Stephanie Kramer has spent the majority of her 20-year beauty career working for L’Oreal, first in marketing and now as the chief HR officer of the company’s North America operations.
Given the work she does to build and develop her team, she knows how to spot a good hire.
Kramer says she looks for candidates who are aware of the brand’s values, including passion, innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, open-mindedness, quest for excellence and responsibility. She says she doesn’t just want people to rattle these phrases off, but rather hear how they personally connect with them.
“I’m looking for a natural affinity,” she tells CNBC Make It. “I’m not looking for someone to try to fit to the values because that’s what they think I want to hear. I want them to feel it.”
For innovation, for example, she wants to know: “Where are they getting ideas? How are they sharing them with others? How are they helping to snowball when someone has a good idea, how have they made it better together?”
