source) and lots of networking
Selection process is multi step – phone itvw, on site interviews, critical thinking & personality assessments
Question #5: How does your team use social media for its work?
Lilak: Integral part of all RMs(Recruiting managers) jobs; each channel has its purpose; LinkedIn – passive sourcing, questions, job postings
Facebook – engagement, company info, advice; Twitter – aggregating all news & info plus streaming at events
YouTube – company information, day in the life. Love connecting and engaging with folks in any of these channels
Question #6: Where can potential hires learn more about careers at General Mills?
Lilak: Find out about our careers at http://jobs.generalmills.com all social media sites noted earlier, university events …
…and conference and networking events; we also invite employees to bring friends to an annual event at GMI HQ
Question 7: What is your number one interview tip?
Lilak: Do Your Homework! Makes a very good impression when you can ask informed and thoughtful questions.
Question #8: What piece of advice do you have for a new employee who is looking to jumpstart his/her career?
Lilak: Focus on delivering great results. Keep in mind to take initiative, Ask questions or for help, Find a mentor
Question #9: Let’s go back to the job search, what’s your best tip?
Lilak: Use all the resources that are available – career services, social media channels, professional networking …
Get the word out about your search and be as specific as possible about what you are looking for … make connections
Question #10: Last question, what are your favorite General Mills products or brands?
Lilak: Our Greek Yogurt!! So good! Plus, Haagen-Dazs, Progresso, Granola Thins, Turtle Chex Mix … Oh, & GG Steamers
Editor’s note: Who at General Mills should we feature in our next Twitterview? Leave us your suggestion in the comments.
