Bringing food to life

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Bringing food to life
A career with General Mills UK
Bringing fo
02
General Mills: Bringing food to life
03
04 The brands people love
05 How are we bringing food to life
06 The inside story
08 Getting more all-round
10 More than interested?
What we’re all about
Whether it’s Betty Crocker muffins for breakfast,
Green Giant onyour lunch plate, afternoon pastries
made with Jus-Rol, Old El Paso fajitas for supper or
a Häagen-Dazs treat to round off the day, people love
General Mills products.
TO FOLLOW
- NEW
MARKETING
MANAGER
From left to right:
Linda Hipkiss
Sam Pretty
Simon Luty
We market some of the world’s best
known food brands, whilst developing
new products that will go on to lead
their category. It’s the people within our
business who make this happen, who
are at the centre of our success.
Bright, go-ahead individuals have
distinct goals and ambitions and there’s
the common ground. Our business has
passion and enthusiasm for achievement
running throughout it, as we continue
to build and expand our fast-growing
businesses worldwide. Working with
General Mills, you can count on learning
more and developing your talents all
the time, no matter what your level
of experience.
General Mills traces its roots to
the 1860s and a pair of flour mills on
opposite banks of the Mississippi River.
These two flour mills revolutionised
the milling industry and created the
foundation for General Mills as it
is today.
Now, through our consolidated
businesses, we sell products in more
than one hundred countries, with
offices and manufacturing facilities in
more than thirty countries. This is
how we bring food to life.
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General Mills: Bringing food to life
05
The brands people love
We take pride in building and delivering brands that consumers trust
and products that bring food to life. General Mills brands have been
a part of UK consumers’ everyday lives since the early 1960s, when
Green Giant Niblets sweetcorn was introduced into this country.
Now we offer a whole range of brand names you’ll know.
Old El Paso®
Betty Crocker®
Thanks to Old El Paso everyone can
Quality, taste and value have made
Betty Crocker a consistently popular
Häagen-Dazs
enjoy the taste of authentic Mexican
choice. Great taste and great variety
Natural ingredients and total product
foods at home. Sizzling fajitas and
come in the shape of easy-to-prepare
quality have helped make Häagen-
delicious tacos, enchiladas and nachos
cakes, muffins and other delicious
Dazs the UK’s best loved – and original
are all easy to prepare with Old El Paso
bakery products. The range includes
– luxury ice cream. Häagen-Dazs comes
Dinner Kits. There is also a complete line
Devil’s Food Cake mix, Chocolate Fudge
in classic pints and minicups in the
of cooking sauces, salsas and tortillas.
Brownie mix, Blueberry muffin mix
most indulgent flavours. There are also
Old El Paso makes the lively taste of
and creamy Vanilla icing, found with
category innovations like Cream Crisp.
Mexico easy, fun and delicious.
the rest of the range in many stores.
All these delicious treats are available
Betty Crocker is a firm family favourite
in all types of stores around the world.
– “home-made made easy”.
Additionally, Häagen-Dazs® can be found
Green Giant®
Quite simply, Green Giant is the UK’s
favourite sweetcorn brand – thanks to
its constant high quality, fresh taste and
perfect texture. For over 75 years Green
Giant has been providing one of the five-
®
®
in the heart of London in our flagship
cafe in Leicester Square. They have
an amazing menu selected from our
extensive full range of flavours. When it’s
time for a spot of ‘long lasting pleasure’,
people turn to Häagen-Dazs .
®
JUS-ROL®
We have a passion for pastry and market
the leading frozen pastry brand. With a
little help from Jus-Rol, anyone can create
fantastic starters, meals and desserts
guaranteed to impress family and friends.
Jus-Rol offers a complete range of frozen
and chilled pastry products, including
puff, shortcrust and fillo pastry, as well as
a-day vegetables needed for a healthy,
vol-au-vents and canapés. It’s the perfectly
well balanced diet. It’s free from artificial
delicious helping hand in the kitchen.
additives and preservatives, and full of
valley-fresh goodness.
How are we
bringing food to life?
Our range of quality brands contribute towards a
balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, providing millions
of consumers with choices that fit their lives, help
manage meal times and meet dietary needs. Importantly
we are all dedicated to continuously improving on that
commitment through living our core values.
We believe our food is about more
than its functional benefits. We want
to bring something genuinely different
to the market, work even harder to
understand cooking and cuisine and
collaborate with our customers to
‘bring food to life’ in store.
Acting decisively internally;
competing fiercely externally
We’ve taken time out to look at how we
can build on the all-round success we’ve
already achieved. It’s the values that
underpin everything we do that make
our cross-functional teams effective
on the inside and focused on working
towards a common goal. This makes
us a highly competitive business in the
industry as a whole.
Encouraged to challenge;
empowered to act
We encourage and empower our people
to make decisions. Not being afraid to
make changes, take risks and challenging
the normal way of doing things is what
will see us further evolve and continue
the winning ways of our brands. We
also ensure that the support and training
are in place to enable people to think
innovatively within their roles.
In fact, we create the best possible
environment in which individuals
can achieve personal and wider
business aims.
Showing consideration for others;
integrity in our products and actions
The ongoing growth and integrity of our
existing brands that enhance nutrition,
ease preparation and offer real variety
– plus the development of completely
new brands – is what will see us exceed
expectation and of course, ensure our
products continue to taste great!
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General Mills: Bringing food to life
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Adam Margolin
but great fun, the promotion looked great
As Assistant Brand Manager, I’m at the
on the shelves and combined with TV,
brands here, which is great for us in
heart of everything the Old El Paso brand
posters etc, had a big effect on sales.
marketing! The opportunities exist to
does. I manage relationships with all our
Working for a company doing so well
There’s huge passion for all of the
develop the way you want to in this
Tim Dillon
sales blitz to counter the launch of a rival
I am a Trade Sector Manager in the sales
brand. Even then I gained support across
with healthy, well loved brands. It’s
team, overseeing the national account
sales and marketing to run this hugely
even better to work for a company which
managers who look after our relationships
successful programme – something that
values and supports those brands, with
with the UK’s major grocery chains.
would be far more difficult in a slow
a culture of positivity, learning and
moving organisation.
helping the people around you. I get
There’s a ‘can-do’ attitude throughout
outside agencies – covering advertising,
in a difficult UK market is fantastic and
multi-national company, with numerous
the business, with people always willing
media, packaging and promotions.
being promoted after eleven months was a
brands and international markets.
to help and support others and go the
General Mills trusts its employees
and recognises responsible people:
managers are flexible in regard to hours
and where work is done. There’s also a
fantastic range of people – everyone gets
on really well.
A major highlight was being heavily
involved in the biggest promotional
period in the brand’s history. Hard work
particularly pleasing personal achievement.
Shona Thind
I’m a Marketing Manager for HäagenDazs, working on developing our brand
positioning and the strategies for further
growth in the UK and Europe. I co-
I enjoyed a great opportunity to
extra mile. There’s a genuine passion for
pioneer some work in helping define the
delivering success, and everyone is given
target consumer through personality
the space to turn their ideas into reality.
profiling. Following this initial work for
When I was a temporary merchandiser
Häagen-Dazs, the company is now using
right at the beginning of my career,
this methodology on other key brands.
I came up with the idea to carry out a
I am a Trade Sector Manager working in
multiples for Old El Paso. In my eighth
year, my main tasks are to ensure my
sector delivers revenue and profit targets,
and to develop my team and drive
significant sales and profit growth.
and agencies, creating advertising and
communications that support the brand.
a buzz from working with my team
Trevor Callander
ordinate and lead cross-functional teams
“There’s also a fantastic range of people
– everyone gets on really well.”
It’s great to work in a business
towards ambitious goals. Significant
highlights have included doubling OEP
business with a major retailer within three
years, achieving four consecutive years
of rapid brand growth, and turning
Old El Paso into our largest brand.
“I get a buzz from working with my
team towards ambitious goals.”
“There’s a ‘can-do’ attitude throughout the business,
with people always willing to help and support
others to go the extra mile.”
The inside story
What’s it actually like working at General Mills? There’s always
something to challenge you but that’s what makes it interesting
and always fun. We asked some people from around the business
to see what they think, and find out how they bring food to life.
Louise Hipsey
Being here for more than six
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my five-and-
As Customer Logistics Manager I have
years, I have been given numerous
a-half years with General Mills UK, and
responsibility for the customer services
opportunities to develop. More recently,
have never felt as valued as I do here.
team. Key to my role is being up-to-
after having my first child, the company
It’s a company very much in touch
date on current retailer and logistics
offered me a part-time position to allow
with its employees, always looking for
initiatives, and then assessing how we
me to balance my work and home life.
ways to improve the environment and
can implement them within the business.
There’s always a great atmosphere
in the office, and you’re given the scope
to try alternative ways to achieve your
objectives. Most recently I have been
working with a major retailer and our
distribution service provider to find a
solution to their network expansion
plans. I was given the freedom to
propose a solution and then negotiate
with all parties to implement it.
Ravinder Talwar
As Customer Services Team Leader,
I manage a team that ensures all orders
are processed on time. As the first point
of contact for customers, service and
communication are a big part of what
we do. The role involves interacting
with our logistics service providers
and other units within the business.
reward performance.
My promotion to Team Leader was
an amazing challenge as I had never
managed anyone in the past. It was
also a great achievement as I went
through the same interview process
as external applicants, so I knew I had
really earned the position. The company
then supported me with training to
ensure my success in the new role.
From lleft
F
eft to right:
Adam Margolin
Shona Thind
Louise Hipsey
Ravinder Talwar
Tim Dillon
Trevor Callander
08
General Mills: Bringing food to life
09
Getting more all-round
Rewarding our people appropriately makes sense.
Put your effort, enthusiasm and ideas into what you
do and we’ll recognise it. Retaining and developing
individuals is what keeps us at the top of our game.
Developing your talents and skills is
as beneficial for you as it is for us, and an
important investment all round. We recruit
people based on their potential to succeed,
and we’ll help you achieve that potential.
The company has in place a defined
Let’s go on a brief tour of the different
parts of the business that make up
General Mills UK.
Human Resources – The HR team
Marketing – Brand marketing centres
high potential people, facilitating their
is responsible for recruiting talented,
on communicating the quality of our
growth and development and ensuring
brands to consumers. The Insight team
compensation and benefit packages
makes sure we research and understand
recognise and reflect performance.
what is important to our consumers.
Sales – Retail Sales builds long-term
Bakery & Foodservice – A multifunctional team (including Sales,
General Mills is an employer of choice.
“Career Pathway” for each functional
relationships with our customers. Trade
Marketing and Insight) operates within
It’s one thing saying that, but we follow it
area, thus providing a clear route
Marketing works with our customers to
our bakery and foodservice business,
through by supporting the varying needs
for progression.
ensure we are as attractive in-store to
which includes the Jus-Rol brand.
of all our people inside and outside of
To maximise your professional
consumers as we can be.
One thing that is special about
Ireland – We have a Team based in
work. This shows up in the environment
growth and ongoing performance, we’ll
we create and encourage, and in the
also create an individual development
General Mills UK is that whilst people
types of resources we provide for
plan together. It’s much more than a
are encouraged to develop within
people’s wellbeing.
standard yearly review of where you’re at
their own professional discipline, eg
and how you’re doing. It’s a progressive
Marketing or Sales, you would join a
competitive salary and benefits packages
plan that guides you towards new role
multi-functional team jointly focussed on
across the business. In addition, everyone
experiences, fresh knowledge and the
developing the brand.
market for General Mills.
is eligible for annual cash bonuses
resources you need to improve your skill
based on their own and the company’s
set – whether that’s on-the-job, through
Logistics – This part of the business
Information Systems – One
performance.
your co-workers, defined coursework
For starters, we offer highly
There’s an excellent pension scheme,
or outside learning.
including a final salary section for over
Your individual development plan
40s, life insurance cover (if you join the
has your personal ambitions, immediate
pension scheme) and 25 days’ holiday
goals, strengths and development needs
with additional days after service
at its core – and you own it.
milestones. Plus, some roles come with
The contribution you make to
healthcare cover and a car allowance
General Mills will be a significant one.
or company car.
It’s simple really and that’s why we
take the time to help you acheive that
rewarding balance.
is responsible for taking our customer
orders and managing the finished goods
supply chain from our factories through
to our customers.
Finance – Commercial Finance
works with our business teams on the
effective use of resources, and helps
them make well informed decisions.
Financial Accounting deals with statutory
accounting, accounting systems,
reporting and treasury, amongst
other responsibilities.
TO FOLLOW
- OFFICE
JUNIOR
Dublin charged with developing all of
our Brands and our Häagen-Dazs Cafes
in the buoyant Irish Market. Employing
local marketing initiatives and specific
sales responsibility this is a fast growing
of General Mills’ global centres of
excellence is at our Uxbridge HQ,
providing ongoing systems support
and leadership in rolling out our
SAP programmes internationally.
Production – Our production plant for
the Jus-Rol brand is in Berwick-uponTweed, Northumbria, and is responsible
for producing high quality ingredient
pastry and filled pastry products.
Office Junior
10
assess
General Mills: Bringing food to life
acting decisively
uestionnaires
More than interested?
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empowered
encourage
Now you’ll have an idea of what we’re all about – how our brands go
from strength to strength, our people progress and our ideas evolve
every day. By building these leading brands, we help make consumers’
lives easier, healthier and more fun.
best possible environment
TO FOLLOW
- MANAGING
DIRECTOR
So what’s next? If you are interested
in a specific vacancy send a copy of your
We use a variety of assessment
CV to the relevant person at the address
techniques to help us recruit people
shown in the pocket. On some occasions
who will genuinely enjoy working at
this will be a recruitment consultant,
General Mills UK – and be successful.
a business partner we have chosen to
These include structured interviews,
work closely with us in finding people
aptitude tests, personality questionnaires
who will share our passion for bringing
and assessment centres.
food to life.
This may seem a lot more than
If you’re making a general enquiry,
the traditional interview. We approach
just send your CV with a covering letter
recruitment like this to get a rounded
to the Human Resources contact for the
perspective on the “whole you”,
area in which you’re interested, as shown
increasing the chances of identifying
in the leaflet in the pocket at the back
people who will build a successful
of the brochure.
career with General Mills and enjoy
doing so... in short people who share
our core values.
We’re looking forward to hearing
from you!
challenge
integrity
think innovatively
Managing
Director
Bringing food to life
Bringing food to life
Bringing food to life
Brin
General Mills UK
PO Box 363, Uxbridge
Middlesex UB8 1YT
Tel: 01895 201182
Fax: 01895 202514
www.generalmills.com